Ski Builders Forum

I am wondering what people are using in millimeters for camber.
and second question, has anyone tried to make dual or double camber skis. I am planning on using 11 or 12 millimeters of chamber over the length of 175-195, in my molds based on my knowledge of what some snowboard makers use.

Hi tipsup,

Here's a link to a thread from a few months ago that has thoughts from a number of different builders. I still like 15 or 16mm of camber. I'd reduce it a bit for a really stiff flexing ski, but I don't see much need for a really stiff flexing ski for myself. Even for a moderately stiff ski, I like the turn to turn rebound that a bit more camber seems to give.

Never tried to make a double camber ski.

G-man

our mould has 15mm built in and that gives off 8mm on the final product. So far so good with that amount of camber. It also seems to be popular with other forum users. One of the reference skis we use is a 07 fischer wc sl and it also has 8mm of camber, as well as the nordica slr has 8mm of camber. All of these skis are 165cm in length tho so thats a bit shorter than what your looking to build

schuss

I cold press with 19mm in the mold and then end up with about 10-11mm after pressing. I too enjoy the reboune of a loaded ski once released = FUN
rockaukum

10-11 mils is what I am looking for, what length ski are you pressing?

i build board s

more camber - more lost in the mold

on a raceboard 172o mm long mold 40mm camber - comes out with 28mm

the same mould heated 40 ° underside - same layup comes out 32mm

a freeride board 18 mm camber in the mould - comes out 12mm

a freeride board 18 mm camber in the mould with heated underside 40° comes out with 14 mm

i had some nice heated foile , it s easy to youse them . it is under 1mm thickness . and works with 24 volt - because i give 36 v input . the topheat with 2 foiles is 48 °- i work all ways with 1 folie . lamineted at night - next morning comes curred out ......

heated it is importend for the camber !!!


burton

In our mould we used 20mm, first board did not turn out great, but ok, with about 6mm camfer, second better, 10mm camfer

Wildschnee mentions above that heat is important to retaining camber. Is it really heat or could it be the cure time?

it is the didrent Shrink from decrease , when the heat comes from the down side . it s go faster the curried from the down side .

you can work with difrent temp.parameters downside - and upper side .


burton

I don't know if your question was to me or not so here goes. I start with 19mm in the mold. I cold press in a heated room at about 90 - 100*. I leave the skis under pressure over night. I end up with about 10 -11 mm for a ski length of 180. Hope this helps.
rockaukum

A little OT here.

If camber disapates roughly 50% from the set press height does the tip also tend to flatten out?

I have not measured mine or thought about it much. But now that you mentioned it, I think it would. I can put the ski into the mold to see. However I won't be able to do that until Friday. Any others out there?
RA

My mold/tool has 17mm of camber built in and my skis seem to keep most of that. My question is how is everyone measuring the resulting camber in the finished ski? I have been laying the skis on their side and carefully clamping the tips with a spring clamp at the end of the running length being sure to not flex or modify the shape of the ski. Then taking a measurement and dividing that in half to get the camber for each ski. Measured this way one pair lost no camber from the tool, and the other pair is at 14-15mm.

Laying them on the tables seems to create considerable sag and a not so accurate measurement of the unflexed skis camber? True?

I do a 12-14 hour vacuum cure at 80-90 deg F. then do a post cure under vacuum at 110-120 deg F. for 4-8 hours. Timing depends on my work schedule etc.

I find that the higher camber skis tend to be a bit slower on flat traverses, but the back country guys I talk to and ski with like the added camber for skinning. It seems to aid in traction for the assents.

Hafte

This is the way I've measured camber and got the idea from professional builders, and will do my best at explaining quick and dirty.

Basically, you get a digital depth micrometer, a table or other suitable surface, two metal or wooden dowels mounted on rod and stand. Somewhat like this: T T
Now put your skis on the two stands upside down so that the tips hang off either side of the T's, Now, heres where I turned ghetto, the professional set up I saw was all ready and a permanent mounted fixture so there was no need for this next part:
Secure a string to the highest part of the base on one of your ski/snowboard, stretch it tightly over to the other end of your ski/snowboard and secure. Now youve created a flat span between the two highest points, get a micrometer that can measure depth easily and hold it at the string level, there you go, camber depth.
Sure, there is some error built in to this setup which could easily be rectified by permanent mounting of gauge, as well as the string sagging between the two points (Use fishing line so that you can pull it tighter, creating less sag). But it will get you in the ball-park.

I'm thinking about making some 0 camber skis this summer, do you think they will lose camber and become rockered? I plan to make them stiff so I was hoping that would help retain the 0 camber.