I would like to have bamboo veneer for snowboard top sheet on cap constructioin. Anybody does cap construction with veneer top sheet? Does it wrap around 45degree sidewall nicely? And are there any problems with unpeeling masking tape off the veneer? I will be using vacuum press.
Thanks, Jure
Posted: Mon Nov 16, 2015 2:37 pm
by Akiwi
Hi Jure, I just did a veneer top sheet cap for a snowboard. Look in the Journal and you can see how I did everything. http://www.skibuilders.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=4985
I used a 60 degree sidewall, and rounded the edge a little.
My Veneer was a 0.6mm "Satin Walnut" or "American Walnut".
In the layup I spread epoxy on both sides of the veneer. I have never used a bamboo veneer, but I could imagine it is a little more prone to breaking or splitting.
Your best bet is to take a piece of wood, cut it with the same angles you are wanting to do on your ski / snowboard. Then Do a test layup.
I don't know what you mean with the masking tape. I made sure there was no tape on the top side of my veneer.
The epoxy will probably come through the veneer even if you only put it underneath and the only way you will get the masking tape off is to sand it off. which will be a pain in the ar..
In my vacuum bag over the veneer I had a layer of Peel Ply, then seperatin foil (Or whatever it is called in English .. Plastic with little holes in it).
Then Breater fleece.
If I can help in any way, feel free to ask.
Posted: Tue Nov 17, 2015 9:39 am
by 24Dave
By masking tape do you mean the tape used to join sheets of veneer? I have never used it but you put the side with the veneer joint tape facing down.
Otherwise don't use masking tape it absorbs resin and becomes part of the laminate. Flash tape can be used in a lay up and removes well without absorbing resin or leaving tape goo.
Some to a lot of epoxy comes through the veneer, I soak both side of the veneer before laminating, I let the veneer sit with epoxy soaking in while I am wetting out the fabric on the core, then I scrape as much of the epoxy off of the veneer as possible before laying up like Akiwi describes. Make sure to hit it well with a roller once your peel ply layer is on and again once bagged so no lumps of resin form or gel under the veneer. Low viscosity or more runny resins and a longer gel time for the resin help with the lower pressure of bagging as compared to pressing in my experience.
You could just coat the lower side of the veneer with epoxy, but you will have to brush on epoxy in those spots that are dry afterwards.
Some peel ply leaves a textured surface, some has tiny holes and leaves a smoother surface. You may be happy with the finish surface left from the peel ply and call it good. For boards that are not for myself I have so far always sanded them and put on a finish spray coat.
Also I use more of a round rail but the veneer will never make the curve up on the nose and tail so I always have veneer cracks where the nose and tail curve upwards. I kind of like the look with black carbon underneath, but to avoid it you need to not wrap the veneer where the nose and tail curve up or make the sidewall a flatter angle like on Akiwi's board
Thanks for information. I really didn`t know that epoxy comes through veneer. Now i will tape only two different veneers together with tape that 24Dave mentioned (flash tape?).
Btw, Akiwi very good and useful journal. When I am going to make veneer with cap I will make same tests beforehand and round edges. For my first board a have prepared tip to tail wood core with 360 degree abs sidewall. I thought it will be easier with no tip spacers, but attaching full 360 degree sidewall around nose and tail was pain in the ass. So I am thinking about cap cap construction for the next one.
Jure
Posted: Wed Dec 30, 2015 12:04 pm
by Boulderski
Im not sure you will have much luck with bamboo cap - Most likely bamboo will crack it has a hard time taking on bends especially ones going with grain/lamination. I use bamboo on my topsheets but I don't do cap construction so the bamboo is mostly flat. I have pressed a few bamboo longboards in the past and molds that had a lot of concave/convex would crack the bamboo - one trick I learned was to tape the outside of bamboo and slowly add pressure. This method often negated bamboo cracking along vertical lamination but not sure that method will work on a snowboard - good luck!