I've been playing around with some super seekrit skunk works ideas, can't tell or I'd have to kill you and all, or get laughed at but...
Can anyone think of any issues with doing some laminating and then doing a seond pressing for, say base and topsheet? I can't think of anything, but I could be missing something obvious.
Part of it is because my "non-standard" layup ideas the option of adding composite if I end up with a too-soft ski (based on the oh so scientific flex it with your hands test) appeals to me.
------------------Take nothing I say as expert advice------------------
I know that Option snowboards uses pre-cured fiberglass. This glass is cured under tension and pressure as a seperate peice. The cured glass is then used to build the snowboard. The bonus with precured glass is that you can use the top layer of glass as the topsheet.
That's not exactly what I was thinking, though it does sound interesting...
I was wondering if anyone can think of any issues with pressing the glass-core-glass part of the ski, and then pressing the topsheet and base in a second pressing. The only thing I can think of is aligning the base to the core correctly, but I think I have a way to make sure that works.
Maybe a better way to describe what I'm thinking about is adding composites to the core (which requires using the press) and then doing a regular pressing.
------------------Take nothing I say as expert advice------------------
One thing that you might have to watch out for is that epoxy usually does not bond well with cured epoxy. You can either do your multiple layups before it fully cures or sand it before adding the additional layers.
Instead of sanding (which may damage the laminate) you can use a special fabric (don't know the english word for it - a translation may be "tear off fabric"). It doesn't bond with the epoxy and can be easily removed from the cured laminate leaving a very rough surface that bonds perfectly.
I used this for my first ski because to make it possible to add some more layers later. Which i actually did with the carbon UD strips and the top layer.
but...