WhiteRoom 2012/13
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WhiteRoom 2012/13
I just got done with a test run of making a full stick of sidewall epoxied to a think piece of hard wood. I used ~1 inch x 65 inch piece of material (enough for 1 ski) that was leftover from last year before committing to a full 10.25 inch stick of material.
I resawed some full 4/4 cherry hardwood down to ~3/8 inch and then planed that out to about 1/4 or about 7mm.
I re-flammed the sidewall and then mixed up some Entropy epoxy. I placed the hardwood and sidewall in the press and pressurized to 10-15 psi. It cooked at 108F for 30 min and then I let it cool to ~120F before taking it out of the press.
So far everything looks great. I could not pull it apart with my hands at all.
The only issue I have so far which is likely not an issue is the wood did camber some after taking things out of the press. I'm hoping this will equalize overnight as things cool and finish curing.
Even if it does not I think it is pliable enough to mold to the sidecut I'll be using.
I will also plane this out a bit to about 5-6mm of hardwood for the finished sidewall stick before gluing it to a core blank.
I feel like this will decrease or eliminate the sidewalls delaming from the core during profiling.
All in all a succuessful test.
Edit: I started a blog mostly for the people I'm building for. For most of you this will be old info but feel free to take a look. It documents the processes I use for ski building.
http://whiteroomskis.blogspot.com/
I resawed some full 4/4 cherry hardwood down to ~3/8 inch and then planed that out to about 1/4 or about 7mm.
I re-flammed the sidewall and then mixed up some Entropy epoxy. I placed the hardwood and sidewall in the press and pressurized to 10-15 psi. It cooked at 108F for 30 min and then I let it cool to ~120F before taking it out of the press.
So far everything looks great. I could not pull it apart with my hands at all.
The only issue I have so far which is likely not an issue is the wood did camber some after taking things out of the press. I'm hoping this will equalize overnight as things cool and finish curing.
Even if it does not I think it is pliable enough to mold to the sidecut I'll be using.
I will also plane this out a bit to about 5-6mm of hardwood for the finished sidewall stick before gluing it to a core blank.
I feel like this will decrease or eliminate the sidewalls delaming from the core during profiling.
All in all a succuessful test.
Edit: I started a blog mostly for the people I'm building for. For most of you this will be old info but feel free to take a look. It documents the processes I use for ski building.
http://whiteroomskis.blogspot.com/
Fighting gravity on a daily basis
www.Whiteroomcustomskis.com
www.Whiteroomcustomskis.com
I tried sammer's method for making templates today. I made the initial template out of 3/16 masonite and screwed this to the MDF, routed out one side, flipped the masonite template, screwed it back down with the same holes and routed the other side out. There was a little finish sanding my hand to clean up any small ripples. This method is way better and will make cutting bases much easier than what I was doing before.
I'm going to add a vac clamping system to this also. These tow method together will allow me to cut bases in one pass with the router with much less/ zero chance of getting an asymmetrical base.
This is as close to perfect as I can be without CNC cut templates.
I'm going to add a vac clamping system to this also. These tow method together will allow me to cut bases in one pass with the router with much less/ zero chance of getting an asymmetrical base.
This is as close to perfect as I can be without CNC cut templates.
Fighting gravity on a daily basis
www.Whiteroomcustomskis.com
www.Whiteroomcustomskis.com
Works pretty good huh?
I'll sometimes use a little bit of spackle (the stuff you use to fill holes in your walls) to fill any ripples then a quick sand knocks it down really fast.
Still haven't gone to vacuum hold down, still using double sided masking tape.
May get there one day though.
sam
You don't even have a legit signature, nothing to reveal who you are and what you do...
Best of luck to you. (uneva)
Best of luck to you. (uneva)
new templates
Some finished templates using my updated process.
I start building cores tomorrow. I going to try a lightweight core of mostly poplar with a mounting zone of maple all finger jointed together. This is for a friend that whats a "lightweight, beefy backcountry ski", a bit of an oxymoron but I'l try my best.
also some new updates in my blog for those that care to look
http://whiteroomskis.blogspot.com/
I start building cores tomorrow. I going to try a lightweight core of mostly poplar with a mounting zone of maple all finger jointed together. This is for a friend that whats a "lightweight, beefy backcountry ski", a bit of an oxymoron but I'l try my best.
also some new updates in my blog for those that care to look
http://whiteroomskis.blogspot.com/
Fighting gravity on a daily basis
www.Whiteroomcustomskis.com
www.Whiteroomcustomskis.com
Finger jointed poplar cores with maple mounting strips. These core blanks don't have sidewalls yet. But the raw blanks weigh in at 2.5 lbs, I think these will be very light weight. But, I wonder about the stiffness...I'll have to keep the waist kind of thick to give this guy the kind of ride he wants. I may need to beef things up with carbon and basalt fibers as well.
Fighting gravity on a daily basis
www.Whiteroomcustomskis.com
www.Whiteroomcustomskis.com
Tried out using a full 1 piece edge wrap today. It is a bit more tricky than a standard full wrap but doable. I leave the seam in the tail to prevent pulling an edge out when hitting a rock or stump with the tip.
I also got to used my new Dremel for edge cutting...sweet. I used it cut length but I also used it to trim edge teeth where the curves get tight in the tip and tail.
I also got to used my new Dremel for edge cutting...sweet. I used it cut length but I also used it to trim edge teeth where the curves get tight in the tip and tail.
Fighting gravity on a daily basis
www.Whiteroomcustomskis.com
www.Whiteroomcustomskis.com
No 3d cassette. But I'm making good progress. I laid up another pair of cores last night. Full length stringers this time with poplar maple and mahogany. They will have a lend of 4 different hard woods by the time I get the sidewalls attached.
I just ripped, finger jointed and re-glued some poplar that was to knotty to use. I'm hoping it will be good enough to use for at least some stringers.
I just ripped, finger jointed and re-glued some poplar that was to knotty to use. I'm hoping it will be good enough to use for at least some stringers.
Fighting gravity on a daily basis
www.Whiteroomcustomskis.com
www.Whiteroomcustomskis.com
I've done full edge wraps on all my skis. The only difference is this only has 1 seam in the tail. I did the others without pre bending the tips or tails without issues. I tend to think that since this is a rockered ski that there is less stress in the tip bend anyway. So for now no pre bending for me.
Fighting gravity on a daily basis
www.Whiteroomcustomskis.com
www.Whiteroomcustomskis.com
Making good progress. I have 3 sets of core. 2 with sidewalls attached. 2 pair of edges bent. 1 pair of bases cut and edged today. Sidewalls and bases for a pair tomorrow also
I'll be starting 2 more pair of cores this coming week.
I used Sammer's idea double sided carpet tape to hold bases to the template today. Worked good.
I'll be starting 2 more pair of cores this coming week.
I used Sammer's idea double sided carpet tape to hold bases to the template today. Worked good.
Fighting gravity on a daily basis
www.Whiteroomcustomskis.com
www.Whiteroomcustomskis.com
newest addition to the fleet
This is my 8th pair
183cm 30cm rocker with reverse sidecut tip, traditional side cut along the running lenght with 4mm of camber and a small tail flair.
Dimensions are 132/138/110/122. Weight is 4 lbs 5 oz and 4 lbs 7oz per ski.
183cm 30cm rocker with reverse sidecut tip, traditional side cut along the running lenght with 4mm of camber and a small tail flair.
Dimensions are 132/138/110/122. Weight is 4 lbs 5 oz and 4 lbs 7oz per ski.
Fighting gravity on a daily basis
www.Whiteroomcustomskis.com
www.Whiteroomcustomskis.com
Maine Line
Just finished another pair today. There are named the Maine Line. No we did not spell it wrong, their owner lives in Maine...They are the pair on the left in the pic below. My set is the pair on the right in the post above this one.
This ski is a 182cm 5 dimension ski 130-139-115-123-115. Maple-poplar-mahogany-cherry core with p-tex sidewalls. 19oz glass with 4 stingers of carbon tow added to top and bottom to beef it up a little. Core is 2.2-11.8-2.2. 35 cm tip rocker with 30 cm tail rocker. 117cm running lenght.
Top sheet was made from scraps from other builds and cut off from longer veneers.
There were to minor blemished with this set. 1 mini sidewall recess and on side of the tip spacer over lapped the core and sidewall a little and made a bump. Luckily it overlapped on top so I don't think it is an issue.
All in all not too back I think they'll ski nicely.
This ski is a 182cm 5 dimension ski 130-139-115-123-115. Maple-poplar-mahogany-cherry core with p-tex sidewalls. 19oz glass with 4 stingers of carbon tow added to top and bottom to beef it up a little. Core is 2.2-11.8-2.2. 35 cm tip rocker with 30 cm tail rocker. 117cm running lenght.
Top sheet was made from scraps from other builds and cut off from longer veneers.
There were to minor blemished with this set. 1 mini sidewall recess and on side of the tip spacer over lapped the core and sidewall a little and made a bump. Luckily it overlapped on top so I don't think it is an issue.
All in all not too back I think they'll ski nicely.
Fighting gravity on a daily basis
www.Whiteroomcustomskis.com
www.Whiteroomcustomskis.com