What are you going for SHIF? Weight will be the same, no? Stiffer for that weight I suppose so a thinner core? I have had a similar thought of using carbon biax and longitudinal fibreglass so you get good torsional stiffness but still the flex/dampness of fibreglass rather than carbon in the longit...

My next ski build will be using a custom hybrid fabric comprised of 12 oz. biaxial carbon (+/- 45 degrees) + 10 oz. warp unidirectional E-glass = 22 oz/sq yd total fabric weight. As always I will be using hardwood sidewalls, Ipe this time. This Amazon rainforest hardwood is very hydrophobic, it does...

Is your press frame twisted? Any twist in your lower steel I-beam will transfer into your ski. I know this from (bad) experience. My beam is slightly tweaked so now I force it true by jacking one of the four wheels up off the floor.

-S

Alright, thanks guys. All of this stuff makes sense. We'll keep experimenting with different superglues and see where that leads us. Chris, don't forget to clean the edges really well with denatured alcohol and a clean rag prior to attaching them to the P-tex. Any finger grease on the metal will ef...

Many here have built adjustable press forms to build skis in different lengths. Seems like a lot of work to me. I could add more pressure distribution layers to help prevent the bladder from bending things down over the edge of the ski core. I’ve not needed to do that since my preferred ski design i...

Thank you for the accolades. The biggest negative to my set-up is that I have to make a close-fitting upper form for each lower press form I build. It's not difficult but takes more time and creates more tooling to store. I'm also limited by only pressing one ski at a time. It's not very efficient d...

Sweet graphics. I bevel my sidewalls using a 22.5 degree router bit as shown here: http://www.fototime.com/3C71171B8D73F07/large.jpg The router is mounted on an cantilevered aluminum plate. The ski is supported on a sheet of MDF that is raised in the middle using a shim to compensate for the camber....

Guys, I found a guy selling a pre-fabbed Bosch RExroth Y-axis on craigslist. He wants $400 USD for the 1.7meter long axis with 6 additional pieces of T-slot aluminum and a box full of connectors. Is does NOT include a motor and drives but does have the drive mechanism integrated. I think it's a dec...

MadRussian wrote:how about heat? Usually plastic or vinyl films soften up and deform at 160° F

I use this transfer tape to protect the base and top sheet. I heat from the bottom at 175 deg F and have zero problems with this tape. After trimming the ski this tape pulls off with ease, no residue.

-S

I use similar stuff bought for cheap on eBay.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/TransferRite-59 ... 27b3f144a4

-S

I sure wish everyone would add their location to their user profile. You might be surprised to learn how many other ski builders are nearby.

-S

I'm curious, why just heat on top? BTW, those skis look very good. I like the two different colored bases. I'm thinking of doing a pair with two colors; tip and tails different color with a butt joint at the mid-boot line (should make locating my drilling jig easier). Also having each skis colors op...

Yep. I built one pair having a vertically laminated core comprised of three layers of Massaranduba and four layers of Poplar, alternating. These have a similar profile as my other skis so I can compare their performance. Results are a heavier ski that is somewhat stiffer, duh. I've since learned to ...

Here is my secret weapon for getting good edge joints, and other fine detail work on cores, templates, etc: http://www.fototime.com/43F051690C498AF/orig.jpg Porter Cable 371 Compact Belt Sander Uses little 2.5" x 14" belts I also have a PC 4" x 24" belt sander for heavy work. -S

I used to make three-piece full edge wraps with a butt joint in the tip and a piece across the tail with a butt joint on each side. I thought it would make a stronger edge bond for banging the skis about while standing them up against the wall, etc. Plus it's easier to get a perfect fitting edge if ...