You know the story ... over the years we've been asked stacks of questions and a lot of these have been asked more than once.  So, here's our contribution to the FAQs Hall Of Fame.  We hope that if you have a question to ask you will look here for the answer first.  If not, ask away and if the question is FAQs-worthy we'll add it to the list.  We've tried to categorise the questions under logical headings.

Snowboard and Ski Bags

I have both skis and a snowboard.  I want to take both to Canada.  Got anything for me?

If you're travelling alone, you'll only want one bag for your skis and board, and preferably the same bag for your two pairs of boots.  We've got just the thing - the double ski bag works perfectly for both skis and snowboard.  As long as you don't have skis longer than, say 185cm, and who does these days? - we can sort you out - take our 190cm bag.  If your skis are shorter you can choose from a 190cm bag or the more compact 175cm size.

I hate the idea of my gear getting damaged by baggage handlers.  I also hate not having a separate bag to keep my boots away from my clothing. 

You've just described why we came up with the design for our snowboard and ski bags!  We also hate that.  Each of our bags have separate compartments to hold ski or snowboard boots.  In the case of the double ski bag, it actually has 3 sizeable compartments - two, each big enough for a pair of snowboard/ski boots and a 3rd smaller one for other accessories, like gloves, beanies, goggles and smaller bits and pieces.

As far as padding is concerned, there's stacks of protection in these bags.  While nobody can completely rule out damage from baggage handlers, if they really put their mind to it, we are very confident that the risk of damage through accidents in transit is very very small.  We have sold hundreds of these bags over the past few seasons and we have never yet had a customer report that they did not meet their expectations.  Indeed, feedback from customers has only reassured us that we're on the right track.

My girlfriend refuses to leave her 'pretty' ski bag at home, but it has no wheels.  I'll be carrying it all 'round New Zealand.  Any ideas?

You're making us feel like Dear Abbie.  Please leave us out of arguments between the sexes.  But as far as bags are concerned you've got two options. 1. Buy her one of ours, we now for 2011/12 have new camo, diamond and tartan designs - all quite nice and surely one will be her idea of 'pretty'.  2. If you can't get her to part with the current 'pretty' bag, then all is not lost.  Get one of ours yourself - you can get one of the new styles we just mentioned, or go big manly and black, as you prefer.  Get either the ski bag, or the snowboard bag, depending on what you prefer to ride in the snow.  Both types of Liquid Glass Oz wheelie bags come with 'Pack Mule' straps.  The straps help keep the zips on your bag safe during transit, but they also allow you to attach another (smaller) bag, after the bags get off the baggage carousel at your destination.  It's that easy!

What's the difference between your aluminium ski poles and those from better known ski companies?  And, do I have to pay extra if buying a bag from Liquid Glass Oz?

In reality, aside from the brand name, virtually nothing at all.  Our factory also makes name brand aluminium ski poles for people who are looking for these, so you can understand that the same high quality goes into ours, only our customers will pay a fraction of the price.  If you want a Blizzard, Head or any of the others, that's fine, but you will pay, and after the name is scratched off you might wonder if you would have done better by grabbing some of ours.

If you want ski poles and you're also buying one of our ski bags, we will absorb the additional freight cost.  You'll only have to pay about $30 for a pair of quality stocks - less than half the price of the better known brands.  That's nothing less than a bargain.

Surfboard Covers and Legropes

I'm going to Bali for a surf trip.  Are your covers good enough to protect my boards?

The latest Liquid Glass Oz design board covers offer super thick 10mm padding which is designed to minimise the risk of damage to your board across a range of travel encounters.  The 10mm padding goes completely around the cover, plus we have additional protection (another 5mm) and heavy duty rip and tear - resistant covering material for the nose and tail, which are the prime target areas for impacts. On top of that we have double weight PE silver reflective tarpee - this makes the cover one of the strongest about.

As you know, it is ALWAYS hot in Indo and your surf wax can easily become a molten mess inside your board cover.  For that reason, we only supply fully reflective surboard covers that will help keep the sun's damaging rays off your gear.  We've heard the doubting Thomases who claim that a colourful heavy weight nylon will do the same, but over 20 years of overseas surfing trips tells you a different story.

HATI! HATI! We can't absolutely guarantee that the worst endeavours of airline baggage handlers, or bemo packers in Indo won't ding or crush the rails of your board.  Nobody can.  But with our covers you will stand a much better chance than most.  We would suggest you take at least one spare board and remove your fins for travel if you can.  The cover is not going to protect your board against damage from the reef, or impacts with other boards in the line up, so being prepared with a back up plan is a really good idea.  If you've got room, we would suggest tossing in some duct tape.  If you can't get a professional repair while away at least you can make your board watertight. NB Rapid repair resin kits are not allowed on planes, so don't bother bringing one. 

I'm looking for a cover for my 8' 7S Superfish.  Can you help?

Sure.  We have an 8'0" long board/mini mal cover which will do the trick.  Your board should fit inside quite nicely with a couple of inches spare either end.  That is not too much to be annoying if you drive with your board on the roof.  Any slack can easily be taken up by the assortment of gear, like towels, wettie, booties and such - things that we normally put inside the cover when they are wet anyway.

If you're worried about the nose flapping about in the wind, then don't be.  The nose is a combined 30mm of high density foam, with scratch and tear resistant covering on both sides.  With that much protection, even if your board was a lot smaller than the cover, and pushed right to the bottom, the nose is more like a cone than a tarp.  At worst, it might bend, but it won't flap.

I need a cover for my fish.  It's the new style with a 5 fin set up.

As long as your board is not too full in the nose we can help you.  Our Liquid Glass Oz fish or fun covers were designed for the traditional fish, with a  semi pointed/hybrid style nose.  If your board is more like a mini mal in the nose department then we can't assist, yet.  To be safe send us an email and we will be happy to check the fit for you.  What we'll ask is that you get the tape measure and wrap it around the board 14 inches down from the nose.  Give us the circumference in inches and we can tell you if it's too big or just right.

The fin side is no issue.  Those 5 fin slots are all removeable, so if the fitting is too tight you won't have any trouble sliding your board in.  You can put your spare fins in the external compartment.

We're off to the Maldives - we both want a double travel bag for a 9'4" longboard and 7'6" mini mal.

Easy.  As long as the rails are not too thick we are in business.  We've done this one before. Remove fins and all should be fine.  We would recommend putting one of the boards in a sock.  Obviously, you will want to double check board fit well before the trip.  On the positive side, of all the customers who have tried it's so far been 100% success.

I want a lightweight leggie for my shortboard.  Got any?

Sorry.  We only stock quality leggies with 7mm heavy duty polyurethane cores.  The lightweight cores used by some competitors and grommets are not our bag. When you want a leggie that will last come back and see us.

All our leggies feature double swivvels, double thickness ankle strap, triple rail saver and key pockets.  We might be able to save some weight by removing these features, or by using a smaller diameter core, but we don't like swimming to the beach, nor do we like surfing with tangled leggies.  We're too old to jog back home after a surf in Lennox Head, so we also appreciate our car still being at the beach when we paddle in. 

Payment Processing

What payment methods do you accept?

Pretty much all you can think of, including good old fashioned cash, if you wish to collect from us. 

We have secure credit card (Visa/Mastercard) processing through checkout, or you can opt for direct deposit to our account, or use your Paypal account if you have one.  If you don't mind waiting we will accept your cheques or money orders, although you will need to wait for cheques to clear before we despatch your order.

I want my order right away.  Can I still pay by direct deposit?

Yes.  Although banks often take a few days to move funds from our customers' accounts to ours, it is still possible for us to send your order straight away.  Just make the deposit on the internet as per usual and email us a copy of the bank transaction receipt.  We will then package your order and sent it off.

Postage and Handling

How long will it take for my order to reach me?

This depends on where you are and how you elected to pay for your order. 

We post from regional NSW and most orders will reach the eastern States within a few days of receiving cleared funds.  If you live in SA or WA you will be used to some delays in postage and it may take up to 5 working days to get to you.  if you have sent us a cheque please understand that this will take a few days to reach us then another few to clear - it could take up to 10 days for us to get cleared funds in our account, which will slow down delivery time. 

We recommend against using cheques or money orders if you need a swift delivery. 

I've been waiting more than 5 working days since I placed an order.  Where is my item?

If you have paid by Paypal or credit card most customers would have received their orders by now. 

If you have waited 5 working days please check your local post office for a parcel awaiting your signature.  We send almost all our items by Registered Post.  In some cases, Australia Post has swiftly delivered the item to the local post office, but they have not left a card in your letter/post office box prompting you to come in and pick it up.  Email us with your invoice number and we will tell you the registered item number and when it was sent.  When you speak to the post office manager you can quote that number and tell them you are expecting a delivery from Liquid Glass Oz.  If the item is a surfboard cover or similar you might tell them it is large - they will no doubt be keen to get it out the door.

If you sent a cheque or money order this is probably to be expected.  The order will be sent when we get cleared funds.

About Paypal eCheques.  Every now and then we've had customers ask why we haven't received their Paypal payment when they thought it was instantly processed.  Every time this has been a Paypal eCheque which has to clear first.  Paypal instructs sellers to not send the item until funds are in their accounts, and Paypal tells us when this has happened.  If you have plenty of funds in your Paypal account, or if your Paypal account is linked to a credit card, as most people do, then this will not effect you.  However, if you made your payment to Paypal with a deposit from a bank account there can be delays.  The funds may have left your account, but they have not yet arrived at Paypal. 

Ultrasonic Cleaning

Is ultrasonic cleaning safe for every object?

In general, ultrasonic cleaning is a very safe process that gives sparkling clean results for a huge variety of items with even the grottiest of contaminants.  However, there are some items which should stay out of the cleaner.  For instance, count out opals and a number of the softer gemstones, plus artificial diamonds and any stone with 'inclusions'. Solid gold, sterling silver, and of course, 'real' diamonds, will cause you no trouble at all.

If you are in any doubt please refer the item to the supplier, or if you get no joy there, ask us and we'll do our best to answer your question.  NB Do NOT place any part of your body in the cleaning tank while the cleaner is operating.  Immersing the human body into the ultrasonic tank water while the machine is operating has been linked to onset of arthritus.   We have seen the results ourselves.  Please do NOT try this and ensure that children are kept well away.

How long should I leave the items in the tank for cleaning?

That depends.  The more contaminated an item is, the longer it will take to be cleaned.  Try it and see - run bursts of, say 5-10 minutes, until you get the results you want.  It will help if the water in the tank is heated and if you add a few drops of detergent.  It also helps if the tank is not 'crowded' - the more items to be cleaed the longer it will take. If you are trying to clean lots of items at a time, expect it to take a while and set the timer accordingly.

What sort of people might need an ultrasonic cleaner?

Almost anybody. Ultrasonics are for jewellers (obviously), motor vehicle wreckers, auto mechanics, mower repairmen, aeronautical engineers, dive equipment repair guys, marine mechanics, fisher people, tatooists, lapidary hobbyists, recreational shooters, dentists, vets, doctors surgeries and in fact every house.

Do I always have to keep water up near the top of the tank?

You bet.  Keeping water above 2/3rds tank level is critical.  We recommend keeping the water within 3 cms of the top of the tank. 

Ultrasonic cleaning depends on liquid medium in the tank.  Cleaning will ONLY occur when the object to be cleaned is covered by liquid in the tank.  Furthermore, heated machines can quickly fail if the water level is allowed to drop too far, or if the tank is drained before the water cools.  When this occurs the heating pad can burn out and resultant damage would not be covered by the manufacturer's warranty. 

NB Please note that if the cleaner is not switched off after the cleaning cycle the heater will still keep the water at the set temperature.  For tradesmen wanting rapid cleaning action, this is ideal because the tank temperature will stay where they want it all the time.  But it also means that the water level needs to be monitored.  If you cannot monitor the water level we recommend turning the machine OFF or setting the thermostat at zero C after cleaning each job.

To protect your investment, keep water at the correct level and always follow the instructions in the user manual.

My old carbie won't fit in the basket very well.  Can I just remove the basket to help it fit?

Please don't.  The basket is there for a reason.  Sure, it takes up some room in the tank, but you actually need some clearance between the object you want cleaned and the tank base and sides for it to clean properly.  Since the cleaner requires a liquid medium to do its job, if the cleaning object is against the tank sides or base it will not be cleaned properly.  You can actually cause damage if you don't use the basket. 

If your carbie is too big we'd suggest you try cleaning it in two cycles, or buy a larger machine.  This will be cheaper than damaging the machine you already have.

There's a lot of corrosion in my gear.  What can you suggest?

The ultrasonic is great for cleaning and it will help remove flaking bits of rust and other types of corrosion on metal surfaces.  If you have a real problem with silver tarnishing, we would recommend using a little ammonia in the tank as you're operating the cleaner.  If it persists, then soak the item in the tank for up to an hour.  That often does the trick.  If not, use a toothbrush wrapped in a soft cloth.   Dip the brush in the tank solution and carefully rub the tarnished area. 

If your item is seriously affected by exposure to salt air or salt water you could try something from the Salt X range of products.  We have a number of customers who maintain SCUBA diving equipment who swear by the stuff. Read about it here. 

I have another question you don't have in your FAQs page.  Can I ask you something else?

Sure.  Send us an email and ask away.  If it's a good one we'll add it to the collection.