Ski Builders Forum

Very nice work! Now you can say you used carbon fiber!
Observation: a lot of camber...? Do you press in room temperature?

I've become more of an "anti-camber-person" after my first pair built(which looks almost like a "bridge" nowadays). But I have a very vague argumentation about it. Just a feeling and the technique to get the right hight/size of the camber I guess...

I've used carbon fiber in the last 3 pairs I've made That's not new to me

The last few pairs I've done had either no camber, or reverse camber, which was intentional. My piggy sticks for instance are only flat for about 2ft underfoot, and then it's all early rise/reverse camber/rocker/whatever buzzword. It makes them really fun in powder and goofing around, but a little dodgy when skiing fast on anything groomed or hard packed.

For this pair I wanted camber for a change. But I compensated for lack of camber with two methods - heating from the bottom, and shimming my mold up in the middle. Probably doing just one of those would have been perfect, but by doing both I got a LOT of camber.

The sky is started to be more gray these days and I can smell cold in the air. A few more months and I can try these things out!

Super thin veneers sounds like that would fix a few issues. Have you thought about an intermediate layer between the last layer of fibre and the topsheet?
Would ordinary paper smooth thing out - bridge fibres? I've used paper on test skis a few times and the surface text was fine. Misha?

I know you use thingy paper ... Silicone paper! Is this allowing the impression to form? Have you thought about cellophane (polypropylene)? If the epoxy bleeds through the veneer still, it will give you a super flat reflective finish.

Can I ask, did you use the neoprene adhesive in the end?

Thingy paper? Ha!

My layup was like this...

- base/edges
- triax fiberglass, longitudinal fibers towards base
- 3" wide uni carbon fiber
- core (bamboo with bamboo sidewalls)
- 3" wide uni carbon fiber
- triax fiberglass, longitudinal fibers up
- 1/40" HG carbonized bamboo veneer
- crystal clear top sheet from SnowboardMaterials

I put wax paper on the top (and bottom to protect the mold) just for some more protection. Usually I use parchment paper but I was all out, I figured it would work just as good. It sort of did, but the wax paper melts to the base which is a pain to remove, parchment paper does not. I just ended up grinding off the wax paper on the grinder.

Then there's a layer of steel sheet metal on top, then the cat track, then the firehose.

I did not use the neoprene adhesive, I just didn't want to risk it for these.

Is it worth creating a test piece to see if you can find a good intermediate layer to soften the impact of the fibre?

- Core
- FG
- Intermediate Layer
- HG Veneer
- Clear Topsheet

There might be some value in checking whether the topsheet is co-extruded?

Hope you can work it out

I think you are looking for a 1/2 oz chopped or other wise "veil" to soften the telegraphing of the +/-45.

do you secure the top parchment paper to your aluminum sheets somehow? i always get wrinkles in my topsheets when i use parchment paper on top.

I'm finding that if I stick the parchment to the Alu skins with spray adhesive that I do not get wrinkles. I think the wrinkles happen when the paper
slumps down into the tip and tail. My last 3 pair have been without wrinkles using this method.

If you think about it as the Alu bends during pressing it would actually pulls the paper flat/ tight in the tip and tail as it conforms to the curvature in the mold as long as it is stuck to the Alu.

the scc guys pout a rubber sheet on top of the cassette to prevent those very wrinkles.

Hey Twizz...I was wondering where you got that p-tex sidewall? It looks super fresh and sinse I am about to order material for 10 pairs of skis I am thinking of trying it. THANKS!

The green sidewall? I got it from Sherpa Burns on here, he had some sheets of it, that was back in March but you might message him to see if he still has any.

Took the bamboo skis up for a few runs at Snoqualmie today. Even with the bases as convex as they are, I gave them some wax and filed the edges nice and sharp.

The skis are GREAT. It's nice to ski on some stiff skis since I'm so used to the floppy skis I'm normally on. These are awesome at speed, great forwards and switch. They don't have quite as much "pop" as my softer skis, where I can hop off the smallest bump in the snow and get tons of air, but going very fast over large rollers they come off easy and land smoothly. Took them through just a little untracked shallow snow on the sides, and they were pretty crappy there as expected. I tried some tail presses, and that's a no go, pretty sure my shin bones would break before the tips came off the now, ha!

Ran into Doughboyshredder on the hill too, nice to meet you in person bud! I would have loved to take a few runs with you, but I was with my fiancé and she is... well slow. I got her a seasons pass this year so I'm hoping if she's up there at least once a week she'll actually push herself and get better.

That is SO AWESOME!!!!!

So hey twizz, I don't often ask favors of people, but the next time you see DBS would you mind yanking his pants down when you get off the lift?


hahahahahaha