since a fex months now I am picking up information and carefully read as much possible thread as I can in order to do you know what
Now skis are done !
As many of you have been a great source of inspiration, and also in order to get comments and criticisms about our job, I have decided to share our project.
I say "our" project because we wre two guys on that one, Dim being the other fellow. He actually has been handling 70% of the work ! But let's talk about skis !
Functiunal Requirement
As we are doing touring skis, and sometimes in steep and narrow Couloir, our skis had to be :
- FAT because first of all, we love powder
--> 140 - 100 - 125- short in order to turn well in narrow couloir --> length is 170 cm (running length of 150 cm)
- carving ! sidecut radius is 20 m
As Dim's doing telemark and I do skis, the skis had to fulfill both requirements. We decided the thickness of the core would be the only difference (I'm heavier and like stiffer skis).
For the shape, we used the beautiful Snocad software.
Concerning the technology for pressing, we decided to go for a press (not vacuum). We made an "adjustable" mold in order to make other skis as quickly as possible
Concerning the cores, I have done them in an woodworker association (the machines one the pictures are not ours !). It's a mix of ash and fir.
Problems we met :
We had mainly two big problems
- 1 - I have been shaping the thickness of the core using the router technique. I was routing perpendicularly of the axis of the skis. As said somewhere else on this forum, the sidewalls were taken of the cores. For the first pair of cores everything went well, for the second one, everything went wrong.
- 2 - we decided to nail some little pieces os sidewalls in order to align the cores with the base. There were two on each side of the cores. However, at initial stage, the cores were above these blocks, and when we pressed, the cores went overhang (?) the blocks...We had to unscrew the press and take out the blocks. (We could not nail the sidewalls as they were not large enough...)
Dim told me also that bending the edges was a pain in the a*s, even with his nice home made edge bender.
As you pu the different layer on the mold and you press a little bit he base on the mold to see how it fits, it apperas that the edges didn't like it and took off the base...
But now, enough of words...let's see some spics !
The mold
Cutting the base with the router and template
Gluing sidewalls...apparently a critical task...
edge bender...sweeeeeet
Cores shaped and ready to be squizzed !
edges
Dim's welding two metal sheet in his kitchen (!), to insure a nice surface
Don't forget to screw the hose !
laying...
the sidewalls blocks to align the core : our biggest mistake !
Microfiber on top : As the guy from igneous says "no decoration, it's a ski !"
Pressing (30 psi...): no comments ! We seriously have to reinforce the press structure (it does not really look like the kublai
)
jigsaw !
And there you go !
Skis are 1600 gr each: not bad for a 140/110/125 !
The ski very well (5 days from now, and they seem to be strong enough).
First day : Norht Face of "Grand Colon"
Last weekend Dim has been riding the "North - North East Face" of "Les Courtes" in the Mont Blanc Massif : 45 to 50 ° on 700m... (on the picture is a friend of him...)
