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Posted: Thu Oct 06, 2011 9:08 pm
by Dr. Delam
Thanks Falls!

Another successful pair was pressed this week. This one is called the "Sprite" and is for the wife.

Cores are profiled to 2.8-11.5-2.8. I added a layer of glass in the tip and tail area for the 2.2 tip spacer to match the core ends.

I used my 74 cm radius mold for the tips and 149 cm radius mold for the tails. The tips are 32.5 cm long with a 7 cm rise and the tails are 30 cm long with a 3 cm rise.

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Ski dimensions are 133-115-127, 20 m turn radius, and 172 cm length. I gave them a little less tip and tail taper than my last few pair.

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I used my 7 degree wedge under my router to profile the sidewalls and used the drum sander bit on the router to polish the whole perimeter of the ski.

I set my top blanket at 170 and the bottom at 180 to achieve just a hint of camber. It's barely noticeable but should increase slightly in the cold.

Speaking of cold, it's in the twenties right now and the top of Squaw just got 22" last night. Let's hope for another strong early season like we had last winter!

If anyone in Tahoe is going to see MSP's La Nina in Squaw, hit me up for an adult beverage at the bar. My name tag will say Dave for those who just know me as Dr. Delam.

Posted: Fri Nov 04, 2011 12:00 am
by Dr. Delam
I have been trying to keep my building for just family but when someone waves some cash in front of you and you have the week off, it's hard to resist. A good friend of mine threw some money in my face to build him some skis so I couldn't turn it down.

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He wanted a pair of my Surfer pow skis so I was able to use my old template. I just updated the graphics a little and threw some surfer images on there. I really dig the Dragon coming out of the wave and wish I had it on my skis.

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As nasty as my hardener smells, I think I am beginning to like it. I pop open the can, smoke comes out and I start salivating like Pavlov's dog.

I am also salivating because it just snowed 6 inches in the last 4 hours. No alpine skiing for me yet but I am going to take out my touring gear and mess around on the golf course.

Posted: Wed Dec 28, 2011 10:53 pm
by Dr. Delam
No snow and blocked out ski pass = time to build some skis.

I finally got around to making some park skis as a Christmas present to myself. The park is the only thing worth skiing right now as we are still riding on 100% manmade. Driest December in something like 80 years.

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I call these the Soul Session. 17 meter radius, 170 cm length, 105-85-101, 30 cm tips and tails with equal 5 cm rise. Core is fir, oak, poplar, and bamboo sidewalls, 11.8 mm thick tapering to 2.8 tips and tails. 22 oz glass top and bottom.

Nobody wanted to buy my clear topsheet so I figured I would use some of it instead of some custom graphics. I also had some leftover tie dye fabric that I used. $ has been tight lately with lack of snow and thus lack of work. I also figured that these skis are going to get thrashed on hard and I consider them disposable. My edges always break underfoot from rails.

We'll see how these hold up.

Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2012 4:41 pm
by FrontierSkis
Skis look Awesome, keep up the good work.
Really liking your ski shapes, and the Coda graphics are great.

Posted: Sat Sep 29, 2012 1:32 am
by Dr. Delam
I just built another pow ski so it has to snow this winter. Ski specs are 140-122-130, 30 meter turn radius, 185 cm.

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I am trying out some different core and sidewall material this time. I threw some center stringers of Honduran mahogany and sidewalls of Philippine mahogany and got all the wood for the right price (free). The rest is oak, poplar, and pine at 3-12.5-3 thickness.

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I am also trying out some nylon topsheet material that a local manufacturer kindly printed for me for cheap. This has to be my cheapest build to date with material cost about $75.

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I call this one the WTD which is just my dad's initials. This pair is another tribute ski and I sprinkled some more of his ashes in the layup for extra soul.

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Tip rise is 7 cm and tail rise 2.5 cm with about 2 mm camber underfoot pressing at 160 F top blanket and 180 bottom blanket.

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I also used a different hardener this time, the QCM 32, which was a little more viscous than the 408 I had before but wet out fine.

I moved the narrowest part of the ski farther back than I usually put it so I'll have to see if I notice the effect.

Everything went perfect on this build and I am super stoked to get winter rolling and try them out.

Posted: Sat Sep 29, 2012 2:16 am
by vinman
As usual, looks great Dr. My rocker shapes are similar to your. I've got some mahogany in all of my skis this year also. Your Dad would be proud.

Posted: Sat Sep 29, 2012 8:05 am
by Dtrain
Wow. these look awsome. Very cool idea with the ashes. Keepin' the old man involved in what you love. I tip my hat to you Doc.

Posted: Sun Oct 14, 2012 10:45 pm
by falls
Looking great Dr

Posted: Sun Dec 16, 2012 8:18 pm
by Dr. Delam
Another memorial ski but this time for my good buddy Kip Garre who was killed in an avalanche along with his girlfriend Alison in 2011.

Kip was not only an amazing athlete and great friend but a classic joker. The graphics are of him skateboarding in a devil outfit flipping the bird and getting everyone fired up.

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This is going to be a dedicated touring ski for me. I put some of his ashes in the layup and if I can carry just a little bit of his infectious energy and spirit with me in the backcountry I will be a happy man.

On a technical note, I used a nylon topsheet here and I think it might have different expansion properties versus PBT. With my heater setup at 180 top and bottom I was expecting flat camber. But I got similar camber as my last pair pressed at 180 bottom and 160 top. When I built with PBT topsheets equal top and bottom heat would get me flat camber.

Anybody else experience changes in camber by using different topsheets?

Posted: Sun Dec 16, 2012 9:53 pm
by OAC
Get fired up! :)

My personal feeling/experience is that the particular wood core one put in a particular ski(pair) has their own "life" and "decides" if they want to be cambered or not... :)
I only use heat, same time and same temp., from the top for the moment, which should indicate camber all the time, but still mixed results...

Posted: Wed Nov 06, 2013 8:09 pm
by Dr. Delam
I just finished up a pair of park skis for my son. I did the nylon graphics on photoshop with a few pictures that he drew and a few other random ones that he chose. This is my attempt at a brick wall background with graffiti. I lost track of how many hours spent on these graphics. So many pictures and multiple layers per picture to achieve a graffiti effect.

Skis are single radius, 17 meter, 114-88-109. Cores are fir center stringer, oak under the binding holes, poplar, and red balau sidewalls profiled at 7 degrees.

Equal tip and tail rise at 5.5 cm and they have 2.5 mm of camber.

Press parameters were 180 bottom blanket, 160 top blanket, 40 psi for one hour at temp using Forest/QCM epoxy.

The only thing wrong with this build is that I don't get to ski them. My son's boots are two sizes bigger than mine so no go without remounting. I'm trying to convince him that he is in too big a boot since his foot is only a half size bigger than mine.

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Posted: Thu Nov 07, 2013 3:50 am
by vinman
The texture effect is cool. As always, great job.

Posted: Wed Jan 08, 2014 12:48 am
by Dr. Delam
As usual, I am late with my wife's Christmas present. But considering we hardly have any snow, I really don't want her taking these out just yet anyways. Lots of rocks and hardly any terrain open.

This pair is a new hard snow ski for her. She really liked the other hard snow skis I made for her but she wanted new graphics. Go figure. So I made these similar but a little narrower with more sidecut.

17 meter radius, 125-100-115 dimensions with oak, poplar, fir, and red balau sidewalls. Skis are fairly stiff with core dimensions 3.1,11.8, 3.1. 22 oz glass, vds, pbt CODA topsheet, nothing fancy. I usually try to weigh the cores before pressing but I spaced that. Doh!

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I pressed at 40 psi with the blankets at 180 bottom, 160 top, and got about 2.5 mm camber. Tip rise is 6.5 cm and tail rise 2.5 cm. QCM/Forest epoxy which I think I will never change. All of my skis seem indestructible.

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Whoever is getting snow, please send some to Tahoe. This is our third shitty year in a row and it is getting old. I've had my moto and mountain bikes out way too much this winter and zero days in the backcountry or on my snowmobile.

Posted: Wed Jan 08, 2014 4:38 pm
by vinman
Awesome as usual!

Posted: Wed Jan 08, 2014 6:06 pm
by MadRussian
Inspirational. Great graphics.
Hope someday I can turn up something that nice-looking