Ski Builders Forum

I have been looking at building a water ski and have a few questions. The design is much the same but, all in all, is more simple, I just have a few questions.

First of all, my design is more simple for the fact that I don't need a camber. Just a 3 inch rocker that runs tip to tail. Do I really need a press or, for my prototype, is there a way that I can work around this?

Secondly, I see a lot of use of 22oz triax on here for the glass. Could I use two layers of 6oz on the bottom and 3layers of 4oz on the top? That was my plan before I found this place. I need this thing to be just about as still as a hard carving alpine board.

Has anyone tried to go topsheetless? I am looking at doing something like the Ride Membrain and using a layer of fabric to reduce weight, and, cost as well really.

For the sidewalls, could you do something like an old school cap construction without much issue? Just lay the glass down the sides and maintain the desired angles? I don't really need sidewall protection in the water.

When later I do use sidewalls, I am going to use Polyeurothane tubing in order to reduce chatter from the water. Again, an idea stolen from Ride Snowboards. This should also help me when sliding rails on my ski so it will absorb and rebound from high impacts instead of breaking.

Is there anyone in the SW Michigan area doing this that I could get hands on help from? And that maybe has a press I could use?

Also, has anyone tried making an Alpine Boarding.

If you're wanting a cap construction I would start out with vacuum bagging.
Fibreglass topsheet should be fine.
You can use whatever glass weights you like. I think we all use E glass (don't we?). But the 22oz triax we use is just a layer of unidirectional 0 degree and 2 layers of 45 degree each way stitched one on top of the other. Just makes layup quicker. You could just as well use a layer of 0 degree 10 oz and 2 layers of 45 each way at 6 oz each and the end result is 22 oz triaxial.
If you are going to use a fibreglass topsheet maybe a surfboard type woven glass in a light weight might give you the smoothest finish?

If I was to use Carbon Fiber or Carbon Kevlar, how much more stiff will this make me ski and what is the difference in layup?

I want to lay a piece of cloth, such as a really thin cotton, then a layer of something like a 2oz Glass. I will look into the surfboard glass though and see what that turns up.

What exactly do you mean by "start with vacuum bagging"? I am a little confused by that statement. Oh, I'll look into a 22oz triax then. It would also seem that he fewer layers there are, the less likely there will be seperation/delamination.[/code]

Okay, I'll carry the "bag" for the team. Here, see? I'm a dooshbag! Tex. As I recall, water skis are really stiff. You can achieve this in a couple of different ways. The core, IMO, is your most important variable...read VARIABLE. Testing is required, I doubt that anyone here can do any better. Buy your favorite ski, take the measurements then add/subtract glasses, fibers and materials until you get the response you're looking for. Then, design your own...with feeling. I really wish I could tell you how, but that kind of flattens all the tires on your funmobile of discovery. I wish you luck!

I am using a variety of things to base my measuements off of. My favorite ski is hella stiff, but its also for nothing more than high speed turns and laying your shoulder to the water. Which, for this ski, is not what I want.

I am going off of a few things for design ideas. Working with the guys at the Marina, we have concluded for a wakeski, itd be nice to be on something a little less stiff, as well as shorter. A wakeboard this fits this characteristic is .625 thick. So with a base at .061 from Crown, that leaves me with .564 left to work with.

Since I'm not using a top sheet, I figure I can remove roughly another .030 to .040. And the glass is how thick? Thats the main thing I am missing. But that leaves me with a working core I would imagine of around .480 thick. For which I am robbing this from snow skiing, I am going to use maple and poplar for in my first two models.

Later I might move into a Maple Poplar and Bamboo or Poplar and Bamboo. Depends on how far this stuff goes. I hope a long ways.

Save the maple. Poplar will be best to start. Work with the tip to tail flex curves (thicknesses) then add a second wood. That's my opinion.

So you're going to have a flat base...? I'm assuming you're familiar with water sports equipment, so I'd hope you realize you're going to need more of a hull. I would avoid base material. Use a lightweight fiberglass vail on the base and topsheet and you'll get a fairly smooth finish. Also, your tool is going to be extremely important in achieving the surface finish of the base.

It's rare to have wood core waterski/wakeboard. And if it is wood, it's likely balsa. Look into a low to medium density closed cell foam. With the thickness you need to achieve, a wood core would be fairly heavy.

ronix Wakeboards are going to P-Tex base for the simple purpose of lack of damage when Sliding Rails. They are also mosty flat accept for the fins. I will tool a little bit of base shape in, but not much. Too much hull and it makes the landings too hard, so on and so forth.... wake skis and wake boards are flat accept the tip and tail.

The huminoid uses a wood core. Which is where I am getting my thickness measurements from. An alternative core is something that I'll look into later, but fr no, wood is more simple and will get my prototypes in the water.

Maple wood will hold the inserts better. It appears that they use aluminum plates to acheive this in wakeski's, but again, simplicity.

Currently checking on what cores are mode of though....if its as simple as wood, or slightly more complex, i'll go with it..but, I'm looking.

end grain balsa and inserts PM carlito.

MontuckyMadman wrote:end grain balsa and inserts PM carlito.

Does that mean I am supposed to use end grain balsa and place inserts in it and to get information on this, Private Message someone named carlito?

There are "a lot" of people who are building kiteboards. I know a German and a French community and I am sure there is also one in English. I think this would be a good starting point.

Cheers, Christoph

texfrost wrote:

MontuckyMadman wrote:end grain balsa and inserts PM carlito.

Does that mean I am supposed to use end grain balsa and place inserts in it and to get information on this, Private Message someone named carlito?

yeppppppp

http://www.skibuilders.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=2922

I'll give a look into both of those. I want to start construction in three weeks, to hopefully done in a week. I'll post pictures as I go and through testing. Should be a good time. Again, if it works, I kinda want to put an alpine board together this season.

Have a look at this: http://www.swiss-composite.ch/pdf/i-trickski.pdf I know it's in German but there are also a lot of pictures.

Cheers, Christoph

One of the guys showed me some video from goode skis. The process is at 7min. it looks like it is pretty much just a cap cassette.

On a separate note, the guys in this video are dorks, and who makes nanotube carbon?