Ski Builders Forum

I am trying to decide on an edge bender. There are a few designs out there and I wanted to see what is working for others. I am favoring Twizzstyle's bender but it is not cheap to have the rollers made. If anyone is interested in going in on rollers the costs drop a lot. As an example if we had 5 sets or rollers made the total cost would be $134 total/roller set.

I vote for Twizzstyle's bender, wait...

I paid a local guy $100 to get the 3 rollers made, I bet with a little negotiating I could have gotten it cheaper. Need to find someone that can just do it on the side.

I have a lathe and a mill, and I would be willing to make sets of these for folks, BUT my time is really limited these days. Maybe in a few weeks I will have more time though. Instead of turning discs down from 2" stock on the lathe, like I had my guy do, McMaster actually has 2" diameter, 1/2" thick discs for $2.73 a piece. I have a turntable for my mill, I could use slitting saws to cut the slots with that instead of the lathe.

Honestly, I would probably do sets of 3 rollers for $50 ($10 for the materials, and then a few hours of my time).

Search 7786T12 on McMaster.

People would still be on their own to buy a Harbor Freight drill press vice, hardware, etc. I'll think about it

I might be in on that, we have been trying to get them fabbed cheaper to think I got a 120 quote.

Ok well I'm heading on a road trip to southern Utah and then Pikes Peak over the next week and a half. When I get back I'll order a few discs from McMaster and see if I can make some decent rollers. If they're good enough, I'll offer some up for sale.

I vote for twizz/redbull style.
Had my rollers made out of stainless steel hydraulic cylinder stock.
The machinist made the one for the tang from 2 pieces threaded and bolted together. Gave him twizz's drawings.
Cost me 3 bottles of wine! He also made me a nice handle
The vice was $15. Angle iron was free. All told about $50
Had to tap threads into the vice to bolt the angle iron on.


sam

Sam, didn't you do some sort of plastic stabilizer on the bottom of the vice? That is a great idea! Is the stabilizer piece still working well?

No, I haven't gotten the tech yet. The jaws on the vice do rock a bit but it still bends on plane.

sam

I just found it. Threeninethree did this to the bottom. I wonder if it works?

Nice find, I was searching but gave up

sam

Put me in for one. I currently use the bend and cuss method.

I welded a guide rod into the bottom of mine to take up the slack in the jaw, but honestly I bet without that guide rod it would still bend in a perfect plane.

Skisdesmond made a similar bender using some washers for super cheap. SD can you post that pic? I'm looking to make bender as well.

bend, cuss, rebend, wrap bleeding fingers. after doing the last 4-5 boards edges myself this week i am over the bend and cuss method.
i have an edgebender already that includes the 3 drums that the edge goes thru, but the thing weighs 50lbs and is really stupid to operate, we gave up on that idea long ago. last night i pulled the whole thing apart, tossed the unnecessary steel and ordered parts to make a new bender with the old drums.

cant wait to try it out this week, my fingers and sanity will thank me.
we have a new method of securing the edges to the base with magnets, makes gluing the edges so much faster and easier.

man...just a few mods and ...

Strangely impressive!

... can get away from the three roller method if you're building snowboards?

Skis and working with a 3D cassette, then you need to be able to repeat every curve, so I'd vote for the skibuilder method. It's not the whole solution, but it get you to where you need to be.

If there was some way of adding a gauge to what you build Twizz ... a few motors would be nice too : )