Ski Builders Forum

Just cut out a splitboard that I pressed only to find some serious voids between the sidewall and base material down the center line of the board. Almost seams like air was trapped in the layup. I've used the same layup technique successfully on a hand full of other boards already with no major issue. Is bridging of the bladder of the frame press the culprit? Would leaving a pleat down the center of the bag even out the pressure?

Only thing I did differently on this layup was roll the the hell out of it with a j roller once it was under pressure to force out the excess epoxy.

One of those days when I wish I had found a different hobby.

nearls wrote:Just cut out a splitboard that I pressed only to find some serious voids between the sidewall and base material down the center line of the board. Almost seams like air was trapped in the layup. I've used the same layup technique successfully on a hand full of other boards already with no major issue. Is bridging of the bladder of the frame press the culprit? Would leaving a pleat down the center of the bag even out the pressure?

Only thing I did differently on this layup was roll the the hell out of it with a j roller once it was under pressure to force out the excess epoxy.

One of those days when I wish I had found a different hobby.

I really doubt it's the bladder. It sounds exactly like you didn't put enough epoxy on, or may have some contamination or bonding issues (flame treated? see other threads) on the sidewall. Another common mistake is to glue the glass well, but to skimp on the cores and sidewalls, which can casue bubbling.

How did you make your center cut? if you had a dull blade or otheriwse had a really hot blade, you mught have delammed. i doubt that though.

I'd try again, clean thorougly, flame and use a touch more epoxy escpecially on the core/sidewalls.

Same questions as OnDeck - did you flame treat the sidewall just prior to layup?

Are you using a cattrack?

Bummer! Do you have a guage to indicate if you have full vacuum? I've had air trapped in a vac layup on a surfboard years ago so it's possibe. Possibly if there is a big air gap around the edges of the board there is more vac applied to the edges pinching off a way for air to escape. I tuck the bag tight to the edges before ful vac is reached. This could be a good reason to lay up your boards already split. It's not that hard to do

the post is vauge we casnt tell if its vacumme or pneumatic. haha. wtf

MM He s using a j roller to smooth out under pressure so he s using vacuum.

yeah but what the hell is this?

Is bridging of the bladder of the frame press the culprit?

MontuckyMadman wrote:yeah but what the hell is this?

Is bridging of the bladder of the frame press the culprit?

Using a frame type vacuum press similar to OAC or mine would be my guess.
Its not really a bag so bladder would probably be a more correct term.

And ya mine bridges a little between the skis where they are close together at tip and tail.
I try to make sure everything is buttered really well in those areas.

Any smarter now MM?

no not smarter but maybe more informed.
cattrack comments and i got confused I still have no idea what problems and how they have happened.
thanks

MontuckyMadman wrote:no not smarter but maybe more informed.
cattrack comments and i got confused I still have no idea what problems and how they have happened.
thanks

Ya pics would be good.

Voids between sidewall and base?
Is there edge? What kind of sidewall?

Not enough epoxy or poor fit I would guess.

sam

Sorry for the delayed response. Thought this one headed to the bottom of the list already.

I am pressing with vacuum using a frame press setup.

The core is split before it is layed up. The voids were between the inner sidewalls (bamboo) and base material (no inner edge).

Spoke with a fella who does research for composite stuff and he figured I might have taken too long to get things under pressure. The resin kicking over too much might have trapped pockets of air in the layup. ??