Anyone ever tried a router to plane sidewalls?

[prospectsnow]

I was thinking a spiral flush trim bit with a bearing guide. It would be glued to the core already and I would use the core as the guide for the bearing. I'm using abs plastic.

I'm using a belt sander at the moment and it is a pain in the ass. I know this is always an issue, mostly with keeping the sidewall attached. What are you guys doing to slim your sidewalls?

[jvangelder]

We use a router bridge with a vac table for final board profiling at which point the sidewalls are attached

-Jacob

[doughboyshredder]

ya know, that might not be a bad idea. I think I get your idea. Profile the core using planer, then attach sidewalls to core. Then use router to profile sidewall to match core profile. That might work.

[twizzstyle]

Yeah not a bad idea at all. You will want to keep everything supported on the back side, or it will vibrate and destroy itself. But as long as it is supported on the back, this might work great... You could clamp the core to your base template so it's supported the full length, already accounting for the sidecut.

Dang, just when I thought I've accepted defeat and moved on from plastic sidewalls,, I get tempted again. What was that picture brazen posted in the après ski?

viewtopic.php?t=3407

[kylea]

The flush trim router idea seems like it could work well.

We just purchased a drum sander last week and it works great for profiling the cores with sidewalls attached. If you use a planer to profile the cores 3/4 of the way and then make a few passes on the drum sander you avoid any sidewall sniping that would occur if just a planer was used. It would take much too long to profile the entire core on the drum sander and it is not a cheap piece of equipment, but it is very satisfying when your cores turn out perfect.

[summitskier]

we tried that and had trouble clamping the sidewalls to the thin 3mm tips and tails. even when we got a few to work the router would rip the thin tips off still. although we weren't using a spiral bit.

kylea: what kind of drum sander are you using?

[kylea]

we tried that and had trouble clamping the sidewalls to the thin 3mm tips and tails. even when we got a few to work the router would rip the thin tips off still. although we weren't using a spiral bit.

kylea: what kind of drum sander are you using?

We got a used Dela X5 from our local tool shop. It has been discontinued, but it is just a basic 18" drum sander.

[prospectsnow]

Hey summit. Was your bit trying to pull up the base at the end, basically trying to eat it? Or, was it so thin that it was breaking?

[summitskier]

it was pullin the sidewall into it and off the wood core

[prospectsnow]

Tried it today with a regular bit, sure enough it chips right off. I did have better luck sliding the router the wrong way, which risks it jumping, iik. It also makes an equally as big mess.

I might try that spiral bit, but they are bit pricey to find out it fails. Anyone got one laying around to try?

[prospectsnow]

Edit: Nah, I take it back, the sidewall is just too damn thin and the router spins too fast. I have a few more ideas I'll try down the road.

Got my spiral bit today and tried a quick brush over some sidewall that was attached to a core.

The spiral bit did have less bite on the sidewall so I think it will be less likely to break when material gets thin.

I clamped the core down to a table top and buzzed off a little more sidewall than I had planned on. I'll suggest a proper vertical template so the router doesn't wander.

Oh, and there is a ton of plastic hair like scrap that flies everywhere. Total mess.

[GoatBoySkis]

I've had some luck with this method, but some problems have occurred (Ie bond breaking and router eating side wall, had to splice some of those). but once I got it down...

I use this technique now, since it is quick.

I used to use super glue to tack on the sidewalls, but it wasn't strong enough. Now I use ABS plastic 5 minute epoxy.. then I rough up the core and flame treat the abs and slap it on there and let it cure.

I just use a plain flush trim route bit on a hand router on its side. I clamp the sidewall to the table around the area I'm going to flush out about 5" at a time just so if it does break loose the route won't completely eat it. An then free hand it taking as little off as possible at a time. At the tips I do even less, like 3" at a time with clamps on either side.

Usually takes 5-10 minutes per sidewall.

One concern here might be whether the 5 minute epoxy will disbond from core during skiing, and that may be a valid concern, but I haven't experienced it yet, so crossing my fingers on that one.

other options may work well for bonding, like using finish nails.

Drum sander or benchtop planer could work well too, we don't all have those though.

[twizzstyle]

I used a bit of a hair-brained technique for the two pairs I'm doing now, and it worked amazing... I'm now convinced a drum sander would be the #1 best way to profile a core.

I used my planer to cut the cores down just enough that it was making a cutting pass from tip to tail - in other words the profile shape was there, it just wasn't the right thickness.

Then I ran the cores on my base grinder with a 60grit belt, with the autofeed, a bunch of times until it was the right thickness. Worked great, although I didn't have a dust collection system (I bought one last week...), so my ENTIRE shop was covered in sawdust.

So I'd like to get a drum sander, but they are SO expensive compared to a planer!

[Idris]

I used a bit of a hair-brained technique for the two pairs I'm doing now, and it worked amazing... I'm now convinced a drum sander would be the #1 best way to profile a core.

I used my planer to cut the cores down just enough that it was making a cutting pass from tip to tail - in other words the profile shape was there, it just wasn't the right thickness.

Then I ran the cores on my base grinder with a 60grit belt, with the autofeed, a bunch of times until it was the right thickness. Worked great, although I didn't have a dust collection system (I bought one last week...), so my ENTIRE shop was covered in sawdust.

So I'd like to get a drum sander, but they are SO expensive compared to a planer!

LOL I've used my grinder, the one at PM Gear before that and the one at the Shop I used to work at in Banff for many unusual things - never thought to use it to thickness cores...

I did use the one in Banff to change the sidecut of the ski (a whole ski, just edge removed) so I guess it's similar.

[twizzstyle]

Yeah I use mine as a mega-sander all the time, works great. I just tape up the drain hole in the catch basin so I don't get sawdust in the coolant, and tape over the sprayers for the belt, and its good to go!