Relief Cuts in Cores

[gofreeride]

So I've seen many newer skis coming out that look like they have relief cuts in them. Most of them keep a lot of material underfoot and then have a spine running out in the tip and tail area- some just symmetrical pocketed areas near the forward and aft parts of the ski. The skis that come to mind are the Volkl V-werks Katana and most of the Black Diamond line.

Does anyone have experience in the design aspect of how much material should/can be removed? Like how wide the spine should be, how deep pockets can be cut etc.? I use a bladder press, and I am also worried about not getting complete contact if the contours are cut more aggressively than what the bladder can conform to.

I just built a cnc router table to start cutting cores easier, and this seems like it would be a neat thing to do. Any advice is appreciated as my wallet isn't big enough to support a lot of R & D.

[chrismp]

I don't think any type of bladder press could conform to these shapes properly as it wants to get back into its round shape when inflated.

There are two ways to get a good press on this type of core:

1. Use a vacuum press. The flexible vacuum membrane will conform to just about any shape.

2. Make a cassette that fits the core. This is the way the industry does it. However, it's much harder to get it right and takes quite some experience with CAD/CAM.

[MontuckyMadman]

Yeah 3 d cores have never been discussed ever on this board. Strangly enugh most people dont like the flex of these types of cores. In Theory its great and will minimise weght and increase tortional regidity but in practice its not preferred at least for freeride. Much like communism.

[knightsofnii]

^ just a wild guess, but i would say its because sidewall with flat tops is an easier build with more wiggle room for errors

[loganimlach]

Yeah 3 d cores have never been discussed ever on this board. Strangly enugh most people dont like the flex of these types of cores. In Theory its great and will minimise weght and increase tortional regidity but in practice its not preferred at least for freeride. Much like communism.

Hahahahahaha, dude, you are fcuking hillarious.