Ski Builders Forum

Well I've begun creating cores and im having a few issues. I don't know whether to cut my core to shape before or after the planer profiling.

I'm using a jig like others for the planer and it works great except for one big issue: As the end of the ski exits the planer, the last piece thru, the tip, will spring up (because it has a pressure roller on one side since its the last piece thru) and hits the cutting blade. This results in a large gouge in the tip, and it looks terrible.

I've got two ideas to solve this. First, I could cut the core all out first except for one of the tips. Then send it through the planer, the extra uncut area on the tip will then be the place that gets the gouge. After its planed, then just cut the tip out with a router or maybe even scissors since it will be pretty thin. My only concern is will leaving the tip uncut on one side mess with the planing process? I imagine some type of edge getting caught or something.

My other thought was to stop the planing once i get near the tip and flip the ski around so that tip is now going in instead of exiting. I'm not sure if this will work well repeatably though.

I'm hoping someone can tell me whether any of this will work or if someone has already found a solution.

Thanks,
Mike

My cores are always way longer than the finished ski when I am planing them.

I just cut the excess off afterwards.

If you feel the need to cut your cores to length before planing then feed some scrap material through with the ends of the core, parallel to it but sticking out more fore and aft - the scrap takes the beating not you core.

A little dab of hot glue at the tips and tails keeps them nice and flat on the jig.

I use my base template to rout cores to shape using an offset router bushing (wood sidewalls). I usually use about 12.5cm of tipspacer at each end so I plane the core at this extended length, any snipe is in the ends that I then route off before adding tipspacer (I place the core on a board with whatever bit I want cut off hanging over the end then run a bottom bearing copy router bit along the end of the board and trim off the overhang. router like this crosscutting vert lam bamboo gives a great cut, much easier than saws or blades).

I am with Idris and Vinman solutions. We hot glue the core down at tip and tail along with 2 cm by 10 cm strip of wood also hot glued parallel and extending past the end of the core. We also allow extra length and then trim after profiling. Good Luck.

Ah that is exactly what I was looking for. Somehow I couldn't think of the hot glue idea but thats pretty much perfect if its strong enough.

I do like the extra wood stock idea though as that is really a true safegard in case the hot glue isnt strong enough


thanks!

It's called snipe.

If you adjust your infeed and outfeed table and rollers you can reduce snipe significantly. A properly aligned planer will have very little snipe. Basically you want your outfeed table to be at a slight angle upwards. Someone posted a link to the proper way to adjust your table on here somewhere. I think in a thread I started with a title something like HELP profiling cores. I'll look for it and re post the link if I can find it.

I cut the sidecut shape but leave the tip and tail about 5-10 cm long to compensate for snipe.

a properly adjusted planer makes all the difference! like dbs said, you need to adjust the feed tables...it also helps to lift the ends of your crib up just a little when feeding them into the planer and taking them out.

Ah that makes sense. I have some rollers on the output of the planer that are adjusted to be above the height slightly to ensure there is pressure retained against the rollers.

I saw the roller adjustment in the manual but thought not to adjust it considering it was probably factory adjusted.. however considering this is a harbor freight cheapo planer.. its probably not well adjusted anyways lol!

If you find that link I'd appreciate it, otherwise i'll try to do some reading about snipe and what not. Planers are new to me but I think its the coolest wood working machine I've used yet!

leave a little extra meat at the tips of your core... ie dont cut the full shape out to the nose/tail... plane it first... you can cut most of it then cut the nose/tail shape out after. Anyway this gives the planer something to chew on