Ski Builders Forum

This may have been discussed before, but I see a few major manufacturers running vertical strips of aluminum in their cores. And in effect connected the top and bottom fiber layers (making the I beam we are all so familiar with).

I wondered if anyone has laminated up cores with fiber in between each layer. Carbon, glass, kevlar etc. and if they've seen any positive results.

In theory you'd get some great composite beam benefits.

I was thinking of using biaxial flax to go easy on tools while profiling, and to help stay away from the noxious dusts.

Bcomp used to use biaxial flax fibers vertically in their cores for that exact reason. They had +45/-45 degree layers laminated between sections of end grain and flat grain balsa. However, in their new line of cores they have stopped doing that and incorporate balsa wood sections rotated to +45/-45 degrees instead of the flax.

Interesting, so they've dropped the flax altogether?

that would make it look like perhaps it doesn't have the benefits it seems at first glance

Looks like they did. This is their old core configuration:
And this is what they sell now:

I think the main reason for the industry to do that is to counteract the weak quality of cheap wood core production. And for marketing

we gave it go with vertical strips of g-10.
The first ski had 4 full length strips, could barly flex the ski!
Second had two full length near the edges. See pic. This ski was AWESOME!! The skis even survived being strapped to the back of a tomahawing snomo!
Third ski, we did three strips. Skied ok, but you had to be on your game. They had ALOT of pop.