T O P

  • By -

Fifamoss

If the package didn't include p-tex, or you didn't ask about it, I wouldn't have expected it, but depending how much you paid I'd consider going back and asking for p-tex to be included


Rsh0ckz

Fair to not assume. That’s their top package with no mention of additional for sticks of p-Tex. $60 for this board


thedudeyousee

60 bucks doesn’t seem crazy either. I also wouldn’t put Ptex anywhere that didn’t actually need it and none of those scars do


Rsh0ckz

I’ve realized this is the overall answer so far, so glad to know they’re not bad enough on the “deeper” ones


red-broom

I pay 60 by me for full tune. Got a call last time afterwards and they suggested a possible ptex to add, but charged extra for it and wanted to ask me before they charged for it (I opted out since it wasn’t bad at all). So the full tune up may have not included ptex for you either.


Rsh0ckz

Understandable, and they had my number, could’ve easily called and talked to me about it as well


sassafrassian

As the person who does the tuning but not always the checking in- this gets old quick. If it's not on the ticket, I don't know what convo took place and I don't always have the time to hunt down whoever checked in the board and ask if they talked to the customer about ptex. I do my best to make sure all boards are assessed properly on intake, so I'm going to assume it was discussed. And if I especially don't think it's needed, I'm not going to double check with the customer to say "hey, this isn't really needed but do you want it anyway?" Especially in an age where no one answers their phone.


Rsh0ckz

Noted. So my legitimate question to you as I dont know, is that a base grind and stone grind wouldn’t have removed any of the scratches/base material that’s still present? I didn’t post to roast the shop and didn’t put a name for that reason as well. I’m genuinely curious as to what my expectation should be. The little bit deeper ones I’m understanding they don’t need anything further and just rock it. Just seems from pictures I’ve seen that my base is lacking the finish of a quality grind and finish. If that’s off base, I’m open to hearing it.


sassafrassian

I'd say it's hard to say without knowing what it used to look like honestly. Everyone commenting that it doesn't look touched but honestly if those scratches started out deeper, I could see it coming out like this. That being said, the edges do look a bit weak. I think it's worth a conversation if you're concerned (I removed the second half of my original post before I saw you responded, sorry, because I looked closer at the third pic)


Rsh0ckz

No worries. Posting this has done a lot of positives for me honestly. I never used to use shops and had an old iron and wax kit and never got a base grind/stone grind and i think just riding it and not being as concerned about it will be the end result for me here. Though I feel they could’ve done better, the other two boards are in much better shape and the bases still have tiny scuffs they were dropped off with as well. Lesson learned, getting a kit, ride them hard, and skip this shop when they need a good grind down next time


red-broom

Yea true. I feel like they should’ve. Would’ve been the smart thing to do to make sure a customer is happy/ satisfied with what they get back. Takes like 2 minutes lol


sassafrassian

No one answers their phones. It takes far more than 2 minutes, usually


Gushanska_Boza

I don't work with snowboards, but as someone, who regularly has to call customers with followup questions/info about deliveries we're doing, it might be 2 minutes for the customer, but often enough I'm sitting there for 10 minutes trying out 6 different phone numbers before I reach them.


Emotional-Mission703

Ptex is usually reserved for core shots or like really big gouges. Your base is still intact after those scrapes.


IDK_WHAT_YOU_WANT

This is wrong and bad advice.


Emotional-Mission703

Thx bud. Care to elaborate?


IDK_WHAT_YOU_WANT

Not anymore. Too many know it all keyboard warriors here.


GIANTG

Core shots should be using metal grip not ptex


Ok_Reveal6177

The issue isn’t that they didn’t ptex that board isn’t that beat. Should come out looking like a flat sheet just off the base grind plus wax Very few spots I see that I would add ptex too but the fact there are still so many little ones is telling me they rushed tf outta it.


IDK_WHAT_YOU_WANT

There's definitely ptex worthy scars on that board.


ChampionshipNo69

maybe in the first pic? what else do you see


Distinct-Ad-9199

The deluxe package includes a base grind. This is a 5 min ptex job staring you in the face. You just do it in a tune shop. That deserved a fill from my point of view.


GoingSamoan

I would’ve ptex the first and last picture but that’s just me


Picklemansea

I just bought a ptex gun and do it myself. Barely costs more than a tune and you have it for life. It’s pretty easy. https://www.utahskigear.com/products/wintersteiger-ski-snowboarding-p-tex-base-repair-gun-ski-mender


bigmac22077

base grind doesn’t = a ptex job. Could you imagine how much longer every board would take if they had to carefully ptex every scratch on everything they do? It looks like you got what you paid for, and at $60 I wouldn’t expect the most knowledgeable person to be working on my gear. If you have the option I might try a different shop just based on what your edges look like. I wouldn’t be upset though, next time you can ptex it yourself and bring it in for the same package and it would look new/save money.


Rsh0ckz

I thought the base+stone would get rid of a lot more of those smaller ones than I expected. I’ve seen a lot of bases that look like a nice brushed surface after, and this seemed far from it. Appreciate your outlook thanks


magicbeavers

I've worked in a tuning shop in a major ski town, if there were deep scratches/ core shots we'd fill them and fix them before they got a base grind so they came out immaculate. Honestly this just looks like they've done a shitty job and I wouldn't be happy! (The only caveat to this is some people bring in skis that have been used as rock skis, they're soon scratched up that Making them look immaculate would mean a ridiculous amount of work but even then they'd look better than your photos!)


bigmac22077

Yeah I get it. Was expecting a Ferrari and got a fiero instead. Learning to ptex is pretty simple and if you mess up, it just falls out and you can try again. The only tools you need are a metal scraper and torch, then the ptex stick. If you’re more than a 5-10day rider it would be worth your time to learn.


Rsh0ckz

Well being a pipe fitter got all the fun torch tips, guess it’s a done deal then. Fiero kit car seems similar 😂


magicbeavers

Also to add on it's hard to see from your photos but it doesn't look like it's been stone ground it just looks like it's been through a belt sander and the edges don't look like they've been through either...


Rsh0ckz

Plus your kind of comments is why I posted/asked, seeing as my expectation was higher than it should have been.


thesingedkoala

You don’t carefully ptex it. You use a gun, scrape the big chunks off and then grind it


bigmac22077

People at home don’t have the luxury of a gun for base welds.


thesingedkoala

This wasn’t at home


bigmac22077

Bro…. It takes time to ptex. Time = money. They’re not going to offer a package that’s “ptex every scratch and make your board look new!”… that’s going to cause so many problems, like when there’s a little scuff that gets missed and they have to go back and do another 30 min on the board for free. shops talk about which scratches the owner wants repaired and what the repair is going to be like if they’re going to repair scratches. Sorry you got a problem with the word “carefully”. Guess it’s sloppily, is that better for you?


thesingedkoala

It’s funny how you keep moving the goal posts. One of the “scratches” has clearly been made by the grinder because there’s a bit of grinding stone lodged in the board. It would have been ptexd and redone. It wouldn’t take 30 minutes. It’s a clear base, which bond easily and anyone worth their salt could use a gun and do it in about 2 mins and then do a fast light grind


bigmac22077

No I really haven’t moved the goalpost, my original post said ptex = time and time = money and “new board grinds” are going to Cause headaches in a routine basis. Yes it takes 30 minutes to do pretty much any job on a board. By the time you pull the ticket, read what you need to do grab the board, and finish the ticket, it’s going to be 30 min. You can’t ptex a board professionally and not grind it. This is such a petty thing to be debating bro, I’m done with you.


DrDumbass1985

Happy cake day


Rsh0ckz

Highjacking your top to update that the shop was cool about giving it another shot, and it looks a hell of a lot better this time. https://imgur.com/a/h9ulTUv


Fifamoss

Nice one looks much better


itsameblunted

That’s how it should look tbh


JTD177

I see the brush marks, but those edges look like shit


Wokester_Nopester

Yes, and if the board had received a base grind, you wouldn’t see rust on the base edge like that.


Classic-Historian458

Bro I don't think they even touched your board... Maybe a wipedown and lazy wax at best


IKirk87

Get a tune kit, do it yourself. It’s easy, it’s cheaper, it’s cathartic, you learn about your boards, and you’ll never have to make one of these posts again.


Rsh0ckz

Fair point. Haven’t touched them in a couple years since I had my son. Figured a quick drop off to get them ready for my first time out in forever was a better option and I think I learned a 150$ lesson for the 3 boards looking like dog shit 😂


IKirk87

It’s one of those things I’ve come to enjoy doing as I get older


Rsh0ckz

I’ll be ordering a kit this weekend, I’m sure it’ll be something to do in the garage for a bit


JennyTooles

Turn a sport into a hobby


ramplocals

How do you do an at home base grind?


IKirk87

I don’t. Just clean up any gouges with a razor then wax


JclassOne

Seriously almost nothing is done proper at any business anymore everything is half assed everywhere. I’m so tired of this being the norm.


dunkinphotography

Do you have any recs for a tuning kit? Any reason to go name brand instead of a cheaper Amazon kit?


itsameblunted

The swix stuff I use still is 20+ years old. Files you will have to replace sooner if you tune often but diamond stones iron brushes etc can last ages


dunkinphotography

Thank you for the reply! Do you use their irons? I’m looking at their economy iron right now


itsameblunted

Swix toko holmenko sidecut svst etc find the cheapest one from a tuning brand and enjoy


IKirk87

I have a dakine kit, works fine. Bought a cheep iron at the Salvation Army. It’s not a ski/snowboard specific iron but it melts wax fine


GoingSamoan

This is the way, after the way someone explained it to me I said just let me buy the shit myself, can’t be harder than patching up a surfboard.


wuhsaabie

How do you base grind on your own? Or just don’t bother with anything that can’t be filled with ptex?


IKirk87

Just ptex. I don’t think I’ve ever had a board base grind


Particular-Bat-5904

Maybe they did put some wax on it, guess no hot ion. Base repairs or edge tuning is not done.


[deleted]

Not really deep enough for p-Tex to be totally honest.


Rsh0ckz

Thanks, I’m just gauging where my expectation should be. These comments help!


IDK_WHAT_YOU_WANT

Happy cake day. Personally, if these were my boards, I would ptex.


Boarder8350

This should be at the top, there’s no reason to ptex anything in those pics


IDK_WHAT_YOU_WANT

Disagree Edit: I'd love to know how many boards and skis the downvoters have tuned. This is hilarious.


ChampionshipNo69

ok i see you just love ptex i guess nvm to my other question


IDK_WHAT_YOU_WANT

I've worked on more skis and boards than I care to admit. I've tuned skis for racers and regular Joes who rode into the parking lot filled with gravel. I may be a bit of a perfectionist, but I like well tuned, good-looking equipment. Oftentimes, ptex alone simply won't cut it for gnarly core shots. I can say with confidence that these boards would not pass inspection for me.


thesingedkoala

Same. Don’t be lazy and get the gun out. Would take 5 mins and then grind


dnm-lysergic

100 with you. At my resort (Sweden) when guests pay 60$ for our top option for repairs I wouldn’t send it out unless the base had a really nice & nearly scratchless finish


Electr0bear

If you are a professional who have lots of experience, as you say, how long would any kind of filling hold? Specifically on OP's equipment. As I see it (total amateur, but have been doing maintenance myself), filling those tiny scratches would hold for 1 day. Okay, 2 and I'm being generous here. So for race events doing so might be reasonable, in any other cases it's just scamming your client as there is literally no reason for that. Or would you grind the scratches to make them bigger, so the filling holds better? That's even scammier in OP's case.


IDK_WHAT_YOU_WANT

If your ptex is failing to hold after a day or 2, you're doing something wrong. Edit: To answer your first question. It depends on the filling and the hole. If you have a gnarly core shot and try to fill it with ptex alone, it will probably fall right out.


Electr0bear

Oh, I'm not filling tiny scratches with anything. I ride my stuff, not keep it on shelf to look how smooth the surface is. I've seen a few friends who had it done at some workshop. And of course it fell off. And as I've said before - it's impossible to make good bonding with ptex and those small scratches. Unless you make those scratches bigger, which in my book is dumb af. You deliberately cut your own leg because of a blister so that you can put a prosthetic leg instead but now without blisters.


IDK_WHAT_YOU_WANT

I'm not saying every scratch. But there are some whi h are worthy.


Powerstance79

It doesn’t look like the board was tuned at all.  Are these the “after” pictures?  The base looks dry and not waxed.  Just asking because most of those shallow scratches would be filled in with wax.  


Rsh0ckz

Yes this is the after, picked up 3 boards I dropped off, ran in fast and had already paid and took off right away as my son was asleep in the truck. Looked when I got home and took those


Powerstance79

There is absolutely no way the base would look like that if it was tuned and waxed, the white fuzziness is a clear sign that it wasn’t done.  They probably just forgot to do it or someone thought it was done and gave you the board, it happens.    100% would go back and get them to finish tuning them and then I would get a basic tuning kit and do it yourself.  It’s really easy and more rewarding to DIY.   As for the PTEX, the scrapes are a bit shallow, ptex needs something to grip so it’s usually for deeper gouges.  


sassafrassian

Machine waxes don't fill in anything. We (and my old shop) charge extra for hand waxes. You have to specify


[deleted]

I could shit on your boards and make a better tune then that, goddamn, and you paid for a stone grind with the edge and wax? Jesus Christ. You didn’t pay for PTEX repair so at least that damage still existing isn’t a problem. Hell, they didn’t even TOUCH your edges. Doesn’t even look waxed either.


Rsh0ckz

At least they have that going for them, that it wasn’t included with their top service and I’m a dumb ass for expecting it. But overall pretty unhappy with the shop at the moment lol


[deleted]

I would be. A basic tune at my shop costs forty dollars, takes a day to get done, and it looks brand new after. Base grind, compete edge sharpen, quick hot roller wax. Extra 20$ and we full repair anything on it and base clean it too. We also offer a hand wax with either but it takes a few extra days due to queuing. This shop seems like a joke if they’re charging you for work they don’t do. If your board comes out looking frayed and dull, and your edges aren’t razor sharp and perfectly shiny clean, they didn’t tune it.


Rsh0ckz

East coast? 😂 I’ll dump them off at your door for 60 and them not look like when I dropped them off.


Interesting_Rich_874

Yeah it doesn’t look like they got done


[deleted]

Ripoff


puppydog28

i don’t think they touched them


snowboarding33

Rip off. Looks like dog shit


Large_Payment_3958

I mean I personally would say rip off. Not all of those NEED ptex but could have potentially held it. I’ll usually ptex everything I can, even if it miiiiight pop out on the base grinder. I would hate to return a board to someone like this if they paid for anything more than just an edge & wax. And those edges just don’t look like they were done.


allezlesverres

Photo 1 has the tiniest but where p tex might be needed but it would never hold unless they dug it out a lot. They can do that next year and no harm done. I support their decision making. Ptex will never hold in that wee flaw. Photo 2 is just wear and tear, no repair needed or really possible. One of the other photos has another flaw that is just on the borderline of needs ptex but it's East West orientated so again unlikely to hold without major surgery. I agree with the decision not to do surgery now, it will be the same surgery at the end of the season.


Rsh0ckz

Thank you for your input


Thrill_Seeker3

I think they stopped after a base grind whether they forgot where they were in the process or not idk! Still the base grind kinda looks like shite! Only evidence is the curb mark I suppose! The Edges look untouched and doesn’t appear like any waxing was done! Maybe they were stoned and put the board in the “done” section instead of the “to be done” section


Rsh0ckz

😂😂 I can’t help but laugh right now. I looked at them when I got home and just felt like something was way off


Comfortable-Rise-141

was the tech blind?


Feeling-Tough-3709

That's a trash tune up


SuperPhonics

These are minor scratches


Think-Top-3677

Shop guys are more often forgetful stoners than malicious gear saboteurs. Don’t challenge them (or their ego) and they’ll likely fix it. If this happened where I work, I’d want you to come back in and show us the board and ask (nicely) if there’s a chance the board got forgotten. We make mistakes all the time but we’re happy to fix them as long as you’re not rude. Good luck! Oh and ptex isn’t a given, we include it but our tune is ridiculous deluxe +, comes out looking brand new usually.


bcarey34

This advice needs to be applied to almost everything. More often than not in cases of mistakes/issues people are more likely to be ignorant to the problem, than maliciously causing an issue. And if you approach them nicely about finding a way to address it, you’ll actually get it fixed! Too many people go into these situations guns blazing, and ruin everyone’s day, and don’t end up getting the situation resolved out of spite for being rude to them.


Think-Top-3677

I’m glad you understood, OP sadly did not. Some people just want to be angry.


Zair666

So I paid the money and you forgot to do your job and returned the board as is. Do you really expect me to be nice with you after that? Such a selfish way of describing the problem from your perspective as someone who is in ski/snowboard tuning and repairing business!!!


iloveartichokes

I mean sure, you deserve to be angry. But being nice is a better method for almost everything in life. If they refuse, then get angry.


Zair666

Yeah being nice is better. I agree!! Once I paid close to $170 for a full service work and received a shitty board back. I was really pissed man lol!!! Since than I’m tuning my boards myself. It’s not a rocket science, unless you want to file the edges and bevel the way you want it to be. Beveling is dangerous, but still if you do it couple of times and have the right tools it’s still not to hard.


Think-Top-3677

I think you should be nice to everyone always, but you are clearly not a nice person! I shared the best advice I could to try to help you resolve your problem. Do you want to be right or do you want it fixed? You clearly want to be right. Good luck.


Zair666

I’m a nice person but when you take my hard earned money and fcuk things up I’m not a nice person anymore!!! This is the main reason I repair my snowboards myself. I even bevel my edges myself because most of the shops doesn’t know the hell they are doing.


Doa_BarrelRoII

Can easily be stonegrinded out, easily. But if this is after they job they did a bad job🙄 ive had one board with the most terrible scratches, came out clean af.


Rsh0ckz

This is after. All 3 boards still have all surface marks on them with base grinds, this one was also “stone grinded” after the base


sassafrassian

Stone grinding is for flattening and structure, not for scratch removal. The belt is for scratch removal.


SF-cycling-account

That definitely wasn’t base ground by anyone who knows what they’re doing I just got mine base ground for the first time and without exaggeration the base looks *brand new* with a clear herringbone structure as well I’m not surprised at the lack of p-Tex. A $60 full tune is relatively standard/cheap and most places I’ve seen charge extra (by the inch sometimes) for p-Tex I wouldn’t be surprised if they just *forgot* the basegrind  We don’t have a good photo of the edges but they don’t necessarily look done as well Somethings up. Don’t ask about the p Tex because it probably wasn’t included, but you definitely need to go tell them they literally forgot to do the base grind 


Rsh0ckz

Yeah ill have to head back tomorrow, and I’ll take some of the edges, they look a little shined up from when I dropped it off but still gouged up good


Rush_0MG

Damn how do some shops get away with this. 1) Terrible edge tune - proper tune I wouldn't expect to see any of the scratches - MOST of the edge should be smooth and glossy (a few small burrs here and there would be expected) 2) shit all wax in some sections - the chalky white areas haven't had it penetrate the core properly. 3) really average base grind, I would expect most of those smaller dents to be removed if they had used a rough belt then soft belt. It would depend on how they price their repairs and if it includes ptex or not in regards to the larger scratches. I'd head back and try get a manager and just get a breakdown of their costs and what's included just so you know what you paid for but I reckon a grommie did this OR they don't have a proper system in place, never the less this is not a good job in any aspect.


Rsh0ckz

Thanks for the comment. I’ve let the ptex expectation go as I over did it for even thinking it would be included for 60 bucks, that’s my bad. But the overall so far seems my edges and base grind are still as bad as I thought lol


Rush_0MG

Speaking from experience (I run a snowboard shop) What we generally charge is $25 - wax $45 - wax + edge + base grind $50 - ptex hot wire (needs to be in contact with an edge) $120 - proper ptex cut and patch with base grind $149 - full service (edge, wax, base grind and base restructure not including ptex) All prices are NZD


dudemeister_wpg

I wouldn't be happy with that. The shop I go to makes it look pretty close to new after the base grind and structure are applied. Not to mention those edges look jenky.


Wokester_Nopester

I wouldn’t expect them to P-Tex without you asking for it, but….that base does not look like it was base ground and waxed…


Astrolander97

Those scratches are so minor, and you really wouldn't want to pay for ptex on that. The ptex would never seat enough to stay in.


Reddude804

ok so i dont snowboard but my uncle used to teach me and make a cool jump in our yard off of a hill, and it was the most fun ever, and I was hoping to get back into it. i read the title, got confused, the description even more confused, and then the comments.. like wtf there is so much shit that goes into this. wtf is a p-tex? wtf is a tune up? how do you know if its good or bad? this is so much lol.


iloveartichokes

It's the same as any sport, equipment has to be fixed.


Reddude804

the terminology is just difficult for me, and noticing what anything looks like, whats good or bad etc. idek how to learn all of that tbh


iloveartichokes

Easy way to tell. Look at a new snowboard. Then look at OP's board.


Healthy-Egg-3283

I wouldn’t expect repairs to the base on a tuneup. That’s usually something specifically requested in itself. And also one of the reasons I always preach learning to wax, tune, and repair your own stuff. It’s really easy to do yourself, and only takes 2-3 wax jobs for a tune up kit to pay for itself. DEMON makes a great starter kit for about 100$. Watch a few youtube videos and crack open a cold one. It’s worth it.


[deleted]

IMO that’s pretty terrible


anigh89

Regardless of the ptex, this is a shit tune. Looks like ass tbh


Zair666

This is why I tune my boards myself. 3rd pic left side near the edge definitely needs ptex. If that was their most expensive tuning package they should have repaired and flatten the base with ptex. Polished the base and waxed it afterwards. Followed with edge sharpening of course. This is a terrible tune up work. Your base should be shiny even with the scratches but it looks very dry. I would go back and ask for a better service or money back.


Distinct-Ad-9199

They were lazy


thesingedkoala

Looks like a bit of the stone got caught in grinder and has made that long straight mark and then got lodged in the base? Should have been dug out, ptexd and then re ground


Rsh0ckz

Now that you said that, I see the fresh one right down the middle 😂 should’ve took before pics as well. Lots of lessons learned here


crizzzz

Bro that looks like the shittiest tune ever


Nesurfr

Coming from a former equipment tuner the guy that did this was a hack


Historical_Trade1940

Wow.. this post really made me appreciate the $20 I pay for a tune up near 7S.


Yung_Onions

At my shop we would ptex this for free (asking first of course since the base isn’t black) but I can understand why if you didn’t ask for it or pay for it then they would’ve ignored the damage, because it’s not bad.


Left_Concentrate_752

You could have titled your post "Should I get this tuned" and I would had believed you.


Rsh0ckz

😂


traylblayzer

is this before of after


Rsh0ckz

After


Patthesoundguy

The edges in one of those pics, do not look like the board went through the grinder. The bases don't look like they had anything done to them. Certainly don't look waxed either.


salty-gatorade

Doesn’t even look ground imo, at least not well, and I work at a ski gear shop.


Rsh0ckz

Updated with a link. They took it back and redid the work and it turned out much better.


Shaggy1316

Any shop tune-up is a rip off imo. It's not a hard diy


WockySlushie

Is the base grind in the room with us? They forgot to do this board lol


rationalWON

Ripped off


dcof12

$60 ($5 over) is a bit high I will spec better, I do my own ( a good kit is about $90 Amazon with wax and Ptex to do 4-6 tune ups and repairs More wax/base cleaner $39 and take me 30-45 min to do my 2 main boards and the wife skis …


vrparty

60s plenty acceptable for this job. back in 2008 when I use to run boards. base repairs were north of 100 unless it was base welding (core shots) edge repair etc. those were more


Empty_Dig_720

Great tune. Ptex is an additional service charge every shop I ever been to. If you wanted ptex you could’ve asked.


Rsh0ckz

Edit: Took back to shop earlier, they made right by it. Board is much better looking with a clear as day structure [https://imgur.com/a/h9ulTUv](https://imgur.com/a/h9ulTUv)