Have Wax, Will Scrape

Ok, you just spent way more on wax than you thought was possible, now what? Again, I am not a ski racer. I just like to go fast, and this has worked best for me in 20+ years of experimentation and research. First of all, your base is porous, and the idea is to absorb as much wax as possible into that base. Hence, the iron. The iron heats the base, opening the pores for the wax. You can get a decent tuning iron for around $40. I used an old household iron for years when I started out, and that worked ok too.

What you need: An iron, wax, plastic scraper, a scouring(brillo) pad (those green things in the kitchen you use to get the black shit off of pots and pans). These are the basics; you can get further in-depth with various brushes. Nylon to further help the scouring pad buff the base and get ALL wax off, a horsehair brush for finishing buffing and to remove static electricity from the base.

Sidebar: Kids, do not use Mom's iron for this! Believe me, it will NEVER be the same! The main concern is that the iron does not get too hot. If the wax starts to smoke, it is too hot. Smoke means the wax is breaking down, so just back off the temperature until it stops. Also, flourocarbons aren't just expensive, they're toxic too! So keep the smoke down and stay in a ventilated area.

Drip the wax onto the base by pressing the wax against the iron, start along one edge, going lengthwise, 4 to 6 rows should do it. Again, use a colder wax along the edges, it will better protect the edge, and the grey moly all over with the correct temp wax. If you are in doubt about the wax temp, always go on the cold side. When ironing the wax into the base is where most people (and many shop kids) make their mistake. The base must be heated enough to open up and absorb the wax, otherwise it is just drying on top. Run the iron slowly from tip to tail. The iron will leave a "snail track" of melted wax behind it. If you are using a warm wax, keep the trail around 6 to 8 inches long. If it's a cold wax, more like 3 to 4 inches. If the base is heated too much, it can be damaged, along with the core, so check the topsheet every once in a while; warm is ok, but don't let it get hot. A few more passes, make sure all areas are covered, and leave it alone until cool. Get yourself a beverage, the heavy labor is about to begin.
Ok, here is where the manual labor starts. Start with the plastic scraper; hold it's edge at around a 45degree angle to the base and draw it TOWARDS you, lengthwise, tip to tail. It is important to pull towards you, because that forces the wax further into the base, while scraping off all surface wax. When most of it seems scraped off, lay into it with the scouring (brillo) pad, again, lengthwise, tip to tail. Again, you do not want any wax left on the bottom. If you run a fingernail across the base and get wax, keep scraping and buffing! Pay special attention to the area under the bindings, it usually is indented a little there so there will be more wax buildup. At this point, you are ready to rock and roll. This will most likely be way better than any shop wax you've had done. If you want to go that extra step (extra speed), get to it with the brushes as a finishing touch.