Ski Builders Forum

Anyone ever consider it, try it?

I'm looking into it. Havent read up enough on the comparisons yet.
All I know is that HDPE is a cheaper alternative to "sintered ptex" base material.
HDPE is "extruded base" when talking about bases. It starts out just like it's bigger badder sister UHMWPE, as polyethylene beads in a hopper, except its run thru an extruder instead of a sintering thing.

So, COULD it be used as an alternative to UHMW in sidewall applications?
I'm not even thinking about the price, more than its bondability and durability.
Would it hold up to abuse GOOD ENOUGH to be considered an alternative, IF it had improved bonding properties over UHMW?


if this has already been discussed, i apologize, i'm starting to get old

anyone?

All I know about HDPE is that it has a higher tendency to crack than UHMWPE. Maybe it is more brittle? That seems like a bad substitute for a sidewall. If you use it I would be interested to know how it works. Lots of ski manufacturers use ABS sidewalls and ABS is fairly brittle too but I'm not sure how it compares to UHMWPE.

uhmwpe gets awfully brittle too if you handle it wrong .


I'm thinking hdpe would be somewhere inbetween abs and uhmwpe?

I'll have to check the numbers. ABS just cracks from impacts. UHMW doesnt like to bond, there's gotta be a happy medium. More people are having success with bamboo types of sidewalls, might try that, it's even starting to show up on park boards.

Anyone ever consider it, try it?

> Yes I've tryed it.

I'm looking into it. Havent read up enough on the comparisons yet.
All I know is that HDPE is a cheaper alternative to "sintered ptex" base material. HDPE is "extruded base" when talking about bases. It starts out just like it's bigger badder sister UHMWPE, as polyethylene beads in a hopper, except its run thru an extruder instead of a sintering thing.

> True

So, COULD it be used as an alternative to UHMW in sidewall applications?
I'm not even thinking about the price, more than its bondability and durability. Would it hold up to abuse GOOD ENOUGH to be considered an alternative, IF it had improved bonding properties over UHMW?

> Both HDPE & UHMWPE are brilliant sidewall materials (far better than ABS for impact resistance at low temps).

> Neversummer snowboards have been using UHMW sidewalls for close to 15 years now. Problem is you would need to flame or corona treat the surface after you profile the sidewall or the sucker won't bond.

> UHMW and HDPE have almost the same bonding properties. That is, without flame or corona surface treatment, you could use them as mold release.

Good luck :-)

if it needs to be flamed/sanded, then the search continues ,
thanks for the help