Soul Skis

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Dr. Delam
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Location: Truckee

Soul Flight Skis for the Wife

Post by Dr. Delam »

I finally got back on the building track after making a lot of changes to my designs and techniques. I also got the press back in my garage where previously it had moved around to a couple locations in Reno. Carrying steel is not fun.

I also got another heat blanket to have more control over my camber results. After my first pressing with 2 blankets, I am finally satisfied with getting consistent results with a flat mold.

I tested about 20 different retail skis this past winter and concluded that I really liked everything with early rise and early taper. They were very versatile and combine the best of a reverse/reverse ski and a traditional ski.

I redesigned a few tip and tail molds and gave them long constant radius profiles. I feel that this keep the skis planing instead of plowing.

It took me awhile to draw up base designs that tapered properly. I made multiple changes after doing full printouts.

For my wife's pair I gave them a 20 m radius, 172 length, with dimensions of 122-105-114. I made the taper points 30 cm from the tip and tail and gave the tip 6 cm of rise and tail 3 cm of rise.

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For the cores I used a combination of oak and pine with maple sidewalls. I profiled them to 2.5 - 12 - 2.5 on my planer and I can get them to within a few hundreths of a mm of my design specs. I used my technique of drilling holes in the cores and putting screws on my planer crib to keep the cores from moving in the planer. I then epoxy dowels to the bases to keep everything aligned while pressing.

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For the graphics my wife picked out some fabric with a bird pattern on it since she loves to bird watch. I used some Skibuilders clear top sheet over it. Thanks Kam!

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In my layup I used VDS over the edges and didn't cut it in half like I previously have done. I tried to cover as much of the ski base with it in hopes that it actually might dampen some but I doubt if it will make a difference. I used 22 oz glass top and bottom and made my tip spacer 15 cm long with an added piece of glass to compensate for the transition to the thicker core. I am way quicker at layups now since I have laid up about 30 pair of Praxis skis. My first day working there they threw me into layup with some fast setting hardener so I didn't have a choice.

The middle third of the skis came out nice and flat but the tails got slightly concave and the tips convex. This has me stumped. At first I thought it was the tip and tail molds but it extends into the area where I have a flat piece of MDF on the mold. It should grind out and show a nice stone pattern though. The other imperfection is a wrinkle in the top sheet near the tip on the first pressed ski. It's hardly noticeable by anyone but me. For the second ski I filled the bladder more slowly and no wrinkles at all.

I made a 7 degree shim for my router to finish the sidewalls. I made it long to give my palm router some more stability since it is a little top heavy.

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I am really pleased with how these came out and I think this is my best build to date. Next is a pair for my son's birthday present and then I have three pair in the works for me.

Bring on winter! We've already had frost the past few mornings in Squaw.
Last edited by Dr. Delam on Tue Aug 10, 2010 12:47 am, edited 1 time in total.
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MontuckyMadman
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Post by MontuckyMadman »

nice. You prolly have allot of inside track special knowledge after working for praxis.
Would love to here the trade secrets that you are not allowed to divulge. LOL.
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falls
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Location: Wangaratta, Australia

Post by falls »

nice work. looks good
maybe shows my woodwork ignorance, but would be interested to know how you made your router wedge. I have to make one and would be interested to have the technique before I regress to trial and error. thanks
Don't wait up, I'm off to kill Summer....
OAC
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Post by OAC »

Smart thinking with the router!
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Dr. Delam
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Post by Dr. Delam »

Falls,

There are a couple of ways to do it depending on what tools you have available and how big your shim needs to be.

What was easiest for me was using my sliding 10" miter saw and a piece of 4 X 4. I put it long ways up against the fence and used a longer piece than I needed to keep my securing hand well clear of the blade. I set my miter angle, held it as steady as possible, cut slowly, and it came out perfect.

You could also get creative with a table saw or a planer(thicknesser) but I think my method was super easy.
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falls
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Post by falls »

Thanks. That's what I was thinking. The base of your router looks like it has some nice holes for securing it to the wedge. I'll have to get creative with mine.
I like how you made the wedge oversize to better balance the router too. Great idea.
Don't wait up, I'm off to kill Summer....
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Dr. Delam
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Post by Dr. Delam »

I busted out another pair of skis this past weekend. This pair is for my son and I used the same templates for the base and core that I made my wife's skis with.

I found some dragon fabric that I liked and used that for the graphic. The logos I printed out on sticker paper but they turned quite see through once they were wetted out with the epoxy. I did a test piece where this didn't happen but I used some different epoxy. Oops. I'll go back to the iron on transfer stuff for the next pair.

I used some clear contact paper to mask the top sheet. This stuff works great and is easy to put on and take off. I plan on using it to mask my bases as well next time. I don't know why I didn't think of this before because I used to use it when hand tuning race skis. It helps keep the edge filings from trashing the base when using a file guide.

Now it's time to make my pair next. I've got the bases cut out and the edges on but I have to figure out what I want to use for core material and sidewalls.

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SHIF
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Post by SHIF »

Dr. Delam wrote:...I found some dragon fabric that I liked and used that for the graphic. ...
Sweeeeet graphix. Where did that fabric come from? Eye like it.

Good idea on the contact paper, for top sheet protection at least. What temps can that stuff handle? Maybe too hot on the bottom. Assuming you're heating only from the base.

I fully expect to see your unique skis in the lift lines at KT or Headwall this season.

Cheers,
-S
twizzstyle
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Post by twizzstyle »

Dr. Delam wrote: I used some clear contact paper to mask the top sheet. This stuff works great and is easy to put on and take off. I plan on using it to mask my bases as well next time.
Contact paper rocks, that's what we've been using for our bases as well. Even with the heat of a heat blanket, the contact paper comes off pretty easily and doesn't leave any residue.
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Dr. Delam
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Post by Dr. Delam »

I got the fabric at JoAnn's fabric place in Reno. They have the best selection of fabric around but it still is 99% girly stuff. Any time I have been in there I am the only guy! I am going to do one more pair of this fabric and then I want to get some topsheets printed at Coda.

I tested the Contact paper in the oven at 200 degrees and it was fine. I am using top and bottom heat and I don't foresee any problems pressing in the 180 range. Yes, it does rock. There are lots of uses for it besides what it was designed for since it protects well and releases well. The backing paper is also useful to cover your work area when laying out materials, mixing epoxy, etc. I also came up with the idea to use it as a clear protective film for the window on the sand blasting cabinet. Those things get trashed so quickly you might as well be closing your eyes. But a fresh window with clear contact paper on it could be changed out easily and cheaply.
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Dr. Delam
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Post by Dr. Delam »

I made a pair of Steel Dragons for myself over the weekend.

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I used some leftover fabric from the last pair of skis and this time used the iron on transfers for the logos.

The dimensions are 185 cm long, 133-115-124, with a 18 m constant radius sidecut.

I gave them early taper and rise with a tip length of 40 cm and 8 cm of rise, and a tail length of 38 cm and 5 cm rise. I did top and bottom heat to achieve a zero camber contact length.

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This was my first time using bamboo for core material. I should have done more research before profiling because they came out way softer than I anticipated. I profiled them to 3-11-3. I was expecting the bamboo to be much stiffer. Oh well. I might mount them up for BC since they are pretty light too.

I got the stupid wrinkle/crease in the top sheet again in the tip and tail area on the first ski. I think the culprit was the parchment paper. I didn't use it for the second ski and it was perfect. No more parchment paper on top of the ski for me.

Another blemish resulted from gouging the edge when I was profiling the sidewalls. I was in a rush to get it done before work and the the bearing slipped off the ski edge. Doh! At least it occurred past the snow contact point. The bamboo sidewall profiled nicely though and I have some left over material to use for sidewall for another pair.

I really wish I could try these out right now before I make another pair. I want to stiffen them up a bit for everyday resort riding but it would be nice to know if they need further tweaking.

For now, my next project is a big pair of pow skis
OAC
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Post by OAC »

Good job! I really like the "harmony" of the tip rocker. I will try that later.
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SHIF
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Post by SHIF »

Dr. Delam wrote:...I want to stiffen them up a bit for everyday resort riding ...
I've made 9 pairs using vertically laminated bamboo flooring for the cores. After flexing the first pair I started adding unidirectional carbon fiber strips above and below the cores in addition to the usual triaxial glass. The carbon stiffens them up considerably, giving the ski a lot of energy and "pop". I use 3 inch wide strips, cut from 12 inch wide stock. Typically 4.5 oz fabric. On two pairs I used 9 oz fabric and those skis are quite stiff. I probably should have used narrower strips of carbon on them. All of my bamboo cores taper from 2mm at either end to between 12.5 and 13.5mm underfoot. That may seem rather thick in the middle but keep in mind that I have a short "flat" binding zone, typically 10 to 12cm in length, yielding a very uniform ski flex.

Again I gotta say, that dragon graphic is sick!

BTW, your Steel Dragon dimensions and shape are quite similar to what I used on my Ski-9, except my running length is only 90cm (see link). Those skis are a heck of a lot of fun and they handle just about anything you throw at them.

Cheers,
-S
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Dr. Delam
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Post by Dr. Delam »

Shif, your skis look great. I'll keep an eye out for the logo on your skis in the lift lines at Squaw.

I am definitely going to increase my core thickness for the next pair. I have yet to make a ski that is too heavy or stiff so I need to explore the other end of the spectrum. I also think that rockered and flat camber skis can be designed much stiffer as you don't have to put the energy into them to decamber them.

Thanks for the input.
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Dr. Delam
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Post by Dr. Delam »

I finally made a pair of skis where everything came out perfect. This is a pair that I could actually see myself selling and feel proud of it.

This pair I call the Soul Surfer and it is designed to be a full on powder ski. It has early rise, early taper, and a little bit of reverse camber by using top heat only while pressing.

I gave it dimensions of 143-130-137 and a constant 25 m radius sidecut. The tip taper and rise is 40 cm long with a rise of 8 cm. The tail taper and rise is 38 cm long with 5 cm of rise.

The loaner cat track that I had been using was steel and double wide with bars that were not exactly straight. It took over a half hour for the top blanket to ramp up and it was robbing way too much heat. I made a new one out of 3/4 aluminum tubing, single width, and it now takes under 10 minutes to reach 180 degrees.

I designed the wave graphic on photoshop and had Chad at Coda Graphics print them up for me. They came out great and I highly recommend Coda. Now I just need to brush up on my photoshop skills as it took me awhile just to figure out basic functions.

This rotary cutter is a simple new addition to my tools. Nice clean cuts in glass and vds. I know a lot of other people are using them too.

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I made the cores from oak and fir with bamboo sidewalls. I changed my core profile once again and these are considerably stiffer and heavier which is what I was after. I profiled to 3.2 in the tail, 12.5 underfoot, and 2.6 in the tip. I procured some 2.6 tip spacer and put an extra layer of glass in the tail to match it up to the core.

The sidewalls got a 7 degree bevel on them with my router shim setup and the bamboo machines very nicely.

In the past, I had difficulty getting a professional finish in the tip and tail areas. I usually started with a panzer file in a file guide to remove any excess epoxy and followed it up with mill files and sandpaper. It never looked factory until now.

I bought these drum sanding bits at Harbor Freight that fit in my router. This way I can keep the angle perfect and leave a nice clean finish. I imagine I could also use this set up for a quick edge sharpen but I usually do that at the shop though.

I really want to test these out now!

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Last edited by Dr. Delam on Thu Oct 21, 2010 1:14 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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