Ski Builders Forum

I'm pretty stoked, I'll get pictures up tomorrow.

The replacement skis for the broken ones are done, bindings are mounted, they are FLAWLESS. Perfect sidewalls, perfectly flat bases, no delam anywhere. Dang, I'm pumped!

If that wasn't good enough, the totally new skis... I got one finished, the other I just pulled from the press, so tomorrow I'll cut off the flashing and do all the finish work. The first ski is like the other pair, just about flawless, with stunning graphics.

It's times likes these I wonder why I don't do this for a living.

Photos!

One thing I'm a little bummed about, in general... I started doing inserts in my skis last year, so I could swap bindings around. Great! I'm using these old-ish Look Pivots/Rossignol Axials, which I love. Except that I don't have brakes wide enough for my skis, even the skinnier skis.

I've been using leashes, which is fine, but I'd really like to get some brakes, but now that I'm looking around... I'm not sure Look/Rossi EVER made wide brakes for these bindings, skis just weren't that wide 10 years ago!

And of course, the new Look Pivots have a totally different heel mounting, so if I wanted new bindings, I'd have to drill the skis. Dang it. Investment my ass!

These look great. I'll be interested to hear about how your new all mountain ski rides. Nice graphics too.

Hopefully these newly pressed skis will bring some colder, stormy weather to the cascades.

twizzstyle wrote: And of course, the new Look Pivots have a totally different heel mounting, so if I wanted new bindings, I'd have to drill the skis. Dang it. Investment my ass!

He he "it's always something..."

With your skills, you could start build bindings!

Nice stuff, love the graphics of the skinny pair.

twizzstyle wrote:One thing I'm a little bummed about, in general... I started doing inserts in my skis last year, so I could swap bindings around. Great! I'm using these old-ish Look Pivots/Rossignol Axials, which I love. Except that I don't have brakes wide enough for my skis, even the skinnier skis.

I've been using leashes, which is fine, but I'd really like to get some brakes, but now that I'm looking around... I'm not sure Look/Rossi EVER made wide brakes for these bindings, skis just weren't that wide 10 years ago!

And of course, the new Look Pivots have a totally different heel mounting, so if I wanted new bindings, I'd have to drill the skis. Dang it. Investment my ass!

I have same old-ish Pivots only demo. You can get brakes 100mm for them and make them wider

Twizz
Awesome job! I here you on the inserts. I have been using schizos, so it will suck if they change any of the screw patterns or plates.
I see you did a 3/4 wrap this time around.

Yeah, I think I am in love with the 3/4 wrap... I've been able to get pretty good full-wrap results in the past, not perfect, but pretty good - but it would take me a couple of hours of bending. It took about 10 minutes to bend the edges for all four of these skis, and the fit is nearly perfect!

MadRussian - do you know where to find 100mm brakes for the pivots?? That would at least fit my "normal" sized skis, I haven't even been able to find those!

A little info on the graphics of the skinny skis... I was looking around online for inspiration, and came across this artist in LA, Deb Haugen (she has a website, the "Organic Artist"). I really liked some of her stuff, so I emailed her and asked her if I could use one of her pieces for my skis. I explained that I did this purely as a hobby, the skis would never be sold, etc. She was very pleased to see that I asked permissions, rather than just taking her jpeg, and was more than happy to let me use her artwork.

She told me to spread the word, if anybody is looking for artwork to use on production skis (something you'll be selling), contact her.

Twizz you can make your own break arms most likley and just put them in. Many times i have bent the old solly arms to fit a 110mm ski. They dont really do anything if the ski goes on a steep slope or on powder but the do hold the skis togather and look like they do somthing.
tgr is a great resource for the type of thing.

One other thing I forgot to mention, about the skinny skis... I used the new 6" wide VDS SkiLab has now (they sent me a 24" long sample piece) in the tips/tails. No real reason, especially since I didn't do full wrap edges, but I figured it couldn't hurt.

It didn't hurt, nor will it change any part of how they ski... but for what it's worth, there is 6" wide VDS in the tips.

http://www.store.skilab.com/index.php?m ... ucts_id=16

twizzstyle wrote:
MadRussian - do you know where to find 100mm brakes for the pivots?? That would at least fit my "normal" sized skis, I haven't even been able to find those!

I called Look customer service part department. Make sure you identify correctly which one you need because they have different connections on breaks even bindings looks identical

btw great looking skis I hope someday I can make similar quality

Lookin' good twizz.

Finally saw the light on 3/4 wrap edges huh

Look pivot brakes are probably the hardest brakes I've ever tried to bend.
I took them off, cut the plastic to get it out of the way, and put the torch to them.
Still couldn't get them to bend. Only had visegrips and part of an old ski pole though.
If you put them in the vise and used the torch you could probably do it.
You will probably melt the plastic off the tips. I know mine got pretty soft and started to sag.
Definitely not like sollys or tyrolias.
I hunted all over the web before I tried and had no luck finding wide brakes, but if you do let us know where.

sam

Twizz! Lookin good! Just bend the brakes with vise and a pipe. You can heat them up if you need. If the plastic melts, that's great. I've been replacing the plastic tabs on my brakes with bullet casings. Fill them with JB Weld and push them into place. I've never had so many comments after people see bullets for brakes.
Also, good to hear the bases are coming out flat now. What was it?