Edge Info

For discussions related to the type of materials to build skis/snowboards and where to get them.

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MLReed05
Posts: 82
Joined: Sat Jun 10, 2006 5:12 pm
Location: Western MA

Edge Info

Post by MLReed05 »

Are edges ever made just as an extruded profile (no tabs)? Does any one know what the prefered type of steel is for edges? Also does anyone have dimensions? The reason I ask is becasue I work for a company that makes cold draw shapes (wire and bars). We specialize in low volume, precision, steel shapes. We would be able to extrude a profile however, we could not stamp the "tabs". If it's something we can do, I can look into justifying the costs for tooling. Thanks.

Mike
Greg
Posts: 225
Joined: Thu May 26, 2005 11:41 am
Location: Sweden but home is NW Washington

Post by Greg »

I believe that the edges are rolled while hot before they are heat treated. I suppose this could be done with the metal cold, but edges have a pretty high hardness. I am guessing that they are made of some sort of low alloy high tensile steel. I work in a machine shop at a shipyard, and the closest thing that comes to mind is like an HY-80 or HY-100 steel (I think the spec for those is MIL-S-16988 or something like that).

What kind of hardness are you able to work with?
G-man
Posts: 600
Joined: Sat Mar 25, 2006 3:58 pm
Location: northern sierra nevada

Post by G-man »

I've talked with a few steel edge manufacturers over the past few months, and for the most part, they all use CK60 carbon steel (German/Austrian designation) or AISI 1055 carbon steel (American SAE designation). The steel is used extensively for tempering and hardening applications. For what it's worth, it's also the same steel used in making Samuri swords and other fine cuttlery.

For ski edges, the steel is cold drawn to achieve the cross sectional dimensions, then is punched during the heat treating, annealing, and tempering operations. Rockwell hardness of 42 to 48 is common for ski edges. RH of 48 is harder and will hold an edge longer, but is also more difficult to sharpen with a file.

The 'tabs' are really quite important for retention of the ski edge. During the ski pressing operation, the resin saturated composite material is forced, under pressure, around and between the contours of the tabs, thereby greatly increasing the resistance to edge pull out/failure.

It sure would be nice to get a company somewhere in the U.S. to manufacture steel edges for us. There's a boatload of companies that specialize in the manufacture of continuous steel profiles. I'm working on a couple of them myself, but nothing is really confirmed as yet. I'll be sure to post a big ol' notice if anything firms up.

G-man
team08
Posts: 55
Joined: Thu Nov 10, 2005 3:34 pm

Post by team08 »

CDW manufactures here I believe, or maybe they are just a reseller. I have tried a few places for stainless edges and no luck. One place that claimes they make edges for Burton flat out told me they could not make stainless edges. Is there a magic formula that only european companies have?
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