Base Graphic Question
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beastcoast
- Posts: 2
- Joined: Sun Jan 20, 2008 5:17 am
Base Graphic Question
First post. I have been reading as much as possible. And hopefully I am not repeating a post. If so...sorry. I know that the 4001 base is supposed to be much better than the 2001 base. Also, I know that performance is the name of the game. But, I really do like the idea of a translucent base for graphics on the bottom. So I guess I have two questions. 1) How much better is the 4001 than the 2001 base material? Speed, wax retention, durability. 2) If you use a clear base, what is the process for hiding the edges so you get a clean look? I am afraid of a blown edge if it becomes too complicated. Any pics of finished product would be awesome. Thanks in advance.
Welcome to the forum beastcoast,
Your questions are good ones, and I don't recall them being discussed before on the forum.
Regarding 4001 vs. 2001...
I personally think, that unless a person had access to a good test lab set-up, it would be pretty difficult to objectively access a performance difference between the two bases. In actual on-snow conditions, there are so many variables (the wax job, contaminants in the wax, snow conditions of the day, temperature, skier ability and sensitivity) that it would be pretty tough to say whether or not 4001 was actually faster than 2001. So, I think that in reality, we are left with the option of believing or not believing the manufacturer's test data. I have built skis with both base materials, and I sure can't tell any difference. One thing that I don't quite get is that, on a waxed ski, you're riding on a thin layer of wax (theoretically), not the base material... so if the base material holds the wax adequately, what does it matter what the base is made from? Also, about 99% of all production skis and boards are made using 2001 because it's less expensive and works very well.
I've never screened graphics on a clear base sheet, but I'll give you my thoughts on how I'd go about doing it. I don't know if you have read about Nazdar inks (nazdar.com), but that seems to be the ink of choice for epoxy lamination. In order to hide the metal edge teeth, you'd need to 'back-flood' the base material with a solid color after you printed your main graphic. This can be done with a small roller. There is quite a lot of discussion on this topic at the Graf snowboard site, primarily associated with using it on the top sheet. The Nazdar inks don't seem to interfere with the overall bond quality of the lay-up, however, the base layer does take a lot more abuse that the top sheet layer. Maybe someone with actual experience with this will report in.
G-man
Your questions are good ones, and I don't recall them being discussed before on the forum.
Regarding 4001 vs. 2001...
I personally think, that unless a person had access to a good test lab set-up, it would be pretty difficult to objectively access a performance difference between the two bases. In actual on-snow conditions, there are so many variables (the wax job, contaminants in the wax, snow conditions of the day, temperature, skier ability and sensitivity) that it would be pretty tough to say whether or not 4001 was actually faster than 2001. So, I think that in reality, we are left with the option of believing or not believing the manufacturer's test data. I have built skis with both base materials, and I sure can't tell any difference. One thing that I don't quite get is that, on a waxed ski, you're riding on a thin layer of wax (theoretically), not the base material... so if the base material holds the wax adequately, what does it matter what the base is made from? Also, about 99% of all production skis and boards are made using 2001 because it's less expensive and works very well.
I've never screened graphics on a clear base sheet, but I'll give you my thoughts on how I'd go about doing it. I don't know if you have read about Nazdar inks (nazdar.com), but that seems to be the ink of choice for epoxy lamination. In order to hide the metal edge teeth, you'd need to 'back-flood' the base material with a solid color after you printed your main graphic. This can be done with a small roller. There is quite a lot of discussion on this topic at the Graf snowboard site, primarily associated with using it on the top sheet. The Nazdar inks don't seem to interfere with the overall bond quality of the lay-up, however, the base layer does take a lot more abuse that the top sheet layer. Maybe someone with actual experience with this will report in.
G-man