So i tested the vacuum clamping planer method for profiling...it worked beautifully on a test blank. I think this is the first tooling that i have ever made that worked first try! It worked so well I might have to start a Ski Building Journal...we'll see if i get my heat blanket thermoformer working...

justin, great insight into the autoclave process!!! this is something that i am sure to pursue as it fascinates me and i believe will add to my "fun factor" in building skis and boards. i understand you points in its questionably noticable effect for sporting goods, but i do think that, if...

i am gungho all for the autoclave (thats my ultimate goal for presses). My best price yet will be capable over 100psi for about $1K. This presses more resin out and more evenly than a vertical press (at the same psi) for a number of reasons. First of all in a press your 100 psi would not be applied ...

So you were able to seal the bladder without any sealant? (the ends, not the ports). I have a similar assembly for the ports, but havent had alot of luck sealing the ends...i was using c-channel and silicone caulking. if you just clamp the hose closed without any filler-goop, dont you get leaks in t...

you might want to reconsider using spyder foam...from my research that foam will crush at 65psi. many presses are well over that. there are plenty of foams out there that are nearing 200psi before crushing. i would like to use a honeycomb, but cant seem to find any that are over 1/2" thick.

correction: "have NOT lost any curvature..."

I have built plenty of foam core longboards and I have found that as long as you use a high quality foam (pvc foam, not pu foam) the final stiffness and shape retention is fantastic. we have lost any curvature over time, plus you can pre shape the pvc foam (ie. Divinycell) with some heat. another re...

i like that...you actually stitch with glass strands? impressive. i would think that if you pre-molded the poly tips on the ski mold with a silicone topcap (silicone caulking mixed with glycerine will mold nicely) it would make the final layup easier, and less likely to shift. you could even mold th...

the hot glue at the tip sounds good...i am thinking of clamping the core with a vacuum. i figure i can run a neoprene seal around the surface of the wedge for the core to sit on, then drill a hole through the top board of the wedge to run a vacuum line. as long as the neoprene holds an airtight seal...

when using the thickness planer method, does it improve the problem of tip chatter if you run the wedge through narrow end first (so that the tips are the last thing planed). it seems like the damage might come from the cutters suddenly coming in contact bluntly with the tip head on. i am planning o...

i too use titebond II in cores and dont see the need to use up my resin. if the core ever splits, it never splits at the seams, the grain of even rock maple seems to be weaker than the wood glue. also, i have to agree on the earlier mention of Resin Research. I recently switched to this from a Shopm...

i noticed that you dont seem to use a sidewall on your skis in the layup...you press extra wide cores? this prevents having to worry about lining up the core!!! how do you seal/protect your sidewalls from abuse?

i started instructing when i was 13 and plenty of the instructors had pretty bad form...you become experienced and good at skiing quick when you are an instructor. a good thing to do is attend as many of the early morning "clinics" for instructors that you can. i dont think you would have ...

i have worked many jobs at local ski mountains and here is what i learned: *ski instructing sucked if you wanted to make money...the way all the instructing jobs worked was that you got paid for the lessons you taught, thats it. whenever you went freeskiing, you were not paid. but we were able to sn...

I am obsessed with composites! I grew up in northern NH, but studied...you guessed it...mech. engineering at clarkson university (near whiteface) for a couple years, then left to start my own business building composite longboards and other bizaare sports products (www.illusion-atc.com). the ultimat...