Build your own skis?

A snowHead

Looking at the Line cores it's obvious that a lot of their ski's use a sophisticated laminating method that we probably will not be able to source but which I might be able to build. It involves split strip laminating so that only some of the laminate strips go the whole length of the ski whereas certain interspersed strips are split and other types of wood inserted. Unless we are building cores it's unlikely we will match the performance of Line skis (although we could get close). The 'Jams' seem to use simpler end to end laminate. It's deliberate because such a core would suit an on-piste ski as it would have less tip to tail flex and generally be stiffer. Off piste the Jams should be easier to carve a turn where as the Chronics would be more forgiving on jumped turns and would have more 'pop'

p.s. Lines use fibreglass sheet for the reinforcing layers on Chronics and a very accurate pre-cut shaped P-Tex for the base. They aslo carefully form the edges so that they are made of one single strip joined under the binding point (i.e. the minimal flex point of the ski)

A snowHead

You make it sound like I'm building my own chalet Laughing

I'm one of 6 or 7 workers building someone else's chalet just to fill the time between seasons, however this is probably the last season I'll be doing so from next year I'm looking for a real job Shocked

So I'll be in the UK more and hopefully will have a bit more cash to splash on this initiative.

I honestly don't mind what we go for in the core, I would personally prefer our first ski to be more of an all mountain ski, most of my skiing is done off piste when possible and I like to get in the air some.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

I've thrown a wiki up at www.snowledge.org

I'll create a 'build your own skis' page and we can start throwing all the info, links, ideas and other stuff up there so it's easily located in a central location.

You need to Login to know who's really who.

feef,

you da man!

I've already tried to source epoxy from a specialist supplier in Leicester. They have made one recommendation but I'm quizzing them some more.

Another possible name for the venture:

"RealLife"

- it occurred to me that what we are about is the diametric opposite of what gamers are into and as they refer to that situation as 'RL' or real life I thought it might be appropriate. It also suggested something a bit aspirational which I think we all have, i.e. I'm not living my real life, my real life is designing and bringing to life kick @back bottom skis. 'rl' is a pretty easy logo as well.
Otherwise my first suggestion was 'Skeefs' - that's kinda grown on me as well .

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

feef,

by 'Composite' do you mean reinforcing material (e.g. fibreglass) or are you referring to something else?

You'll need to Register first of course.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

feef, boron? I know it's used to make Pyrex and stuff, but how's it used in ski cores?

(out of interest not criticism)

After all it is free

I would maybe guess it's used in a type of glass fibre then.

Like how we talk about "magnesium" bike frames when what we're actually referring to is an aluminium alloy with a higher than normal magnesium content.

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

Boron composite filaments are produced by a chemical vapor deposition process. It's deposited on tungsten wire, glass or graphite filament core.

They have a low density, high tensile strength and high modulus of elasticity. Boron composites are up to 5 times stiffer than glass fibre.

If you COULD use Boron in skis.. it would probably be very expensive, but make very light, and thin skis Smile

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

snow reports

sorry - that should have been '... both box and yew ...'

Another name for us:

"Bad to the Core"

BTTC (or BTTCHing)

.... just tell me when to stop, OK?

You know it makes sense.

Do you remember those top sheet protectors that were a popular aftermarket item a while back (think you can still get them). Does anyone know what they were made out of? I assume it was some form of extra thick clear tape (?).

I've got an idea for my 3D ski idea. Instead of two top sheets, I'll do one top sheet and a top sheet protector that's silk screened both sides.

Actually, we should apply the stuff as standard to all our product - just to show how caring we are. Little Angel

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

bear in mind, you can brand your own skis whatever you want.. That's the beauty of an 'open source collective' like this. We're sharing ideas and resources, but don't lose our individuality.

Whatever brand is decided on, either individually or collectively, I'm definitely going to do a yew core with a full rocker, just so I can call it the LongBow Smile

A snowHead

I like the idea of calling the skis after weapons.

I fancy a Rapier being a shortish easy turner while a Sabre being a heavier ski for slashing.

A snowHead

and Sidewinder for park/pipe Smile

plenty of air and the opportunity for carnage

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

I was thinking more Swords, bows etc rather than modern weapons.

The Mace for a Park/pipe ski so you can spin around and still land where you want it.

You need to Login to know who's really who.

'Morning Star'
'Pike'
'Quarterstaff'
'Pole Axe'
'Pole Arm'
'Spear'
'Lance'
'Scimitar'
'Dagger'
'Main gauche'
'Cutless'
'Broad sword'

- you might be on to something there adamj11 you have all the middle age weaponry and feef, can have all the missile names - there are tons. He can call his biggest, fatest ski 'ICBM'

I'll stick with the surreal stuff that no one but me gets but which I think is subtle but obvious

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

I still think a small logo behind the binding position would be good, will have a little play later on making a logo if we can decide on a name.

You'll need to Register first of course.

I've decided on an emblem for my skis - it's something from my past that I'm reviving to honour some friends (living and dead). And a name - 'Grand Lemming Skis' or 'GLS'. I was thinking of reverse hand inking the top sheet of my skis using an overhead projector anyway to make each one unique so that makes sense.

Happy to go along with what you guys want when we make a 'co-op' ski and need a common name/emblem which I think we should do initially.

So, we are happy? Each of us has an individual vibe for their own projects and we agree something that's used when we crank out a 'joint' ski together? Actually I quite like that 'double mountain' emblem from the wiki, Mr feef - did you plan to use that yourself? Where did you nick it from, it's not a bad little emblem.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

Yeah that sounds good to me.

I'm trying to think of a name for my own "brand" if you will alongside getting something else done between us for the collective ones.

I think I'll stick with my idea of medieval weaponry for the names of skis.

After all it is free

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

He can have:

'epee' and
'foil'

tho' ....

I'm also reserving:

'i-Ski' and 'Android-ski'

in case I change my mind about GLS (unless we use 'i-Ski' for the co-op name). I'm planning to do (i) an opaque white top sheet version which costs 25% more but has less functions than our other skis and for which we do not provide any customer support and (ii) a very similar one with more uses and that little Android critter on it that comes with a lot of extras ....

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

... and I'm going to do a PacMan ski with a Ms Pacman female friendly version.

snow reports

A little play around with some ideas at first

How about Wespoke for a group name, Bespoke, by Us.

You know it makes sense.

Bit too close to 'bespoken' - i.e. 'engaged to be wed' for me. Also, pronounce it slightly wrong and it sounds like a tiny part for a wheel but I'll go with whatever you guys want.

Like the weapons fore planning - maybe you should look at fluttering flags with coats of arms as whole sheet backgounds.

Getting technical again the one thing I have always pondered is how they get the writing/diagrams on the bottom of the ski's. I used to think it was clear P-Tex and all teh graphics done as for the top sheet but I worked out that was not always the case so I assume that it's sometimes printed on in some way, Anyone know the answer?

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

it can be a thin printed fabric sheet and clear P-tex, or die-cut ptex shapes which is, obviously, a bit harder to do.

bear in mind, still, that while we're a cooperative (or whatever you want to call it) in developing and building the equipment, and ulimately the skis, we are all individuals, so you can call your own designs anything you want. we don't need to stick to a common brand/naming convention.

A snowHead

A snowHead

Coreupt used a section of transparent pTex on the base of the Dirty B'stard but that was to 'show off' the construction... the logo is using cut pTex, white on a black base.

As Serriadh says.. cut pTex graphics on the base is another thing to go wrong,, certainly at this stage anyway

I'd expect it wouldn't be hard to do if you can get the shapes in a cutter.

I used to patch bases using cutters of difference shapes and sizes, Some were circular for example, and you used the cutter to 'punch' the replacement pTex out a sheet and the same cutter on the base of the ski to cut out the damaged area, knowing that the patch would be a perfect fit. The same basis could be used for a logo, but it would he harder to do for a brand-name or something complex.

you'd also have to get the cutter/punch made up

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Right - that told me.

It's just I read somewhere that you could sublimate or screen print bases but it didn't make much sense to me. I thought the general wear and tear would put paid to that too soon. The other reason I asked was that I noticed the Kams had some small graphics on the base of their first skis so I assumed however it was done would be easy-ish.

Aa far as I know you need a fairly pricey machine to die cut well so I think we should avoid that route initially.

The clear P-tex route works for me and my 3D insanity!

You need to Login to know who's really who.

Have a look at the bases on these...

Course, they're not really intended for skiing on pistes and rocks and other inconvenient abrasive things wink

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Yeah - you also don't make ski's with bloody great big knots in them. Those are obviously screen printed or die sublimated onto P-Tex to look like a wood base with their logo et al done at the same time. The other way of doing it would be to get a really thin sliver of a plank and adhere that to the reinforcing layer then clear P-tex the base - which would look awsome.

I'll grill the guys at Whitedot and Fork Tree and see if they'll cough to their secrtes - looking at the Fork Tree site it's pretty obvious the lurv their die cutter to bits! (sorry about that).

I think the rule is that if you want to do really clean line top sheets and bases, you really need a die cutter.

I need a co-op. 'core' ruling. A number of ski makers are using bamboo floor boards to manufacture cores for a number of reasons, mainly because they seem to work well and they are really easy to get hold of. I am putting it to the vote that for our first skis we source some vertically laminated (side by side) bamboo planks and use them to make cores. At the same time I've tired to hook up with a Cal, USA supplier of high quality cores and waiting for him to revert so those who don't want to go with the grass option have other options. If everybody is happy about this then I have supplier of lined up. Going bamboo will of course mean that we will have to shape and size a core for use but also mean that if we screw up then it will not be a diaster and we can just churn out another core quickly. Who votes what?

You'll need to Register first of course.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

I was just looking at Idris's site - amongst others Blush

. Since he is prettty clear about the recycling principle I assume it's the same palce I was planning - floor boards. If they are built to take repeated human wieght jumping on them, they should be fine when laminated up in a ski. Idris indicated above that he would give us some advice - nice bloke that he is.

I had thought about using bamboo before becasue the geezer who might supply the Mulberry 'cores' I was looking at before ( floor baords , really) mainly supplies bamboo floor boards. I am really keen to try the Mulberry. It's denser than bamboo and I think it would make a really nice piste ski.

After all it is free

If you want some beautiful wood-finished skis, you could do worse than looking at Boheme skis:

http://www.boheme.fr/en/

They also have some nice videos of parts of the process.. nothing we don't already know about but interesting all the same

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

very nice..

I was wondering earlier.... would asymetric camber work? more rocker on the outside edge so you've got a longer inside edge but still get the float, but it would also mean that your skis have a tendency to come together which COULD be handy Smile

Help!!

Build your own skis?

snowHeads Forum Index >>> Equipment Reviews/Questions