Getting serious about a pneumatic press

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Head Monkey
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Getting serious about a pneumatic press

Post by Head Monkey »

I’m going to build a pneumatic press this summer to replace my current vacuum molding setup. I’m going with a design very similar to the one the guys at GrafSnowboards.com built (see http://www.grafsnowboards.com/ for pictures.) It will be wide enough to press a single snowboard or a pair of skis.

I’d like to hear from anyone who has built a similar press about things you would do differently, specific materials used in the press, etc. I.e., what size I-beams did you use, and would you go with larger or smaller ones if you could do it again? What size hoses? Did you use multiple hoses? How has the press been holding up for you over time, etc. Do you feel like you have enough room in your press cavity? How do you ensure that the surface that supports the base mold is actually flat?

I’m also going to heat the press with silicon heat blankets. I’ve seen good recommendations for MEI, so I figure I’ll go with them. I’m wondering how many people heat the top vs. the bottom of the board, or both?

Thanks,

Mike
Everything I know about snowboard building, almost: MonkeyWiki, a guide to snowboard construction
Free open source ski and snowboard CADCAM: MonkeyCAM, snoCAD-X
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endre
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Post by endre »

one-hose press is great. 2*2*18cm wide beams. Be shure to make the press long! about 2,5m total. It's incredible how much space that goes away for all the stuff in the tips (hose clamping, tip-modules bolts, etc) A table out of the press-cavity is nice for layup.

My press has a too narrow cavity, (18cm), I am rebuilding it to 30 cm, nice to have a lot of space.

The cattrack doesn't need 2*2 cm sqare tubes at the middle, use 2*3 and 2*4 and reserve 2*2 for the tips, the curve is so small in the middle that 2*4 don't make a difference.
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