How to Make a Toboggan Faster
In any snow sport, the secret to speed is reducing friction, or drag, between yourself and the snow. You want your sliding surface to be as smooth as possible. There are several techniques you can use to make a wooden toboggan faster, using either regular household products or specialized ski and snowboard waxing equipment.
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Things You'll Need
- Screwdriver
- Sandpaper
- Spray furniture wax
- Ski or snowboard spray wax
- Ski or snowboard hard wax
- Old iron
- Plastic wax scraper
- Lint-free buffing cloth
Instructions
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Sprays
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1
Examine your toboggan to make sure it's in good shape for riding. Check for loose boards and tighten any loose screws.
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2
Check the base of your toboggan for splinters, holes or rough spots that could slow you down. Use sandpaper to smooth out these flaws. Also, lightly sanding the entire base of the toboggan with fine sandpaper will remove any old wax or other coating and prepare the wood to be re-coated with your wax of choice.
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3
Choose your coating. For an easy and long-lasting speed boost, use a liquid spray ski or snowboard wax. Spray the wax on evenly, allow it to dry and buff the toboggan base lightly with the cloth for a smooth surface. If you don't have spray ski wax but want a quick fix, you can use spray furniture wax. This coating won't last long but will help speed your toboggan up for a couple runs.
Hot waxing
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4
Follow Steps 1 and 2 above to prepare the toboggan base for waxing. Place the toboggan base up, lying flat on a sturdy work surface.
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5
Use the iron on the low temperature setting to melt the hard ski wax over the toboggan, dripping the melted wax evenly onto the base. Keep moving so you don't create piles of melted wax.
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6
Iron the base of the toboggan, using the low setting. Iron in a circular motion to evenly distribute a layer of wax across the entire surface. Keep the iron moving so you don't burn through the wax and damage the toboggan base.
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7
Allow the wax to cool and harden.
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8
Use the plastic scraper to smooth the wax surface and remove excess wax from the toboggan, pushing or pulling the scraper at a 45-degree angle to the toboggan base. Always scrape the base from front to back, following the grain of the sliding surface, and take care not to scrape so hard that you remove all the wax from any area. Buff the finish with your lint-free cloth when the wax is smooth, also rubbing front to back.
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Tips & Warnings
Some people suggest using cooking spray as a quick, easy way to speed up sleds. Cooking spray isn't recommended to use on a wooden toboggan, because the oil can damage your wood finish.
Use only an old or spare iron that will not be used for ironing clothes.
Use caution riding a waxed toboggan and make sure you are prepared for the increase in speed. Always ride in a safe area free of obstacles.
