thanks!! yeah there is a gap that is the thickness of the edge's teeth that gets filled with fiberglass/epoxy. I've considered adding a small rabbit for it, but honestly I've never had any issues without one so I'm not sure its worth it. The fiberglass gets squished in there quite well. It might even help with edge blow outs because the the press pressure is more focused on the edges and probably results in a better bond... thanks for the comment!

Thanks! That is a dedicated material called 'tip fill'. Its just .08" thick HDPE that's sanded and flamed treated on both sides. You can usually find it on Crown Plastics website. I usually do have a tiny step, so I just use strips of fiberglass or whatever random cutoffs chopped up as fill. Cheers!

@ Ok thank You, and so where do you buy all the materials for the ski?

Sandwich tech, snowboardmaterials.com, crown plastics, and entropy resins are my main go to's. Fiberglass from a boat building website. Still looking for a titanal supplier..

@@redbarrelskis3361 Thank you!

nice! glad it helped

so yeah, good question. Mostly just intuition and logical ski design like a carving ski is going to want more camber than a powder or park ski.. Then I just have skied on so many different skis working in a shop for about a decade that I base my designs off that experience

oh I wish I was selling them.. maybe someday :-)

Thanks dude, I appreciate it. Making skis is hard.. lol.

@ I was sharing your video to my buddies lamenting that if only I had more time and tools I’d love to give it a go. I’m not sure anyone around me even does this….

Its a combo of using hardwoods (poplar or ash typically) where the screws for the bindings go and adding an extra layer of fiberglass under the bindings. The sketch at ~20 seconds is my wood core layout plan (in mm). Cheers!

And check out 6:42 for extra fiberglass..

@redbarrelskis3361 Thanks man I appreciate it :)

oh yeah. Its work area is only ~300mm wide, so as long as you don't want a super wide board it works great! So far I've made 1 traditional and 1 split board with it.

Thanks! They ski very well, my go to skis for the last couple seasons. So far I've never had an edge get torn out. Might be my ski style, might be the skis, who knows lol. The wood veneer topsheet takes some maintenance though. I've been re-applying a beeswax/mineral oil finish on it once or twice a season. Thanks for the comment!

Sick! I'm afraid I do not have a link.

Whats up dude, thanks! Yeah I did have to extend the belts. I forget if they are XLR or XL or XR or something, but they are a standard belt type. I got some really long sections from Amazon for pretty cheap. Agreed, 4x8 CNC's are super expensive and take up a ton of space. I thought this hack was pretty slick too. Its a few years old now, so I'd say its lasted the test of time quite well. Good luck!! Feel free to reach out with questions!

Nice, glad it helped. Good luck getting back to it!

So, when cutting a core I usually set up my coordinates on the top, center of the workpiece. That way I can assure alignment between the centerline of my (book matched) cores to the centerline of the ski and avoid snipe from my planer as much as possible. For bases I usually use the top surface and the bottom left corner. That way I can cut 2 bases at a time and maximize my material usage. Hope that helps!

Right on! Good luck!

One of those pair was ~160cm, the other ~175cm.

Sorry for the poorly worded question. What amount of time do the skis stay in the press?

Just a 3/4" flat ended bit. Sharper the better for when you dig into the plastic sidewall...

Thanks! Yeah I can totally relate to your friend... and understand whats behind the cost at the boutique ski fab's. There are just so many parts and so many steps in the process that can go wrong. Dialing in the press is super tricky too, I'm still working on that.. Thanks for the comment!!

Thank you! Cheers!

it varies between different pairs. The waist is typically 8-12mm, the tips and tails are closer to 2-5mm.

Thanks!! I'm dealing with the classic loss of free time due to having a kid situation :-D.... Hope to get another couple this year, stay tuned!

The only way I know is to take it to a shop and get a stone grind unfortunately. Wish I had a more DIY solution, future goals!

nice! That stuff is the sidewall, its just HDPE from Crown Plastics. I've used hardwoods before too

@@redbarrelskis3361 ok thank you

I am honestly amazed at how well they perform on slope. As good or better than mass produced skis, even top of the line models. The flexibility to create a ski that match's my personal preference is so so nice.

Plus the fact that you made them yourself! Thanks for the info, still doing my homework before I jump in with both feet. Thanks again!! @@redbarrelskis3361

thanks! yeah I am definitely still experimenting on what pressure is best. I don't do large batches so I don't get great data on comparing one run to another on the same ski... but in general I try to do no less that 15 psi and no more than 60 psi. If I'm pressing a pair and both halves of the mold seem to mesh really well, and I'm not shooting for the lightest ski possible, then I'll use a lower pressure. But if I'm going for a really light pair or if I think my mold could use a little extra pressure to assure some pressure gets distributed throughout then I push it to a higher value. Higher pressure = more epoxy squeeze out (lower weight) but risks undersaturated skis which delaminate easier is generally my thought on it.

Looks like you had a D4 from another one of your build videos. Guess that solves it

Yeah, which ever one came with the 1/4" shaft is what I use..

Its hard to source the metal thats typically used (titanal). So unfortuatly I have not. Hope to someday for sure.. Cheers!

That's the exact reason I started making video's! Not a whole lot of great info out there on what is a relatively complicated process. Glad you like them!

@@redbarrelskis3361 thank you. Please go ahead with this 🙂

Thats a base grinder. Technically its a 300mm wide wet belt sander with a autofeed wheel.

Thanks! The mold that I stick in the press is what creates the camber. Everything is flat going into the press, then the pressing action curves all the flat parts and the epoxy sets the shape. Cheers!

I use the leftover chunks of plastic (from cutting out the bases) to hold the parts side to side/front to back in the mold. Up and down is just gravity/pressure.

That is a 'custom' bit. Its just a router bit with the bearing on the correct side that I press fit a washer over.

@@redbarrelskis3361 howdid you produce this bit? We also manufactured but it is not worked? Could you create a video about it

Entropy Resign Super Sap CPM

Happy Monkey, the world's reference design for ski and snowboard presses.

That mostly depends on the length of the cutting edges on the bit you use, but 18mm is no prob. Its common to to use multiple passes at different depths for thicker jobs.

You may notice the 'custom' bit I show off in a few of my construction videos. That's what drives the sidewall angle. Its only 'custom' in the sense that I added a washer to the guide bearing.

Its a hacked X-Carve CNC mill. I made a video about it, search for my SkiNC video :-). Getting even pressure is such a challenge!! Greetings from Colorado USA, thanks!!

kzbin.info/www/bejne/bJukp2V4ZZ50qMk

So, after making this video I changed that feature. This stuff is 6", but the updated version I think is 4". I did have to run 3 hoses for the smaller diameter, but it bends nicer and fits the press better. You'll see the new stuff in my next video :-).

@@redbarrelskis3361 today we produce our ski press too

Don't think I can answer very well because its very much a personal decision based on many factors. But if your the type of person that likes a challenge and respects the idea that a hand crafted item contains more inherent value than something bought from a store then this could be for you.

I run it through no less that 20 times for its first cleanup after getting pulled from the press. Actual qty. depends on belt courseness and how much epoxy found its way to the base.. I used to bring it to a ski shop to use their belt sander. A hand sander can heat the edges too hot and change their hardness, so I don't recommend that.

These are home made so no brand or model :-).

@@redbarrelskis3361 its because I am just about the get one and the stiker on the side an the colors of rhe frame are the same (same stiker SKID) I got pics but I cannot send them to you by this way. Thank you very much,

Too much waste in the process. Trying to be as eco friendly as possible.

Thank you so much, your channel looks epic, subscribed! That is a home made tool.

@@redbarrelskis3361 thank you so much for the reply and for the subscription! Very appreciated. I also subscribed to your amazing channel. Best regards from Italy

Awesome, thank you!

Thanks! On a few pair I've made I added a dovetail to lock them together. I'd say that's worth the effort. Otherwise it is just placed there and the tackiness of the glue holds it okay.

@@redbarrelskis3361 brilliant, thanks

Thanks! Once I built 2 pair in ~1 week (not full time work). But typically it takes a month or so for me to find weekends/nights with enough time to push a pair through. Lots of glue drying steps. Setup cost is almost impossible for me to calculate because I've been acquiring tools and whatnot for a long time, but the Ski press was ~8k, CNC close to 2k, base grinder another 2k. Its not a cheap hobby unfortunately but once you get it built up you will have a shop that's capable of much more than just skis/snowboards. I plan to make a video some day to discuss this, stay tuned!

@@redbarrelskis3361Thanks for the quick reply. Planing on building my own, this helps a lot.

@@gael7051 may I share also my own ski building experience. If you already have some tools (circular saw, jig saw, hand planer, router or trimmer, belt sender) you can manage the whole process. Instead of an expensive and very big ski press, you can use the vacuum press technique, buying a dedicated vacuum pump (around 200$). About the materials, you need some wood to make the mold and the shaping jig, plus all the special materials for the skis (base, sidewalls, fabrics, epoxy, edges, etc) easily you reach from 200 up to 400 $. Enjoy your build

Thanks!!

I shoot for ~9-10mm.