Ski Builders Forum

Hepp

I have been using vds in all of my skis so far. And I have read many times here on the forum of the effect it has. - but is it true? Does it really matter that much?
Has anyone tried without (or forgotten to use) and what was the experience?

The reason I'm asking is because i have started to play around with clear base material and would so much like to not put a black, slippery, and sliding piece of vds in the mix. Because without it the resault looks stunning!



In this case there is veneer instead of vds and on top of that is glas and UHMW. Do you think it will it break and delam before chistmas?

There have been a few people posting that they forgot VDS in their layup, but I've never seen a report after many riding days of what happened.

My running theory is you'll get a crack along the top of your edge - whether that matters or not.

Only way to know for sure is to try! Looks great!

In a few major factories they put the layer between the edge tine and the base.
THey wouldn't do it if they didnt have to.
If you are selling a product that is to last you want that shear layer.

Personally I use it in all my skis but I know of a local company that has made hundreds without it and no problems.

Reality speaking, you'll probably be fine.
Engineering fail rates and considering the cost to replace warranties vs the additional material cost it is well worth it considering economies of scale.

Is no VDS 100% as delam free as using VDS, obviously not.
Is it 95% effective, probably.

I forgot to put vds in my fav board, it has over 40 days on it with no problems so far

When thinking about this question in the past, I've have generally taken the view that if it was not needed the ski companies would have stopped using it a while back ... after all, it's a bit pricey.

A clear base throws up a few issues - epoxy is subject to UV damage, the laminate is exposed to base strike, the laminate is folded over the edge set, excess epoxy is held next to the edge set - subject to cracking over time, rebatting the edge creates the potential for pressure variation along the edge set during the cure.

Have you tried placing a piece of veneer within the base/edge set? It will lift the laminate away from the base; the laminate will be flat across the layup and you won't need to rebate the core; when viewed through the base, the VDS then appear as a consistent band.

Thanks all

I'll give it a hard try this season and lend it out to everyone. Will let you know in May how it went.

and yes Richuk, that is my plan for the future. Some veneers are very hard to work with though. Like the ash I used for this board. It is very far from flat and would be really hard to place in the layup without it sliding around.