Found a solution to get a proper bonding between topsheet and paint as well as paint and laminate. Epoxy with flexibilisator and pigments. When I tried to rip of the topsheet it delaminated in the fiberglass. And in my opinion it looks gorgeous with the semi transparent decksheet and the flax lamina...

Sweet! No idea how you have built that many skis in a few days...

No snow in the mountains so far, so still a little time to get things done... http://home.rega-sense.ch/arnold.aebischer/nit_swisskiters/reto/Ski/009.jpg the mold is now more or less finished: http://home.rega-sense.ch/arnold.aebischer/nit_swisskiters/reto/Ski/005.jpg http://home.rega-sense.ch/arnol...

Surprisingly the bonding failure was between epoxy and paint and not between top sheet and paint. I will keep on trying...

I finally managed to continue on the mold. Now all the ribs are done. And I tested the bonding between top sheet/paint/epoxy. Bonding was poor. The test laminate didn't even survive the jigsaw. So I will perform a second test using a different paint. I will post some pics soon, but I write this mess...

I remember I saw some nice molds made from resin by a guy who used to make carbon fiber model aircraft gliders. I think he CNC-ed the positive out of wood, and made the negative mold by resin casting. Only problem is that I don't think a resin cast mold would hold up to a pneumatic press, and I it'...

Love them!

Just played around in photoshop a while: http://home.rega-sense.ch/arnold.aebischer/nit_swisskiters/reto/Ski/004.png by the way - the ski does still look more or less the same as the one I showed previously, but I changed nearly everything as I began from scratch with my CAD file. now it is 189 - 15...

no bonding issues with acrylic paint? that would be a lot easier than painting with epoxy...

Sry that it took that much time for my first post. I was kind of busy with other projects. But after an after noon in the forest i managed to start with the mold: http://home.rega-sense.ch/arnold.aebischer/nit_swisskiters/reto/Ski/000.jpg http://home.rega-sense.ch/arnold.aebischer/nit_swisskiters/re...

Hey guys after you already helped me out with some advice for my latest project in another thread and I finally started to build, I was wondering if there is any interest in a diary about the building process to see how I do it? It is my second pair of skis and I might have a bit of a different appr...

Pressure difference shouldn't be an issue with a honeycomb core, because the cellules are pretty small. But the rossignol is just a marketing thing I guess. How much weight can you possibly safe by replacing some square inches of the core by a pretty heavy polypropylene honeycomb? And if there is a ...

Pressure difference shouldn't be an issue with a honeycomb core, because the cellules are pretty small. But the rossignol is just a marketing thing I guess. How much weight can you possibly safe by replacing some square inches of the core by a pretty heavy polypropylene honeycomb? And if there is a ...

I don't have a whole lot of experience with PU, but I pour the sidewalls of my kiteboards with a epoxy/cotton mix. I made very good results this way.

But anyway. PU's are sensitive to humidity. have you ever tried to seal the channel using a fast curing clear coat?

Cheers, Reto

@ rockaukum
interesting point about the finger force... I will definitely built them with a little camber.

And they will be light (at least for the size), but not necessarily soft. But I think I will start a thread in the Journal and keep you guys up to date.

Aloha, Reto