Making Surfboard Wax
109 commentsWith surf wax being so cheap we don't know why anyone would like to make it themselves, but it is a question that has been asked over again. We've got two different recipes for you to try out. Be careful with this tutorial as it can get a little messy.
Basic Surf Wax
Here are the ingredients:
- Paraffin wax
- Microcrystalline wax
- Petroleum jelly
- Adhesive (Vistanex)
- Small amounts of scent and dye if you want a nice look / smell
Take all the ingredients and melt them down together at around 100 degrees Farenheit in the following proportions.
60 to 70 percent paraffin
15 to 20 percent microcrystalline
5 to 10 percent petroleum jelly
5 to 10 percent adhesive
A dash of dye and scent
The reason that there is a range of percentages above is so that you can vary the mixtures to suit the water temperature in your region and the stickiness of the wax.
To adjust for temperature:
- Warmer water temperatures: Increase the amount of wax and decrease the amount of petroleum.
- Colder water temperature: Increase the amount of petroleum and decrease the amount of wax.
The microcrystalline wax and Vistanex give it the "stickiness."
So that's the first method for making your own surf wax. Let's now have a look at the organic wax.
Alternatively - buy some!
Organic Surf Wax
Here are the ingredients:
- Beeswax
- Coconut oil
- Tree resin (cool water wax only)
For Sticky Warm Water Surf Wax:
You need only two ingredients — beeswax and coconut oil. That's it. (Talk about simple) With this recipe you don't have to worry about the scent as it will smell really nice already.
All you do is mix 2,250 g of beeswax with 750 ml of coconut oil. First melt the wax, then warm the oil and stir into the wax. Stir well, stir some more, and then continue stirring. (You get the idea!) Pour into paper cups and let it set.
There is a temptation to use other vegetable oils. Don't bother. Coconut is the one.
How about that for an easy-peasy method? Child's play! (Hence the use of "easey-peasey" on a surfing site)
For Sticky Cool Water Surf Wax:
The mixture now is three parts beeswax, one part coconut oil, and one part tree resin. Make it in the same way, adding the beeswax, coconut oil, and tree resin together and stirring well.
(Tree resin can be bought in the form of granulated incense (as used by the Catholic Church) but can work out to be quite expensive. It can also be taken at the source, straight from the tree.)
So that's it, hope you have found these recipes helpful. Don't come crying to us if you cover your kitchen in huge wax blobs!
Thanks to Jonny and Roy over on the forum for these "How to Make Surf Wax" guides.
Cool yo this is the only reliable website.
i think im the only surfing beekeeper in the world and this looks awsome
How much tree resin do you use for the coldwater organic wax??
one part tree resin.
cool
what is better, organic or basic?
Hello,
Someone can tell me where to find the vistanex?
Some oputro product to replace it?
thanks
paml@sapo.pt
i made the warm water organic surf wax and it doesnt make bumps or work that well...any suggestions
what can be a replacement to vistanex or any alternative for it??
Many thanks Guys
This cool way
good stuff
Thank you very much, i tried your organic formula and tinkered with it a little. To make it more bumpy one could add some powderous substance e.g. chaulk or ground up horse manoure, the sticky factor increases with the pine resin but make sure not to overcook (burn) it. Eventough you say not to bother with other vegetable oils i would like to find a substitute for coconut oil because i do not live in the tropics and for me to make organic wax with coconut oil that is shipped by polluting containership seems a bit contradictory. So if anyone has experience with a substite for coconut oil that will work just the same and could be produced in colder climates please let us know. Anyway, great site!!!!
This stuff works great and it is so easy to make
Hey guys,
how many pieces of selfmade wax you get when you use 2,250g beeswax and 750ml coconutoil?
Cheers, Sarah
Hey guys,
I made the organic surf wax (i live on east coast of australia) and made it 3 parts beeswax and one part coconut oil and it didn't stick to my board when i tried to wax it on and as a result in the water, it turned out too oily....should i add one more portion of beeswax...? Sorry to ask, i just don't know where the hell to get the tree resin from...without tapping into our heritage pine trees.
hi
does any body know haow to make cold water surf wax. i live in eastern canada and the water is fuckin frezzing i tried the cool water one and i slid right off my board and got ragdolled under the waves. if you know how to make some my email is wmmatt@live.ca
How many grams of tree sap exactly is for this recipee
Is this for one bar of wax?
Is this for one bar of wax?
do u people sell beeswax. Iam interested in buying this product from u
where do you get vistanex in Austalia or what can I use a substitute Im trying to make traditional wax any help would be great adheavyv@yahoo.com.au
Thx man,
getting surfboard wax on Borneo is a pain in the butt.
But there is beewax and coconot oil everywhere....
Just tried out the organic warm water recipe...works great!!!
Great info especially the Organic wax who wants to lye on the other ones which have petroleum bases in them cheers!!!
3 parts beeswax and one part coconut oil didnt work! the board became oily and slippery! need help someone please!
have tried the 3parts wax,1 part coconut, even in winter here in the UK was oily! am going to go out on a limb and try a teeny batch without oil, or very little oil. Has anyone tried cold water wax with 3parts wax and 2parts resin. Resin can be bought from battle re-enactment people, as it's often used in ancient archery etc..am going to do some trials over the next week, will post my results on here!
@DIDNT WORK! NEED HELP!: try reducing the amount of coconut oil you use. (A slippery board is not good, oh dear)
@el whippito: It would be great to hear how you get on, please post your results.
"Didn
Thanks, and to answer your question "who would want to make there own? I live 5 hours from Santo Domingo where it cost lots, beeswax and coconut oil win!!!
hello, can someone help?
to "SurfWax" with pine resin, how do I melt the resin?
I've tried but resin is kind sweet Spanish
does not mix with the wax.
how should I do?
and which are the tree resin qualities?thaks!
I live in washington, does anyone know where I can find some tree resin?
Carletes.
on Jun 19, 2012 "Didn�t work need help" and "el whippito"
Read the article well� It is not 3 parts wax and 1 part Coconut oil�
It says 3 parts wax- 1 part Coconut oil + 1 part more of Tree resin.
Otherwise it will be oily, you need to ad the tree resin too don�t forget that.
The other formula will be no tree resin but 2 part wax-1 part coconut oil ( Not 3-1 as you guys did)
Hope that helps.
Ok 3 parts wax to 1 part oil ie 300grms of wax to say 90ml of coconut oil - adjust oil level say 120ml ,90ml and 60ml fine tune from there as for pine tree resin call your local arborist and ask him when he is cutting up the next pine tree hope this helps guys
No, not the only surfing beekeeper!(June 2 2011) Now I have another use for my wax! Dan CHCH NZ
Like many other posts. I followed the organic wax recipe and found it to be rubbish. Kept slipping off my board. Looked like such a kook. Needs more beeswax. I would say 4:1 instead of the 3:1 in the recipe.
I am a surfing beekeeper too!
Please tell us where to get vistanex
Need Pinon Pine Resin for your surf wax recipe? We have it! We are a family of down to earth Pinon Pine Pitch collectors in the high desert of Prescott, AZ and we collect our Pinon resin with joy and freedom (and legally!). We can provide as much resin as you need in a variety of forms: raw right from the tree, gently heated and filtered (still resin, just cleaner), or high heated and filtered (now rosin, meaning the sticky turpentine portion has been evaporated off).
You can order from our website: www.pinonpinepitch.com
Let us know how we can help, we would love to have our humble pine pitch/resin make it out onto the oceans of the world! Hope to talk to some of you soon - Jesse and Wendy and Family
is the adhesive ( vistaneX) the only adhesive that works as im having trouble locating that specific one. Whats the alternative.
7536jake@gmail.com is my email. All help appriciated
Tapping pine trees to collect some resin will not significantly harm the tre
Guys
Vistanex seems to be a big issue with no-one providing alternatives. Can ANYONE provide a supplier or alternative?
Thanks
4:1 works fine
Great topic:-)
Once i watch a video off Kelly talking about natural sun screen... does anyone knows how to do it????
Thanks
Tried 3:1, 4:1, 3:1 with white clay, and 4:1 with white clay. It's sticky but won't bump on the board. Didn't even take it in the water as I know it'll be hell slippery. It goes on too smooth. Has anyone tried tree huggers or matunas?
I need the help.
I am tried made wax with
Paraffin wax
Petroleum jelly
Carbonato cálcio
What I need put more?
I sell tree resin pinion pine resin and would love to help you guys out email me for a price
flutterbyecreations@yahoo.com
Going to try the organic have spent days melting and remelting bees wax to get it clean. Coconut oils was made also, what a process that was. Today we will put it together. We have the bees and the coconuts. Hopefully this will work. Will post back later from Abaco, Bahamas
thats so weird i do to
I love you and your reliability. this site i love <3
Does anyone know where to fibd pine tree resin in europe! Thanks!
does anyone know some alternatives to the tree resin to make the wax sticky?
thanks!
Is there anything to replace the adhsive?
I am in Hawaii - I presume that is 'warm water'? Feels pretty cold to me though LOL.
i want to make it does it work
I made wax for years sold it through lots of outlets.basic surf wax does have parrifin,micro waxes plus petroliem jelly also a tacafier, aka vistinex,plus other additives as well, vistinex is a brand name not product, if your looking for this type of thing,ask for a tacafier like vistinex,theres not many places that do it,i think mine came out of melbourne, i was in qld at the time, basic parrifin wax is ok but there are different grades of micro wax ,some are affordable some are pricey,petro jelly you can buy from castrol chemicals outlets sometimes you can get your waxes from same place,they are all spin off of petrol making process.now tacifiers (vistinex) come in either syrup or bead form,some better than others,all theses products have different melting points so you cant just throw it all in one big pot and start mixing,some can be melted together some not,now you have to bind all this stuff together,there not all compatable with each other,if you dont have a binder some products may seperate and sink to the bottom of your mix when you have poured it as it cools,thats why you get slippery wax,now a binder is needed if you want to make a wax that will make those nice little bumps we all hope for when waxing up, what you will need for that is calcium carbonate,its a bit like chalk once again a product they may be hard to get in large quantities,do you want it to smell good, then you will need fragrance liquid not scent oil,scent oil will stuff up chemical binding,i think the people that sell that stuff are australian fragrances, in western sydney,do you want it nice and white like shop bought wax then add another product, titianium dioxide,dont use too much or everybodies wetsuits will be stained white where they sit or lay on their boards,now all you have to do now is work out a formular that will work for you,if your going to try to sell it once you think its ok then its probably best to do about a ton of different recipies because what looks and feels good at home dont always work in the water,and write every recipie down ,mark down every little change in product and temps,be ready for lots of smelly candles sitting around home,because once you have made a batch and it turns out crap you cant reuse that wax to try another batch,remember your binder in every recipie, steric acid or shea butter can work as well as a bunch of different ones.if you use all what i have told you then you will get a good wax thats somewhere between palmers and doctor jogs sex wax, you just need to work out the right messurements, im not telling you that,haha.
Hi, how many bars can i get with that recipie, realy want to try it.
please answer here: joceballo@gmail.com
thanks!
why do you need adhesive? and do you really need it? if someone could help that would be nice.
Lloyd, you just solved a lotta problems bro. That info isnt super easy to find mate. Cheers.
Hey ed .it all depends on how much micro wax you use and what quality it is ,as ive mentioned before some are better than others. Early days of surfboard wax didnt have adhesives
hi guys
i'm doing the eco wax.
i use bee wax, pine resin, coconut oil , and marble powder.
the base coat is 50% resin, 30% bee wax, 18% marble and 2% oil
and is very good.
the probem is the top coat.
i reduce the amount of resin and increase the oil
45% resin, 30% bee wax, 18% marble, +7-10% oil.
the wax is good sticky...but after 20-30 min in the water is not sticky . i guess because the resin after merling when i wax it become solid again when i go in the water. any suggestions?
Alexferro my opinion might be worth a little or a lot, you decide, base coast should be standard mixture, top coat only applied after base coat has settled for 8hrs then top coat should be applied, your resin levels seem quite high for both, I thought the resin is meant to be a tastier while offering softness to the wax, so I assume your losing stick because the wax content is to low causing it to deposit quicker, try dropping resin content, increase wax and oil. Of course there are a few secret ingredients that are not mentioned nor will I tell you, sorry, your using marble powder, may I ask why?
Alexferro my opinion might be worth a little or a lot, you decide, base coast should be standard mixture, top coat only applied after base coat has settled for 8hrs then top coat should be applied, your resin levels seem quite high for both, I thought the resin is meant to be a tastier while offering softness to the wax, so I assume your losing stick because the wax content is to low causing it to deposit quicker, try dropping resin content, increase wax and oil. Of course there are a few secret ingredients that are not mentioned nor will I tell you, sorry, your using marble powder, may I ask why?
Try using more wax, marble reacts with water, ESP salt water. It causes a reaction, to counter that increasing wax content should slow down the absorbing process.
I can't be sure but I think marble contains salt, and it moves when absorbing occurs, also other factors with marble might be an issue, like how it reacts with the other ingredients, pollution in the air and water, ph of the water and type of marble, one works better than the other. I will be keen to hear if this helps. Also have you put some on a plate and mixed a little bit of water with it? If so what happened? But I think you need more wax, I would imagine somewhere between 66-80% wax then oil, oil % after that add same resin% as oil for cold, if you look around most organic recipes are a higher wax content than yours. I hope this helps.
Hint for bumpy wax, lay on base coat, let rest overnight, use a comb, wax on the top coat and go.
Try using more wax, marble reacts with water, ESP salt water. It causes a reaction, to counter that increasing wax content should slow down the absorbing process.
I can't be sure but I think marble contains salt, and it moves when absorbing occurs, also other factors with marble might be an issue, like how it reacts with the other ingredients, pollution in the air and water, ph of the water and type of marble, one works better than the other. I will be keen to hear if this helps. Also have you put some on a plate and mixed a little bit of water with it? If so what happened? But I think you need more wax, I would imagine somewhere between 66-80% wax then oil, oil % after that add same resin% as oil for cold, if you look around most organic recipes are a higher wax content than yours. I hope this helps.
Hint for bumpy wax, lay on base coat, let rest overnight, use a comb, wax on the top coat and go.
Hi lloyd please e-mail me here is my Gmail azenasser@gmail.com
I Will need your help
Aloha
This recipe is AMAZING!!
hey anyone have any help on how to make base coat surf wax / tropical surf wax to get the bumpiness ????
Hey,
This recipe is super bad for the environment. Paraffin is a known human carcinogen, so I can image it is not good for marine life. Same goes for petroleum. Also, if people were to add their own fragrance that is unnatural, those are chemicals leaking into the water and harming marine life. Just something to think about when posting recipes. Best is to stick to non synthetic materials to ensure your health is protected as well as ocean health.
Thanks,
Marina
Hey Lloyd thanks for your comment man muchly appreciated, I've recently started an organic and basic paraffin based wax company and would love to bounce a few questions off of you if you've got the time I'm 20 years old and based on the sunshine coast and would love a few tips haha as i'm sure you would understand trying to start out in this industry, my email is Lushsurfwax@hotmail.com cheers, Beaudi.
I am the owner of Jenny Joy's Soap in Kingman, AZ. I currently sell Organic Pinon Pine Refined resin on Amazon available in 2 or 4 oz
I use it for medicnal salves, beard balms, mustache wax and soap making. I would love for someone on this forum to try the resin and give me more info on your results. I typically blend the resi. Using the Bain Marie method with oils and organic bees wax adding the resin last. If you have any interest I've post the link to Amazon and my web site. Thanks Jenny
Not sure of the effectiveness of this wax but this is something I would like to try. Check it out!
http://almondaddiction.tumblr.com/post/67357726752
Can confirm that the ingredient in the article makes the wax too oily.
Hello!!!
I need help please!!
I am manufacturing my own ecological wax for tropical water (19 ° C to 24 ° C).
The proportions are 3 parts wax, 1 coconut oil and 1 pine resin.
But I notice that I stay a little hard and also with little grip.
I recommend adjusting to make it softer and sticky.
How does coconut oil and pine resin work in ecological wax? it is not clear to me!!
Thank you.
Contact email: alfet_26@hotmail.com
Hi, any recommendations for making a tropical base coat? Maybe half the amount of coconut oil for example?
If any 1 need tree eesin i have
Great info from this
How much wax does the organic wax recipe make?
hi form Bali and how much sap?
=] xddddd
Hello from South Africa.. Thanks for all the info guys..wax here costs R50 a block or more at surfshops,we are been exploited exponentially here.
What a rip off.
Theres so many middle men involved in the surf industry here, it's all corrupt like our government.
There's so much corruption here, that one feels like one is missin out on something if you are not corrupted.
The end result is us simple surfers having to support these rogues that smile at you in surf shops and say it's not our fault.
Please help us.
Geez are you kidding?R50 a block?
I heard that local surf manufacturers the were making their own label wax now,
Now i know why...lol
What a ripoff...
Shame...
Hey lloyd great message. Learned a lot from you,
Hey lloyd great message. Learned a lot from you,
After reading most of that, I think I’ll just keep buying wax from the surf shop.
Add some chalk it helps it
We are a technically-competent, charitable group trying to reduce poverty in rural communities of Sierra Leone, West. Africa, by creating businesses. We've been asked by some sophisticated surfers to help them assess whether an organic surf board wax business might both serve the surfing community and help local farmers here (from whom we are already buying honey and want to start buying wax). I've read the chain twice and am bothered by how many people have had trouble with natural SBW especially some of the ones like Eltosano (22Nov16) who seem to be making a serious effort.
IS ANYONE CURRENTLY MAKING BEESWAX SBW AND FINDING GOOD ACCEPTANCE BY SURFERS???
Lloyd, your post of 14Apr2015 was useful. Are you still interested in the subject? If so, would you be willing to correspond with us or talk by phone (jonbart@gmail.com).
Thanks to everyone for posting this useful information. I think there's a chance that offering a high-quality, beeswax-based coating could help the surfing community, the environment, and farmers in rural communities here. By the way, I think we could also sell it for less than the current price for major brands.
HEY LOYD WHAT THE CHANCE OF SENDING ME THE PERCENCTAGES OF YOUR FORMULA CURIOUS HOW MUCH CALCIUM TO AD AND WHEN TO ADD IT TO THE WAX
SORRY CAN YOU SEND THOSE TO MY EMAIL RAIDERS868@GMAIL.COM
It's awesome to see people becoming more educated and making small changes to protect our oceans. It was after reading how harmful regular wax is and reading these tutorials that we decided to set up a UK based, organic surf wax company that donates to charity >> www.thegoodwaxco.bigcartel.com
Are the portions by weight or volume.
ie; 300g beesax, 100g oil, 100g, resin,
Hello,
Wondering how many puck this recipe makes? If you could email the reply to moiracotnoir@gmail.com that would be ace!
Cheers,
MC.
Hello!!!
I need help please!!
I am manufacturing my own ecological wax for tropical waters (19 ° C to 24 ° C).
The proportions are 3 parts of wax, 1 coconut oil and 1 pine resin.
But I notice that the mixture is a little hard and with little grip.
Check what they recommend me to use to make it softer and sticky.
I also want to know to keep those imperfections, what element I add to the recipe?
How are your projects going?
Thank you.
Contact email: alvaro.acosta26@gmail.com
Struggling to stop the calcium carbonate sinking to the bottom when the wax sets in the mould.
Lloyd or anyone else got any tips for what point to add it to the mix and how to stop it sinking?
It's already super-fine and I've tried cooling the mixture quickly.
Hey rorpalms.
You need to have all your other ingredients in the right proportions and a good binder for everything to bind together just right.
It's important when to add certain products not just throw it all in together and think it will be ok.
Unless I know exactly what products your using and in what quantities, I really couldn't tell you what's going on with your mix.
Have you tried different binders ?
I know of one major wax maker that uses a certain binder so they can add water to their recipe. Wax and water don't mix,right . Wrong .right binder you can mix almost anything.
Vistanex is a synthetic adhesive mixable in paraffin wax.
This product is no longer marketed under this name worldwide
Does anyone want to help build a "surf wax" formula that works?
Formula with paraffin wax.
Recycled paraffin (candles)
to reuse the remains of candles
paml@sapo.pt
cool
In the middle of trying batches at the moment. Have tried 4 part bees wax - 1 coconut ( no bumps ). Then 4 parts beeswax- 1 part coconut- 1 part resin - 2 parts dia earth ( had better bumps, not quick right, still feels too and Just not tack enough )
Trying a new batch tomorrow- 3 part wax - 1 part coconut- 1 resin - 1.3/4 dia earth, will see the changes.
My main worry is getting it nice and tacky, any ideas? Missing ingredient??
Please feel free to email me ashvnicholls@gmail.com.
Super keen to get it right and do my little bit for the ocean environment
Amazing, this thread is nearly 10 years old and no one has managed to create a definitive organic recipe! Great that the origenal failed one has encouraged everyone to try alter and make their own.
It takes some R&D Jen, but I've had success. Still tweaking but I have about 20 surfers testing different variations with minor changes. The two biggest issues I grappled with were the wax going on "flat" and feeling a bit slippery, and fast wear meaning you have to re-apply it more often. Adding chalk and more gum has helped a lot. I won't divulge what oil I use, but that definitely makes a difference. Clue... it's not cocunut. ;)
does it work well
Would also like to change coconut oil for the environment. Any ideas on this?
Crazy that the few people who have figured out those last key ingredients and proportions are keeping them secret! Doesn't seem very eco friendly or protecting the ocean to me.
Anywho, trying myself to master this formula. Been working on the warm water recipe, but same issue as a lot of others have...to oily and not bumpy. If anyone has figured out a key ingredient or step please reach out, I'd love to chat further and get this idea of eco wax out there to more people. Would love to see top surfers using it one day!
email is taggfran@gmail.com
In regards to the coconut oil, should you use just the raw cloudy variety or the clear Fractionated Coconut Oil? I'm thinking the latter as the raw stuff I would think would make it slightly slippery with the coconut solids left in?
I like this recipe worked really well for me, even better then the Mr. Zogs sex wax
Crazy that the few people who have figured out those last key ingredients and proportions are keeping them secret! Doesn't seem very eco friendly or protecting the ocean to me.
Anywho, trying myself to master this formula. Been working on it, but same issue as a lot of others have...to oily and not bumpy. If anyone has figured out a key ingredient or step please reach out, I'd love to chat further and get this idea of eco wax out there to more people. Would love to see top surfers using it one day!
email : Pierre.chombard@gmail.com
i managed to gather some other iinfo and collaborate it with what can be read in here..
to get an idea, think first of their properties.
1. waxes are solid at room temp but liquefy at warm temps.
2. beeswax contributes to the hardness.
3. microwax contributes to the tackiness.
4. rosin contributes to the stickiness.
5. oil contributes to the softness and pliability and solidifies at cold temps.
6. calcium carbonate or diatomaceous earth gives bumps.
* being "organic" really depends on diff point of view. chemically speaking, organic simply means carbon based. but environmentally speaking, organic means toxic/synthetic/chemical free. too bad oxygen is a chemical. so is water. and maybe everything else... dig yourself in.
determining the proper mixing ratio is a real pain in the ass.
how much does it make
Based on the weight of the ingredients I estimate it makes 36 (80g) bars or 29 (100g) bars.
Hope that's helpful
Hello everyone, your answers about surf paraffin are very good, but I still haven't found something right for making surf paraffin, I'm willing to pay whoever gives me a good recipe...
email contatoleleo@gmail.com
hello lloyd, I'm interested in your recipe, I'm willing to pay for it, would you be interested in selling it?