Soul Skis

Document your personal work here. Show photos, movies, and share your secrets.

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Dr. Delam
Posts: 423
Joined: Thu Feb 01, 2007 10:07 am
Location: Truckee

Post by Dr. Delam »

Thanks Falls!

Another successful pair was pressed this week. This one is called the "Sprite" and is for the wife.

Cores are profiled to 2.8-11.5-2.8. I added a layer of glass in the tip and tail area for the 2.2 tip spacer to match the core ends.

I used my 74 cm radius mold for the tips and 149 cm radius mold for the tails. The tips are 32.5 cm long with a 7 cm rise and the tails are 30 cm long with a 3 cm rise.

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Ski dimensions are 133-115-127, 20 m turn radius, and 172 cm length. I gave them a little less tip and tail taper than my last few pair.

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I used my 7 degree wedge under my router to profile the sidewalls and used the drum sander bit on the router to polish the whole perimeter of the ski.

I set my top blanket at 170 and the bottom at 180 to achieve just a hint of camber. It's barely noticeable but should increase slightly in the cold.

Speaking of cold, it's in the twenties right now and the top of Squaw just got 22" last night. Let's hope for another strong early season like we had last winter!

If anyone in Tahoe is going to see MSP's La Nina in Squaw, hit me up for an adult beverage at the bar. My name tag will say Dave for those who just know me as Dr. Delam.
Last edited by Dr. Delam on Tue May 21, 2013 10:32 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Dr. Delam
Posts: 423
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Location: Truckee

Post by Dr. Delam »

I have been trying to keep my building for just family but when someone waves some cash in front of you and you have the week off, it's hard to resist. A good friend of mine threw some money in my face to build him some skis so I couldn't turn it down.

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He wanted a pair of my Surfer pow skis so I was able to use my old template. I just updated the graphics a little and threw some surfer images on there. I really dig the Dragon coming out of the wave and wish I had it on my skis.

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As nasty as my hardener smells, I think I am beginning to like it. I pop open the can, smoke comes out and I start salivating like Pavlov's dog.

I am also salivating because it just snowed 6 inches in the last 4 hours. No alpine skiing for me yet but I am going to take out my touring gear and mess around on the golf course.
Last edited by Dr. Delam on Tue May 21, 2013 10:40 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Dr. Delam
Posts: 423
Joined: Thu Feb 01, 2007 10:07 am
Location: Truckee

Post by Dr. Delam »

No snow and blocked out ski pass = time to build some skis.

I finally got around to making some park skis as a Christmas present to myself. The park is the only thing worth skiing right now as we are still riding on 100% manmade. Driest December in something like 80 years.

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I call these the Soul Session. 17 meter radius, 170 cm length, 105-85-101, 30 cm tips and tails with equal 5 cm rise. Core is fir, oak, poplar, and bamboo sidewalls, 11.8 mm thick tapering to 2.8 tips and tails. 22 oz glass top and bottom.

Nobody wanted to buy my clear topsheet so I figured I would use some of it instead of some custom graphics. I also had some leftover tie dye fabric that I used. $ has been tight lately with lack of snow and thus lack of work. I also figured that these skis are going to get thrashed on hard and I consider them disposable. My edges always break underfoot from rails.

We'll see how these hold up.
Last edited by Dr. Delam on Tue May 21, 2013 10:43 pm, edited 1 time in total.
FrontierSkis
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Joined: Thu Jan 21, 2010 11:26 am
Location: Calgary, AB

Post by FrontierSkis »

Skis look Awesome, keep up the good work.
Really liking your ski shapes, and the Coda graphics are great.
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Dr. Delam
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Location: Truckee

Post by Dr. Delam »

I just built another pow ski so it has to snow this winter. Ski specs are 140-122-130, 30 meter turn radius, 185 cm.

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I am trying out some different core and sidewall material this time. I threw some center stringers of Honduran mahogany and sidewalls of Philippine mahogany and got all the wood for the right price (free). The rest is oak, poplar, and pine at 3-12.5-3 thickness.

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I am also trying out some nylon topsheet material that a local manufacturer kindly printed for me for cheap. This has to be my cheapest build to date with material cost about $75.

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I call this one the WTD which is just my dad's initials. This pair is another tribute ski and I sprinkled some more of his ashes in the layup for extra soul.

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Tip rise is 7 cm and tail rise 2.5 cm with about 2 mm camber underfoot pressing at 160 F top blanket and 180 bottom blanket.

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I also used a different hardener this time, the QCM 32, which was a little more viscous than the 408 I had before but wet out fine.

I moved the narrowest part of the ski farther back than I usually put it so I'll have to see if I notice the effect.

Everything went perfect on this build and I am super stoked to get winter rolling and try them out.
Last edited by Dr. Delam on Tue May 21, 2013 10:52 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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vinman
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Post by vinman »

As usual, looks great Dr. My rocker shapes are similar to your. I've got some mahogany in all of my skis this year also. Your Dad would be proud.
Fighting gravity on a daily basis
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Dtrain
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Post by Dtrain »

Wow. these look awsome. Very cool idea with the ashes. Keepin' the old man involved in what you love. I tip my hat to you Doc.
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falls
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Post by falls »

Looking great Dr
Don't wait up, I'm off to kill Summer....
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Dr. Delam
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Location: Truckee

Post by Dr. Delam »

Another memorial ski but this time for my good buddy Kip Garre who was killed in an avalanche along with his girlfriend Alison in 2011.

Kip was not only an amazing athlete and great friend but a classic joker. The graphics are of him skateboarding in a devil outfit flipping the bird and getting everyone fired up.

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This is going to be a dedicated touring ski for me. I put some of his ashes in the layup and if I can carry just a little bit of his infectious energy and spirit with me in the backcountry I will be a happy man.

On a technical note, I used a nylon topsheet here and I think it might have different expansion properties versus PBT. With my heater setup at 180 top and bottom I was expecting flat camber. But I got similar camber as my last pair pressed at 180 bottom and 160 top. When I built with PBT topsheets equal top and bottom heat would get me flat camber.

Anybody else experience changes in camber by using different topsheets?
Last edited by Dr. Delam on Tue May 21, 2013 10:57 pm, edited 1 time in total.
OAC
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Post by OAC »

Get fired up! :)

My personal feeling/experience is that the particular wood core one put in a particular ski(pair) has their own "life" and "decides" if they want to be cambered or not... :)
I only use heat, same time and same temp., from the top for the moment, which should indicate camber all the time, but still mixed results...
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Dr. Delam
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Location: Truckee

Post by Dr. Delam »

I just finished up a pair of park skis for my son. I did the nylon graphics on photoshop with a few pictures that he drew and a few other random ones that he chose. This is my attempt at a brick wall background with graffiti. I lost track of how many hours spent on these graphics. So many pictures and multiple layers per picture to achieve a graffiti effect.

Skis are single radius, 17 meter, 114-88-109. Cores are fir center stringer, oak under the binding holes, poplar, and red balau sidewalls profiled at 7 degrees.

Equal tip and tail rise at 5.5 cm and they have 2.5 mm of camber.

Press parameters were 180 bottom blanket, 160 top blanket, 40 psi for one hour at temp using Forest/QCM epoxy.

The only thing wrong with this build is that I don't get to ski them. My son's boots are two sizes bigger than mine so no go without remounting. I'm trying to convince him that he is in too big a boot since his foot is only a half size bigger than mine.

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vinman
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Post by vinman »

The texture effect is cool. As always, great job.
Fighting gravity on a daily basis
www.Whiteroomcustomskis.com
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Dr. Delam
Posts: 423
Joined: Thu Feb 01, 2007 10:07 am
Location: Truckee

Post by Dr. Delam »

As usual, I am late with my wife's Christmas present. But considering we hardly have any snow, I really don't want her taking these out just yet anyways. Lots of rocks and hardly any terrain open.

This pair is a new hard snow ski for her. She really liked the other hard snow skis I made for her but she wanted new graphics. Go figure. So I made these similar but a little narrower with more sidecut.

17 meter radius, 125-100-115 dimensions with oak, poplar, fir, and red balau sidewalls. Skis are fairly stiff with core dimensions 3.1,11.8, 3.1. 22 oz glass, vds, pbt CODA topsheet, nothing fancy. I usually try to weigh the cores before pressing but I spaced that. Doh!

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I pressed at 40 psi with the blankets at 180 bottom, 160 top, and got about 2.5 mm camber. Tip rise is 6.5 cm and tail rise 2.5 cm. QCM/Forest epoxy which I think I will never change. All of my skis seem indestructible.

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Whoever is getting snow, please send some to Tahoe. This is our third shitty year in a row and it is getting old. I've had my moto and mountain bikes out way too much this winter and zero days in the backcountry or on my snowmobile.
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vinman
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Post by vinman »

Awesome as usual!
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MadRussian
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Post by MadRussian »

Inspirational. Great graphics.
Hope someday I can turn up something that nice-looking
I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.
Thomas A. Edison
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