Re-Wax Your Own Treadmill Deck

Materials needed: 1 lb. of Trotter deck wax; one (1) clothes iron–never to be used again on clothing; one (1) belt sander with 120 grit sanding belt; one (1) vibrating sander with 250 grit paper and 400 grit paper.

Here’s how:

Pre-existing condition: If your wood Trotter treadmill deck is worn down through the first ply, it cannot be re-waxed.

1. Using a belt sander and 120-grit belt, gently sand in the same direction as the grain the glazed layer off the top of the deck until you have reached porous wood. If, while sanding, the first layer of ply has been sanded off, the deck can no longer be re-waxed.

2. Using a vibrating sander with 250-grit paper, sand the entire top surface of the deck until it is smooth and soft.

3. After sanding with the 250-grit paper, continue sanding with 400-grit paper until completely smooth.

4. Heat the clothes iron to its maximum temperature. Put a handful of Trotter deck wax on the center surface of the deck and place the preheated iron on top of it until the wax melts.

5. Work the wax into the deck surface by pushing the melted wax across the deck with the iron. Add more wax as needed until the entire top surface of the deck is impregnated with wax.

6. Apply just enough wax until the wood is saturated with wax.
Do not leave wax pooling on the surface of the deck.