OZ Snowboards 2011/2012

[COsurfer]

Just finished this board for a photo shoot in Colorado Snowboard Magazine. I am trying to decide if I should drill the bindings holes out or leave as is for the shoot? Also, I have been going back and forth as to putting a logo on it? To me putting a logo on it could ruin the whole look, any thoughts? This is a full triaxial carbon fiber layup with Kevlar honeycomb and poplar core, suuuuuuper light!



Here is another board I finished:

I moved my shop to a better location in the mountains:

[bigKam]

Very nice look, and your shop space is great! I'm thinking if it's going in a mag, the logo somewhere would provide some identify? What's the wood species and top treatment? I really like it. I made about 5 pairs this year with veneer for friends, and I really like the look of wood. I even embedded an aluminum logo, cut out using the CNC.

[COsurfer]

Thanks Kam! I love the wood veneer look as well. The first board is a blood wood center and I am not sure about the sides. I need to do a better job of writing down the veneer names when I buy them. For the first board I pre-polyurethaned with System Three WR-LPU and then pressed like it was a top sheet. Worked great and thanks to others who have posted that method on skibuilders because I spent many hours on a couple of boards trying to sand the damn board flat after pressing the veneer in the layup no pre poly'd.

Here is a pic of the second board with a graphic and logo on it. I think the white is a pretty stark difference.

[jvangelder]

I think the logo with graphic really ties it all together, i think it looks better than just the veneer myself.

-Jacob

[strangesnowboarding]

nice lookin decks!
is that for "snowboard colorado" mag? who is coming out to shoot you? i know a bunch of the staff photographers and hopefully they are sending john p. i think he does the best work.

we all have to work faster, it feels like winter is on the way up here!

[COsurfer]

Hey Strange, it is for Snowboard Colorado Mag. I am heading down to their Denver office to drop off the board. I am not sure who is going to take the pics. It will be part of their product showcase section. You aren't kidding with the time crunch! Snow is going to start flying here soon!

[bigKam]

I concur with jvangelder -- the logo really ties it all together. Very nice looking board, indeed!!!

Here's one pair that I made for a friend back in April: Pearwood and maple with Jatoba sidewalls. K logo CNC cut. Slight early tip/tail rise; quadratic shape sidecut; viscoelastic constrain layer damping gizmo incorporated into the front end of the skis; pine core; 8 mm of camber; veneer epoxy coated, then PU finish coat. Since then I've produced 7 more similar looking skis using veneer. One pair had an aluminum K logo. Veneer is nice, but I've noticed that it's not as durable as the polyester or UHMW topsheet material. I have a pair, skied about 30 days since Jan. and the topsheet is taking a beating....



Keep up the good work and congrats on the mag exposure -- that's really cool!!!

[Richuk]

Great Work CO - I like your graphics, but I wonders whether some veneers are so attractive they don't need a logo? Maybe it allows a link across to other custom manufacturers? Look forward to seeing the results from the photoshoot!

Skis the veneers will take a beating ... less with snowboards, which is why polyurethane appears to be sufficient.

Generally polyurethane has a D range shore hardness - not always, but it does add an extra layer of UV resistance. Epoxy tends to be in the A range, above 80. With veneers, the epoxy tends to flood the veneer when put in the press. Depending on your lay up procedure, you have the option to let it soak - per Swel Panik, but this doesn't saturates the fibres, it merely provides a linked coating around the fibres and a consistent result.

I think there are a number of options:

1. Minimise the risk by selecting the veneers with the right characteristics
2. Use plasticized veneer - you can buy compreg in the US
3. Pre-press the veneer at high pressure (pre-preg veneer)
4. Impregnate the veneer using a vacuum
5. Find an additive to increase the hardness of the epoxy and or polyurethane - e.g. nano sized glass particles
6. Ask Wagner what he is using : )

The above would tend toward 'hardening' the veneer - an alternative would be to look at rubberising the veneer and design around it e.g semi-cap.

[COsurfer]

The final product:

[skidesmond]

Superb board! I'm really partial to wood veneer. That looks great! At first I thought no logo, cause it can take away from the beauty of the veneer, but the logo looks great and gives the board identity, especially since it's in a photo shoot you want people to know who made it.

Also I like the logo vs a graphic. I tend to think of logos a simple "graphic" or image to give the maker an identity. I think of a graphic more of a print that covers a board.... anyways getting off topic.

RichUK - I saw youtube clip where a boat builder used 2 coats of epoxy (West 105 epoxy??) followed by 3 coats of Spar varnish with UV protectors. Time consuming process but looked great!

[Head Monkey]

Wonderful looking tops. Nice work!

[COsurfer]

Thanks guys! I really appreciate it!

[doughboyshredder]

goooooorgeous

[threeninethree]

Sickkk! Is that 2 strips of metal veneer I see (grey)?

[COsurfer]

Hey matt, its not metal, just gray paint. Its a lot easier but metal would be cool!