How crucial is it to epoxy sidewalls to core pre-layup?

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Danielbroski
Posts: 46
Joined: Tue Jan 01, 2013 4:00 pm
Location: Boulder, CO

How crucial is it to epoxy sidewalls to core pre-layup?

Post by Danielbroski »

In the past I've always epoxied my UHMW sidewalls to my core before profiling the cores, after seeing that was a common way to do it. It has worked well, but it's a bit of a pain. I've seen a few companies (J skis and Folsom skis) who seem to just hold the sidewalls in place and let the layup adhere them to the ski. Any body have experience doing this?
Vostok61
Posts: 4
Joined: Sat Apr 20, 2019 10:13 am

Re: How crucial is it to epoxy sidewalls to core pre-layup?

Post by Vostok61 »

Are there things I should be paying attention for if I were to use epoxy in very warm weather or with salty, iodine-rich seaside air? The thing is that I was planning to buy one of these houses in Greece for the holidays, and work on skis there to go to winter sports resorts in Bulgaria, Montenegro etc later on.
mammuth
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Joined: Tue Oct 28, 2014 3:48 am
Location: somewhere in the alps

Re: How crucial is it to epoxy sidewalls to core pre-layup?

Post by mammuth »

Danielbroski wrote: Wed May 22, 2019 11:11 am I've seen a few companies (J skis and Folsom skis) who seem to just hold the sidewalls in place and let the layup adhere them to the ski. Any body have experience doing this?
If you work with a mold and if you have profiled sidewalls you can do this approach, otherwise it will be difficult ;)
Tom
Cadman
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Joined: Tue Apr 06, 2010 9:50 am
Location: Crystal Mountain, Washington

Re: How crucial is it to epoxy sidewalls to core pre-layup?

Post by Cadman »

We wet up the sidewalls along with the core and put them in the mold. We use a retention wall on the side of the cavity to hold the sidewalls in place. The clearance allows the glass to go up outside the sidewall and out of the mold which traps the sidewall. We keep the clearance so that it holds the sidewall up against the core but does not squeeze all the resin out where the sidewall meets the core. It seems to work fine.
TimW
Posts: 48
Joined: Sun Apr 26, 2020 11:56 am

Re: How crucial is it to epoxy sidewalls to core pre-layup?

Post by TimW »

I have done several boards where I put in the sidewalls seperately. I let a biax layer from the top laminate run down behind the sidewall for increased torsional stiffness. Worked fine. However, it is more hassle cause you need top profile the sidewalls separately.

This was for vacuum and later vacuum infusion.
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