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Finish Up on Tips & Tails

Posted: Mon Sep 13, 2010 7:33 am
by OnDeck
After a couple of duds I've finally got a board i'm pretty happy with, except for one thing. I can't seem to get a good finish on the tips and tails. This is what I;m doing:

Bandsaw the flash, close to the edge as possible
A belt sander to clean the edges around the tips and tails
A beveled router bit along the edges, as well as the tips and tails
Palm sander to celan up tips and tails

It looks OK, but the tips and tails are still pretty lumpy. Maybe i shouldn;'t be using the beveled router bit on the tips and tails, i.e., cut trim with bandsaw then go straight to a sander?

Any suggestions would be welcome? I'm assuming there is exactyl how to get "pro" finish, and that it is simply a matter of the wrong technique, poor skill, or both.

Posted: Mon Sep 13, 2010 10:21 am
by kelvin
I stop the bevel router before the tip and tail starts to curve and finish with a belt sander. A wet belt sander would be best, but a dry sander would work if you are careful not to melt the plastic and overheat the edges.

Posted: Mon Sep 13, 2010 10:25 am
by OnDeck
OK Kelvin, thanks. I need to try that next.

Is that how a factory woudl do it? Or do they simply pass the tips accross the grinder? Or is there some unique piece of equipment?

Posted: Mon Sep 13, 2010 11:10 am
by twizzstyle
"Real" ski companies don't bevel the tips (at least I have never seen any). If you look closely at a pro ski you'll see where they stopped the router before the tip.

Usually its just a dry belt sand (or drum sander, that's much easier) of the tips as well by hand.

The bases are always wet-ground at the factory, but I don't think that's what you're asking.

From the Poor Boyz movie this year, at exactly 0:58 you'll see them sanding the tips (only for like half a second)


Posted: Mon Sep 13, 2010 2:55 pm
by OnDeck
twizzstyle wrote:"Real" ski companies don't bevel the tips (at least I have never seen any). If you look closely at a pro ski you'll see where they stopped the router before the tip.

Usually its just a dry belt sand (or drum sander, that's much easier) of the tips as well by hand.

The bases are always wet-ground at the factory, but I don't think that's what you're asking.

From the Poor Boyz movie this year, at exactly 0:58 you'll see them sanding the tips (only for like half a second)

Great. So once i ditch the bevel I have only my skill to blame.

Thanks for the tip!

Posted: Mon Sep 13, 2010 3:02 pm
by OnDeck
Chrsit, i just watched the rest of the clip. This is the next level.

Not a bad little production set-up, either.

re:

Posted: Mon Sep 13, 2010 5:15 pm
by johnsonfredral
thanks for sharing :)

Posted: Tue Sep 14, 2010 12:37 pm
by twizzstyle
OnDeck wrote:Chrsit, i just watched the rest of the clip. This is the next level.

Not a bad little production set-up, either.
I was at the premiere this last Saturday in Seattle. It was ok, there have been better Poor Boyz movies, but it was certainly a great way to get pumped for the season :)