Ski Builders Forum

I was interested in finding out what is everyones average cost per set of skis made in just raw materials?

depends on if you want to include the cost of the press, mold materials, disposables and all that fun stuff.

If you spend $10,000 to make one set of skis from $300 worth of materials total cost gets distorted

Actual ski material isn't all that much.. check the skibuilders store to get an idea of cost. Its the other stuff that adds up..

What i was meaning is i was curious what results on average people where getting with their RAW materials which would not include manufacturing equipment such as a press.....just the ski material itself

I was shopping wood today.. dirt cheap - under $20. Got my edges from here for under $20. Already had glass so I just need base and top material. Base looks to be $20 or so - I just need topsheet prices and epoxy. The epoxy appears to be the most costly - I haven't checked that far into that yet.

I'm figuring about $300/pair - I think that will be close for materials

ok well for an average: in Australian dollars for me:

$27.5 for the base (2m worth)
$27.5 for the topsheet (2m worth
$14 for edges
$50 on 2mx24cm of tasmanian maple wood
$70 on kevlar (2m worth, enough width for a few pairs)
$200 on carbon (2m worth, " " ")
$20 on glass
$7.5 on tip spacers

$130 for a 4litre kit of west systems epoxy resin

Not including the resin, it comes to a total of:$391AUD OR $313 USD

However i have chosen some very high quality materials that are exspensive, you could make a basic ski for half this cost, ie just wood and fibreglass.

Also as i am in australia, i pay $80USD just for shipping the edges, base and topsheet out here..

But its a fun hobby so its not too bad.. cheaper than building a rail gun or something.

Just curious from your list Schuss, how many skis can you make with that much epoxy? And are there effective cheaper versions as well?

PowderJinbbin, here’s my break down. Had to do this to show my wife that I was saving money DYIing my skis.

Triaxial (22 oz. w/ no mat) + 45 x - 45 x 50" $11.67
4x4 Ash, white $10.40
Steel edges (84" long (203cm) $10.40
stainless binding inserts (12 mm) $4.48
Black 2000 Grade Sintered base per metre $19.98
VDS edge foil per meter $8.00
Mixed Epoxy Resin Research $29.44
Tip spacer material $4.99

Total $93.97

I don’t have top sheet because I used glass and silk I had around for top sheet. Cost ~$5.00 at most. Wood is the hardest to estimate cost for. It does not come in convenient lengths and there is a lot of waste. So I have to be sure to bulk up that cost when I go to buy it.

Yeti, I have been using ~64 oz. by weight for a pair of skis. A 3 gallon kit of epoxy weights 27.6 lb. mixed, so I can get 6 pairs of skis with a bit left over.

Hafte

Mine are coming in at about $110 for a pair just for the materials cost. I had to buy everything from scratch.

I think that $100 is a fairly average target if you are buying small quantities.

B.

If I had to guess I'd say just over $100. I purchased more that enough material to do three sets of skis and three snowboards. If you just bought enough to do one board it would probably be more because you can spread out the cost of shipping over the whole project.
However if you look at it this way..... You can give some big company alot of money for one ski that a ton of other people have, or spend alot of money and have several skis that no one else has! And be satisfied that you built it yourself (well, with the great help of this site and its many contributers!).
RA

I don't have the breakdown on me but my cost came in at $110 per pair. I was really happy with all of the materials I used except for the edges. Next time I am going for the 48R stainless for sure.

yeti

I ams sure there are cheaper and just as effective options rather than west systems. However having said that.. the stuff has been brilliant. bonds have been perfect. so i dont mind paying that much.

hafte... do you really only get 6 pairs of of 3 gallons?! thats alot of resin. i would say out of 4 litres, or 1 gallon you could easily get 6 pairs.

SCHUSS, after completing the first couple of skis that’s how much I used. I was surprised also, and I thought I was being as frugal as I could be. My first estimates came out like you mention, but it just didn’t work out that way.

I weight the glass and mix epoxy to as close as I can to get 1:1 fiber to epoxy by weight. It is just enough barely to wet out the glass. I don’t have my notes here, but if I remember right this is the epoxy break down for 1 pair of skis.

8 oz to wet out and fill the edges and base
28.8 oz. to wet out the glass
8 oz. to wet out the wood cores
2-3 oz for the VDS
3-4 oz for the tip spacer that I made from CAP
2-3 oz to set the inserts in the core
5-6 oz for the top sheet ( I’m still using glass or glass and silk)

So that’s ~57-61 oz per pair. Still most of 4 lb.

The weight of the skis does not seem out of hand. I’ll weight them again tonight to verify, but I think they came out to 8- 8 ½ lb. for the pair.
Ski dims. 188cm x 128mm x 87mm x 108mm
I guess I’ll have to weight my flash and breather ply to see how much squeeze out I get next time. Maybe I am using too much, but would rather have some squeeze out than starve the laminate of epoxy.

Hafte

oh for sure. more is better than not enough.

the figures add up, and i spose you do use alot of epoxy when building skis.

i am just thinking tho 3gallons for 6pairs... thats around 12 litres isnt it? so a litre of epoxy each ski.. i think thats a bit exsessive.. altough i could see it happening.