Veneer Topsheet
Moderators: Head Monkey, kelvin, bigKam, skidesmond, chrismp
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bobbyrobie
- Posts: 124
- Joined: Wed Sep 17, 2008 9:17 pm
Veneer Topsheet
Curious what everyone is doing to help protect their wood topsheets and how well it has held up with abuse. Anyone tryed any stains or resin "hot coats". Just finished a board with a red oak veneer.
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Wooden Skis
- Posts: 6
- Joined: Fri Sep 11, 2009 12:42 pm
- Location: Ontario, Canada
I've been making solid wood skis and sealing them with a product called WATERLOX.
It is some sort of Tung Oil mix that hardens nicely. (Like a Danish Oil(oil/urethane mix) but they claim it is better) You can google Waterlox and find their website.
It is also food safe so if you want to have a snack on your skis on the slopes you'll be covered.
It is some sort of Tung Oil mix that hardens nicely. (Like a Danish Oil(oil/urethane mix) but they claim it is better) You can google Waterlox and find their website.
It is also food safe so if you want to have a snack on your skis on the slopes you'll be covered.
I usually use maple veneer for my topsheets (1/42"). I finish them with 2-3 coats of spar urethane varnish. Spar varnish blocks UV radiation. I use the water based type, it sprays on splotchy but dries smooth. The edges of the topsheet can get beat up a little but nothing unusual for a ski.
Frequently the epoxy soaks/penetrates through to the top of the veneer. You can also add epoxy to the top of the veneer and then press with a layer of plastic on top. I think Kelvin has done this. The only issue would be the epoxy being exposed to UV. I'm not sure UV can really do that much damage to a ski unless you left them outside 24/7.
Frequently the epoxy soaks/penetrates through to the top of the veneer. You can also add epoxy to the top of the veneer and then press with a layer of plastic on top. I think Kelvin has done this. The only issue would be the epoxy being exposed to UV. I'm not sure UV can really do that much damage to a ski unless you left them outside 24/7.
I looked into this for a while, but didn't find anything I was super happy with. DuPont makes a 2 part urethane clear coat that is used by a number of auto finishers. It seemed to have some good properties, but, as with most DuPont products, isn't something that I really want to go near (volatility, etc.). I may end up giving a WB varnish a shot if I cant find anything better. Will report back in a couple months once I decide what to go with and give the skis a shot. If I have time, I'll do more research and experimentation. I'll be using a (partly) painted/dyed bamboo veneer as the topsheet, if it matters.