Ski Builders Forum

So i designed a board on Snocad-x. Here are the specs
Over all length: 1570
Running length: 1230
Tail and Nose Length: 170
Tail and Nose width: 310
Waist: 263.979
Sidecut: 8230
Stance width 550

So ive got the board all designed and I exported it as a dxf and opened it in AB viewer by softgold.

My question is: Will the finished board turn out to be a 157 or will it be shorter since the top view template designed on Snocad-x is flat and has no tip or tail arch? I dont want to end up riding an even shorter board. 157 is pushin it for me since im 6'2'' 210lbs.

Thank You
Paul

funny question.

Truth is some companies measure before the tip and tail are bent, and some measure afterwards. The difference is only a few centimeters depending on how steep of a tip and tail you have.

157cm is the length of your p-tex before the board is pressed.

What you should really be focusing on is how much running length you want.

Oh, and a 157 is stupid short for you. I am about the same size and would never ride smaller than a 164 for short board stuff.

doughboyshredder wrote:funny question.

Truth is some companies measure before the tip and tail are bent, and some measure afterwards. The difference is only a few centimeters depending on how steep of a tip and tail you have.

157cm is the length of your p-tex before the board is pressed.

What you should really be focusing on is how much running length you want.

Oh, and a 157 is stupid short for you. I am about the same size and would never ride smaller than a 164 for short board stuff.

so you think i should make the model on snocad around 160? The longest board ive ever ridden has been 161 and thats too long. Im a park/jib rat so 157 should be good for jibbin and what not. 164 is definetly too long.

yea but 1230 running length is on par with longer boards,
you have a shorter nose and tail, you have a 157 with a super sidecut that's wide (hope you have big feet) that should turn real well.

he's right about the flat length, most companies boards I've measured are a pinch shorter in bent form than their advertised length, so they're measuring the flat material length.

I measure the length of the flat base plus the edges.

I design, then create a file that is 2mm narrower all the way around, though doing this in snocad doesnt really work. But whatever you design, just ad 2mm to it all around. So your 26.2 waist width is going to be 26.6 when your board is done.

knightsofnii wrote:yea but 1230 running length is on par with longer boards,
you have a shorter nose and tail, you have a 157 with a super sidecut that's wide (hope you have big feet) that should turn real well.

he's right about the flat length, most companies boards I've measured are a pinch shorter in bent form than their advertised length, so they're measuring the flat material length.

I measure the length of the flat base plus the edges.

I design, then create a file that is 2mm narrower all the way around, though doing this in snocad doesnt really work. But whatever you design, just ad 2mm to it all around. So your 26.2 waist width is going to be 26.6 when your board is done.

Im 6'2 210 and I wear a size 14 so I need something wide. Ive also been riding for 5-6 years now and consider myself an expert rider so if you have any suggestions for specs for the board im building it would be great. Do you think I should cut down the sidecut or something? any suggestions would be great.

any help?

Thought I'd try to revive this thread instead of creating a new one, since my question is related.....

I created a DXF file out of SnoCAD-X and emailed it to a friend who is going to CNC a template for me. I know nothing about CNC machining or DXF files. When he opened the file he said there were no dimensions. Does he need the the dimensions of the ski length (180cm 114-68-100)? Or is there supposed to be X Y coordinates in the DXF file? Is emailing the dimensions good enough or do they need to be part of the DXF file?

I opened the DXF file using DraftSight and it shows the outline of the ski and nothing else. Is this normal?

I haven't spent much time with DraftSight yet. Any help is greatly appreciated.

I don't think snocad exports files correctly in dxf file format or at least the export is suspect and alters the format sometimes but I could never figure it out and gave up. Never imported correctly in autocad and that program takes many file formats.

Point and click cad programs just don't work like they should or the file conversion for dxf and export is sketchy at best, in my experience.

I was afraid that might be the case. Anyone know if using Boardcafter Design for creating DXF files is any better?

I got my template routed out with CNC a year ago, from an .dxf exported file from SnoCad.
That time, when we looked at the file in the program(don't remember the name) that comunicated with the CNC machine there where alot(hundreds) of points describing the arcs, not a stright line. So we changed it in that particular program. I pointed it out to Dan (Graf), but I don't know if he changed it.
But a couple of weeks ago when I went to another "we-have-a-CNC-machine" company (with ofcourse another software I don't remember the name of) to check if they could make this years templates, there where no issues in the .dxf file!
In both cases the measurements was ok.

Maybe by dimensions he means the units it is meant to be in. CAD programs export in units, but in the real world 1 unit must equal an actual dimension/length. He might need to know that 1 unit in the dxf equals 1mm in the real world.
Too simple an answer?

I had some CNC work done where I had drawn the tip shapes in splines then saved it as a dxf. The CNC CAM program (that actually writes the code to control the router) had to use an earlier version of dxf that converted splines to polylines. I had the same issue with the splines being converted to 100s of small line segments. The router cut the side cut (an arc) in about 3 seconds then took about 3 minutes to slowly inch around the tip shape. Funny enough at another CNC place with the same file it cut a template in about 30 seconds. I think head monkey wrote at one point he had to write some special code to allow him to quickly import the dxfs exported by snowcad.
I think the bottom line with using snowcad exported dxf is the compatibility of the CNC shop's CAD/CAM software and the experience of the person running the software and router.

Bingo! falls! (on the bottom line...:-))

I do my drawing in Autocad 2007 and have to save the files as dxf revision 12 or something like that. If I save it as any newer dxf revision the CAD/CAM package at the cabinet maker won't read it.
I think the snocad dxf files are OK (obviously because people have had success) but just like with a lot of computer stuff there are compatibility issues.

The other thing I think snocad does when it exports the dxf is that it exports all components ie. core shap, base shape, tip spacer shape etc. So there may be some confusion as to which outlines are to be used for the template (?)

Thanks Falls. I have DraftSight that can open the SnoCAD--X DXF file and then save to many versions of DXF. Just waiting to here back from my buddy on what he needs. I found that SnoCAD-X will let you export 1 or all the components.

If all else fails I have an adjustable jig in mind for shaping templates. If it comes to that, I'll share w/ the forum. I think some have already done it.....