:: View topic - Anniversary Skis

I was asked to make a pair of skis to be given to the husband by the wife as an anniversary present. Initially, it was going to be a 1940's pin-up girl design, but then the wife changed her mind and hired a photographer......

I have to wonder what kind of comments he's going to get in the lift-line...and I'm not sure which will be more awkward....comments from guys that know it's his wife, or comments from those who don't....

A couple other recent pairs:

The guy that got these commissioned a local watercolor artist to paint a somewhat stylized Tetons reflecting in a lake scene, which we then scanned and had sublimated on a topsheet. Please ignore the router divots in the sidewall....was trying a new technique and.....

Tabloid skis.

The view of Mt Washington from my deck (on my deck with the view obscured by clouds.....).

Forgot the Squid Sticks....

I like the newspaper ones! What did you use to press your skis?

Ya, are those newspaper skis sublimated or are they actual scraps cut and put under a clear topsheet. All your skis look great!

Thanks, but the only credit I can claim is the photo for the Mt Washington skis. My business-to-be (or not to be, that is the question...) partner has handled all the graphics. The newspaper collage was put together by the guy who got the skis and sublimated by CODA.

I've been using a vacuum press. Not enough room presently for a pneumatic press.

Scott

Latest pair...

KOA veneer with the graphic sublimated to the underside of a clear topsheet. The sidewalls are wood with two coats of epoxy. When I beveled the sidewalls, I also rabbeted them a 1/32", which I then "backfilled" with the epoxy.

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beautiful.

adding epoxy to the outside of the sidewalls is a mistake IMO. Epoxy is not UV resistant and is also not a good material for that application. I expect it will yellow and crack.

But, only time will tell.

Super nice looking skis. I agree with DB though, I think epoxy, especially thin epoxy will likely crack or chip off.

Thanks MM. Other wives are starting to talk...might turn into a...ummmm...cash-cow.

Yeah, the epoxy is an experiment. On previous wood sidewalls I've just used a couple coats of spar-urethane. I'd like something a little more finished looking, tho, and also easier to color....the epoxy is WS 105/205. I'm also going to try an epoxy coating from Forrest Paint (19S100/10K011). I'm batting about .500 on getting plastic sidewalls through the planer without shards flying, so looking for alternatives. The application of the epoxy, at least, was real easy and the finish (albeit, pre-use) is the best of any sidewalls I've done.

Scott

BTW, I got a notice that Blank Slate is going to start offering phenolic sidewall material. Anybody use that?

Wow Great looking skis, all of them! Great idea of the graphics on the clear top sheet over the veneer. As for the anniversary skis.... Wow. Could make for some awkward moments but could lead to more skis too and modeling gigs for her.

Agi,

I have machined alot of phenolic resin....no skis built to date yet. It is similar to many hardwoods when cut.

I've found that it chips fairly easily when milling so watch out for breakout when routing.

Alot of fine dust is produced but nothing worse than grindging glass as the fibres are usually cotton

It has a grainy finish so sidewalls would look pretty cool.

JT

big debate on whether or not the dynastar legend pros actually have a phenolithic sidewall or if it was mistranslated from french.

The tgr guys seem to think no way, its just wood but with so many different types of phenolithic material composite i would go with what dynastar say it is.

I would love to try it. Cotton fibers sound no bueno for sidewalls however.

phelonic

google does not know this word.

Came across this stuff while searching for phenolic resin,

http://www.fiberesin.com/Products/Stonewood.aspx

It's water proof and can be used in many applications where wood is used and water proof. However it's very heavy, 4'x8'x1/2" panel weighs 109lbs.

Now, where to find it. If its the stuff I'm thinking of, the cabinet shop I had my templates CNC'ed used some kind of resin type of material in cabinetry. The search continues.....

Interesting find SD. Thought you might be interested in this doc:

http://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/documnts/pdf2005/fpl_2005_ibach002.pdf

p432 for melamine impregnation

p435-6 comparative tables

The underlying processes were developed/popularised during WWII.

Melamine impregnation and compression is very do-able, so it sounds like Dynastar have taken the next step and set up a small Impreg process. It would increase the over-all weight of the wood, but not too much. I understand 'Beech' is a great wood, if pressure is being applied during the process.

Too far down this road and you end up with Compreg, which is a very dense material. Planks of this are made using wood veneer ... looks like you have found a derivative of this process SD.

I did a bit of testing last season using Methyll Machacrylate, the results were OK, but not usable. Ended up going in a different direction, with good results.

I wonder how much a full 4x8x 1/2 sheet of UHMWPE sidewall weighs? I bet it is not too much lighter. A 10.25 x 70 sheet weights about 12-15 lbs. my epoxy scale goes up to 11 lbs and the sheet weighs more than that.

So I'm guess a full 4x 8 sheet would weigh out at 75-80 lbs or so.

FYI

Cotton based phenolic resin has been used for years in the marine industry.

Cutlass bearings (what the tail shaft runs through before the prop on an inboard boat) are also often made from it.

It also makes a supeb electrical inuslator.

Weight for a 1/2"x4'x8' sheet is about 111lbs compared to UHMW @ 78lbs and ABS @ 86lbs

Below are links to some mechanical property charts...its pretty strong with the grain like wood so I could imagine it used by Dynastar.

Have a laugh and look at some of the different base materials available in Phenolic....in particular water absorbsion for the paper based.....nearly half of the Fine Weave Fabric which is what I have used for cutlass bearings

UHMW

http://www.redwoodplastics.com/brochures/properties/UHMW-PE%20NATURAL%20VIRGIN%20PROPERTIES.pdf

ABS

http://www.redwoodplastics.com/brochures/properties/ABS%20PROPERTIES.pdf

Phenolic Resin

http://www.redwoodplastics.com/files/website_videos/PHENOLIC%20PROPERTIES.pdf

JT

Hmm, agio - do you have a link to the product?

If it's what I think it is (Phenolic), I'd be interested in trying that material as sidewall, it's fairly dense, I'd imagine good compressive properties.

http://www.ides.com/info/generics/31/Phenolic-Phenolic

And to get back on topic (kind of), you should be able to find UV resistant epoxy if you want to go that route on the sidewall finishing. Great looking skis!

Here you go Damon

http://www.redwoodplastics.com/brochures/laminates-pdf.pdf

JT

Sorry to be out of the loop...I don't have a link for the phenolic sidewalls, just a notice that came with a Blank Slate order saying it's a new product they'll be adding. It also said they're changing name and website to maidenskis.com, but it doesn't look like it's up yet.

Scott

BTW, here's a link to Kastle: http://www.kaestle-ski.com/en/techcenter/innovations/ They offer both Phenol and ABS sidewalls.

These are a graduation present for the daughter of a friend. She's a racer-girl (likely member of the '13/'14 US women's alpine team), so we decided to go with something completely different...... They're similar to the Black Diamond Amps.

They look sweet, nice work.

Thanks, Vinman. Too late, I realized that the front binding mount is probably going to fall right on top of the summit on the right ski.....

Smoke and fire...

..actually, all fire...just in black & white except the logos.

I'm doing a sidewall test with these. The outside sidewalls are wood with two coats tinted WS epoxy. The inside sidewalls are one coat tinted epoxy and two coats Forrest Paint 19S100/10K011 epoxy finish coat, which is UV resistant and I'm hoping won't crack

hey, another builder in the whites! Where are you at? We build skis (and other random projects) in Littleton and ski Cannon.