It is proving hard to get my MDF table flat, so i have some aluminium angle struts that are dead flat which should hold the MDF flat and support the top at the same time. Too bad it is started snowing and the backcountry is starting to open up (this is a good thing) but it is making work on the pres...

Well the two heat blankets have arrived from China, in the end maybe not as cheap as i had hoped but not much i can do about that now. Along with the power wiring i also seem to have another two leads that i think are the temperature sensors for the mats. Anyone have any tips on connecting them to m...

Hi Ben, Thanks for the offer on Epoxy, at the moment i still have a bunch left, although once i get the press operational i might go through it quickly as i experiment with the process. If you have a source for fiber glass locally let me know, ordering from the states and dealing with the border is ...

I am curious as well. i have seen a couple of methods of attaching the sheet to the frame but both of them require drilling holes through the material and at that price i really don't want to screw it up! So, still thinking about how to do it (under the frame and wrap around on top or sandwiched bet...

I picked up my pump and some cheap veneer (Cuban Mahogany) over the weekend and assembled and tested the pump. It seems to work well despite my rudimentary electrical skills, although my next step is to add in a switch to the wiring so i can turn it off and on with out unplugging it. I also bought t...

last question from me on this topic...maybe. I am in the process of ordering 2 heating mats from Alibaba (thanks for the link Wvmtnbiker!) and I was wondering how I control the temperature of these mats. I am planning on building a controller with 2 PIDs (one for each mat) and 2 SSRs to control the ...

Does anyone live up in the northeast kingdom area? I live just north of the border and would love to explore new areas and ski with new people. I usually ski with partners in areas south of Jay and in the Stowe valley but would be happy to travel a little farther for some new terrain. After this lat...

The first part of the press is on its way. I ordered a silicone sheet from SSCRubber.com. Their customer service was excellent and easy to deal with. I am getting 3 yds of the following: ARP-T-50-062-36 Translucent FDA Grade 50 Durometer Silicone Sheet .062” Thick x 36” Wide at 32.69/yard which seem...

After some more reading and looking around i have decided to purchase the reconditioned Thomas pump (3.15 CFM) from Veneersupplies along with the parts for the continuous run pump kit. As much as i like to build things these two products fall into the not really that expensive and very convenient co...

So i was going to spend a lot of money on a 5cfm pump from veneersupplies but after reading through many pages of pump questions i have decided to try out the used market. Now, i know nothing about pumps and what i should be looking for. I know that i want oil-less and something in the 4 to 5 cfm ra...

MR, thank you for taking the time to reply. It is good to know the CPM/CPS that i have will work at lower temperatures. At least i do not have to buy more...at least until i have finished the batch that i have. I have started a journal to document my build, i hope you will point out anything i am do...

Hi All, Let me introduce myself. i am a long time telemark skier living here in south eastern Quebec just above the Vermont border. I have built a couple of pair of skis in the past 2 years but those were on other peoples equipment. I have wanted to build my own skis since visiting a friends company...

So the epoxy that I have (Entropy super sap CPM/CPS) should be fine in a vacuum press as long as I get the heat up to 180. If so great news as I have several skis worth of resin/hardened left. With heat on top do you get a bounce back on the camber? So if I make my mould with a 5mm camber I can expe...

i will read up on heating from the top only as i would like to cut down on the complexity of my first (only??) build. I hear you about the lower wattage, i have an unheated garage so depending on the epoxy (that is my next question to you) i might move this operation into my basement which does not ...

Again, great information! I have built PID controllers for my brewing set up so no worries there. I do have a question about your statement on heating top and bottom though. When using my friends pneumatic press heating top and bottom was easy but how do you manage that with a vacuum table? If you a...