Earlier this summer I moved across town. It took me no time at all to fill up my garage toys and I was itching to get pressing again. My girlfriend had been asking for a snowboard for a while so I abandoned ski building and gave boards a try. I ski, and don’t know jack about snowboarding (I gave it a try and felt too sideways) so I bought a pre profiled core from snowboard materials. They said that with a simple layup their cores would make a fairly soft flex profile. The board came together nicely, but affixing the pre-profiled sidewalls to the core was a serious pain in the ass. I was worried that I wouldn't get a good bond but so far they have held up well. The real test will come when the snow starts falling.
In the end everything seems to have turned out pretty well. The base isn’t as flat as I would have liked but other than that it looks pretty good. I wanted it to have a pretty soft flex so I didn’t add any carbon stringers or other reinforcements. I added vds above they entire length of the edge. Not only does it help dampen vibrations, at least in my skis, it seems to really help the edge bond to the sidewalls.
The layup was as follows:
P-tex
22oz triax
Core with hdpe sidewalls
22oz triax
Koa wood veneer
I sealed the veneer with epoxy and then rubbed it with a few layers spar varnish.
The color is as close as I could get it with interior lighting and a flash. I still have to polish up the edges a bit.
"Powder days? Everyone loves powder days. You can ski powder days the rest of your life. I prefer ice, its faster." -Glen Plake
Nice looking board. I like the top veneer sheet. I think the wood look is going tomake a come back. I plan on making skis w/ wood veneer topsheet. Nice job!
I'm curious about the varnish though. Does that even do much if you've already sealed the veneer with epoxy? I thought varnished soaked into wood a bit (I'm not a wood worker, I know composites and metal, so I don't know these things)
Wood veneer is a piece of cake. You can use is just like a plastic topsheet. It just won't be as durable. Wood sucks up the epoxy and bonds far better than plastic. I haven't had any problems with bubbles or delam with wood though edges tend to chip through the veneer quickly. It is also way lighter and can even be cheaper depending on what materials you use. I think that I got this piece for under ten bucks. Someone did a nice write-up on different ways to finish wood. It might have been Plywood.
I finish it with varnish for a few reasons. First, it is pigmented for wood so it helps bring out more color; second, it protects from UV (probably not a big deal); and finally it is easier to finish than epoxy. If you get a scratch you can just lightly sand it, rub on a new coat, and in a few hours you are ready to ride again.
I think I am going to add some black stenciled graphics to the top. Something really simple. If you look closely there is a blemish near the edge of the board that I would like to cover up. My OCDness is going nuts.
"Powder days? Everyone loves powder days. You can ski powder days the rest of your life. I prefer ice, its faster." -Glen Plake
I used Man of War brand spar varnish with a high gloss finish (the stuff in the red can). I've used on boats and it is surprisingly durable and easy to refinish.
"Powder days? Everyone loves powder days. You can ski powder days the rest of your life. I prefer ice, its faster." -Glen Plake
Ahh... the pre profiled core. I could have made a dozen cores in the time I spent screwing around with this one.
I bought a pair of pre profiled sidewalls to go with the pre prfiled core. They probably attach the sidewalls during the layup process. I like to put mine on before I profile the core so I can make sure everything is in well attached before I press. I ended up clamping the sidewalls and core to a table to keep them from twisting and then pulling them together with a bunch of pipe clamps. It wasn't ideal but it got the job done.
"Powder days? Everyone loves powder days. You can ski powder days the rest of your life. I prefer ice, its faster." -Glen Plake
