Ski Builders Forum

Just putting this out there.
I've been thinking about using linseed oil on my wood sidewalls.
My thinking is that it will absorb deeper into the maple than epoxy or urethane.
If anyone has any thoughts or has had a bad experience with this please let me know. How would it affect base and topsheet?
You could just rub it on with a rag after waxing your bases (it would be really easy to reapply)

Looking forward to comments.

sam

I've been thinking about this too.

My 1st pair has waxed sidewalls, great to keep the water out and easy to apply. I don't like it because the tuning gunk gets caught in the wax and leaves splotches.

Now I've got 2 pairs that need to be treated, I've been thinking about using Watco Teak Oil. It is specifically for exterior applications, is UV resistant etc. I've used it once on canoe gunwales and it seems to hold up fine.

Epoxy has me leary, as it sits mainly on the surface, so if someone were to plane back the sidewalls for edge sharpening the would likely have to re-apply the epoxy treatment.

I also use Teak Oil, have had very good luck. I usually put on 3 good coats, then add some furniture wax and buff smooth. Good luck....

I have had really good luck with a couple layers of polyurethane clearcoat. It goes on easy, doesn't smell bad, and leaves a nice glossy finish. Minwax brand is what I have used.

I've been using linseed oil on all of my wooden sidewalls. cheap, works great, looks great, easy to apply/reapply, etc.

Just to follow up.
I used boiled linseed oil on my maple sidewalls.
Re-applied it when I waxed my bases.
It was very simple.
Just wrap a piece of rag around your finger,
dip it into the oil,
run it down your sidewalls,
leave it to dry overnight.
It doesn't stick to your freshly waxed bases,
it doesn't stick to your topsheet.
Looks great, works great

sam

I'm making 2 sets of skis w/ full wood core, they'll have wood side walls. I made the cores today. One set is poplar/maple the other poplar/ash.

Just throwing this out there.... Years ago I saw on a TV home show where they melted vinyl records w/ acetone and use it as a finish for a piece of wood funiture. It looked nice on the furniture because you could still see the wood grain through the black vinyl. Of course I'd never use any classic vinyl records !! (BTW my vinyl records are long gone but I'm sure I could pick some up cheap)

Seems like it would make a good seal on the wood sidewall. You'd have to be careful about applying the vinyl/actone to avoid getting it on the top sheet or base. Could always mask off the ski w/ tape. But I was wondering if the acetone might re-act w/ the epoxy and cause delamination.

What do you think????

if the epoxy is cured it will be fine, as you know its a thinner to west system epoxy and can be used to clean up wet epoxy. But once the epoxy has cured it can be soaked in acetone for days with no harm done

currently testing out 4 different finishes.

1) minwax Polycrylic: brush on in a can, went on clean no streaks, cleaned up super easy with hot water. One coat left just a thin shiny layer.

2) polyurethane: another brush on can, went on clean no streaking, a little thicker than the polycrylic, took longer to dry was tacky for a long time, a real pain in the ass to clean up, thank god i had paint thinner.

3) spray on clear laquer semi gloss: went on just like spraypaint, after 3 coats looked pretty decent, not too shiny not too dull, havent sanded or waxed it yet, dried super quick like 45minutes.

4) spray on minwax spar-urethane: sprayed on just like above, just finished 3rd coat, a little shinier but more tiny bubbles, taking longer to dry kinda tacky.

Regarding looks and ease of application, I'm thinking the polycrylic or the spray on clear laquer win out, the spray on laquer seemed to absorb into the bamboo quickly. But there's the fumes and wasted laquer to deal with. The polyurethanes are thicker and shinier but seems like a messy job.

skidesmond wrote:...they melted vinyl records w/ acetone and use it as a finish for a piece of wood funiture...

There is plenty of candidate vinyl records at the Goodwill store but this sounds like a stinky messy job.

I'm now building skis with Brazillian redwood sidewall blocks and having great success. I want them to have a black colored look so I simply apply one heavy coat of Minwax ebony-colored oil-based stain. Let it almost dry completely, then wiped off with a rag. It takes several days to cure and the results are great looking, almost like my plastic sidewalls. These hold up to abuse very well.

BTW, I collect vinyl; 70's prog, fusion, and electric blues. Vacuum tubes and vinyl - it don't get much better!

Cheers,
-S

looks like the Minwax polycrylic came out the nicest of the ones i tried above. 2 coats

Anyone know what I could use underneath this that would absorb into a bamboo sidewall nice and still allow me to use the polycrylic over it?