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ACEisthePLACE
Posts: 4
Joined: Sat Mar 12, 2022 8:01 pm

NEW to the GROUP

Post by ACEisthePLACE »

Hello all,

This is my first post and it's a doozie! I thought I'd start by introducing myself. I currently live in Colorado, born and raised, but spent a good chunk of time in Minnesota.

I have been reading, gleaning and gathering all of the information that I need to get started making snowboards, and eventually skis, but since I am more familiar with snowboards, I thought that would be the best place to start. I am an amateur wood worker (i.e. I have a 4 car garage, and a 2 car attached garage in our home, which makes for a lot of fun wood working projects. we bought the house specifically for the detached 4 car so I could expand my wood working home shop). Lately I have been super interested in expanding into making snowboards. For the last several months I have been reading through as many of the forums as possible, looking up specifics about how/what/how much etc.

Currently I am trying to purchase/make my first press. I've found a number of different one's online but I don't know what the best option would be, and I am looking for some expert advise from the experts. If anyone can give me their opinions I would very much appreciate. I will try to be as brief and detailed as possible (i warned it was going to be a doozie).

1. Press A, $1800: not really a press, but most of the press parts (I am having a hard time sourcing metal I beams right now with the steel prices being up so high). It is missing the metal frame (kinda a big deal). Has the heat blankets with wiring and separate fuse box, an adjustable form (can make different sizes by interchanging pieces)-camber profile with 4-5 different tale and nose pieces, good fire hose bladders, and some random supplies to make about 4-5 boards.

2. Press B, $4000: aluminum frame (light weight and easy to move), bladders can be made with supplies they have on hand but not already made, heat blankets with separate fuse box, no profiles included (can machine for $1500) and has 1 nose and 1 tale. includes a bunch of ski cores and a few snowboard cores, edging and base material.

3. Press C, $3500: Farthest away from us, would be a 10 hour round trip. HUGE IBEAM frame already taken apart (40lb/ft) (would have to rent a truck and a hydraulic lift trailer), Heat blankets with separate fuse box-professionally built, includes 2 base grinders-both need work and I don't know how to do that work, no profiles included but has a couple tale and nose molds, includes some very old snowboard materials which would be good for practice. Bladders are crap, would need to find a source for them and build new ones.

4. Press D, $8000: probably the best condition and overall value but a bit out of my budget, could probably make it work if we needed. It is this model from snowboardmaterials.com, IF-2500 DFC/S - SKI AND SNOWBOARD PRESS. It has everything built in, and has the sublimation press on top of the snowboard press, these run $18k new, this one's just over a decade old. It comes with a base sander and a band saw (which I don't really need) and a few supplies.

5. Press E: to be determined, haven't seen this one and don't know any details on it yet.

6. Press F: build it myself.
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Thoughts: budget press A would be great if I could source some Ibeams for cheap. Press C needs some work but if I can figure it out it might be the best option. Anyone know someone in Colorado that knows about base sanders/grinders? Anyone want to barter work on one of them for me to keep the other one for yourself? Press D would be the sweetest most amazing deal but it's a little out of our price range just starting off.
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Random questions:
1. Have used press prices gone up? I've found a lot of older one's that sold for ridiculously cheap prices.... is this just par for the course with times changing as they have?
2. What is the smallest Ibeam i can get away with using. There is a place on Craigslist that has 7 foot 4x6 beams at 8lb/ft. These are old guardrail ibeams that have been decommissioned from different road projects. That would give me a working space of roughly 12 inches (with 3 across long beams) x 80" long (just under 7 feet) x 12" tall (with two beams on top of each other on the sides)..... this might not make much sense.
3. Anyone know someone in Colorado that knows about base sanders/grinders? Anyone want to barter work on one of them for me to keep the other one for yourself? There are two that need work, if you can get one up and running for me, you can have the other one.
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mattman
Posts: 265
Joined: Mon Jan 02, 2006 10:22 am
Location: NH
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Re: NEW to the GROUP

Post by mattman »

First off - welcome! My vote is C. Great excuse for a road trip. Bladders are easy and old material is almost always perfectly fine. Finally, get your hands on the manual for each grinder and do the repairs yourself. You’ll learn a ton about the machines and how to troubleshoot them in the future. There could be a lot of value in those two machines. Sell one and then this is an extremely good deal!
mammuth
Posts: 449
Joined: Tue Oct 28, 2014 3:48 am
Location: somewhere in the alps

Re: NEW to the GROUP

Post by mammuth »

Press: C 3

Grinder: There i no rocket science in these machines, i work on one right now. Just some bearings, belts, hoses and a little bit of electric stuff.
Tom
ACEisthePLACE
Posts: 4
Joined: Sat Mar 12, 2022 8:01 pm

Re: NEW to the GROUP

Post by ACEisthePLACE »

OK, UPDATE:

I went with OPTION D..... and here's why

In a backhanded way, I was able to get it for $5k instead of the original $8k. The guy who was originally selling it, apparently had an estate sale (not his idea) and his mom sold it to a guy. That guy contacted me and I got it from him. ANYWAY.... it is now home and we are going to start building soon.

We have to get the shop wired for 220 volt.

Super excited to get started.

Thank you for input from the group!
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