kid sized foam core x/c skate skis

[Kevin6q]

Hello All,
My 5 year old, 45 lb. son asked for a pair of skating skis so I've obliged him since this looks like a good project to attempt. I've drawn the mold and core in CAD, plotted them and will make up hot wire templates from counter top laminate. The mold will be cut from 2" blueboard and so will the cores.

The layup will be a wrap of basalt sleeve to build a torsion box with one layer of 8 oz. 90/90 glass top and bottom. Not sure of the topsheet and he base will be Dura-surf. Sidewalls will be the basalt. I'll add another ply of glass in the binding mount area.

I'll vac bag the layup since I have the equipment to do it. Epoxy will be West Systems. I'll sandwich the sidewalls with another piece of foam with waxed drafting mylar to act as a release and to keep the cloth looking neat and smooth. The foam will also conform to the 2 mm sidecut on each edge. The skis will be 44 mm wide since this should be stable and also fits the foam being used as the core.

If the foam core is a disaster (50-50 odds) I'll try to remake the ski with a pine core and change the orientation of the plys to obtain the rigidity.

I'll post photos as the experiment progresses.