Ski Builders Forum

Hi guys,

I'm 15 years old and am really into skiing. Recently I started trying to build long boards and realized how fun making stuff was. So I've decided that I want to build my own skis. I have a slight problem however, I have no money (had to spend a lot to be able to go climb Mont Blanc this Summer). Anyway, I have enough for materials, just I have a severe lack of tools (a 20 year old belt sander and a jigsaw about the same age, that's about it for power tools). Anyway, I was just wondering if there was anybody east of the divide in Colorado who 's press tools I could use (I would also love someone who actually knew what they were doing a little bit better than I do to help me out with core profiling and the like). I'm pretty handy and have working with fiberglass before, so let me know if you can help out at all, it would be much appreciated, thanks!

Ian

If your 15 then you are probably are in high school, If your shop teachers not a dick im sure he will let u come in at lunch and use hes table saw ect.

I would, but my school doesn't have a shop

livetothemax96 wrote:I would, but my school doesn't have a shop

That is horrible.

As for your original question, I hate to say it, but the liability is to high. If you were to get injured (which is a real possibility) the person helping you use their tools would be liable.

I suggest you use this as a motivating force. Get a job for the summer, work yourself hard. Save all of your money. Be diligent about researching on here what tools you absolutely need. Start going to pawn shops and garage sales. Put your best effort forth. In a couple years you just may be looking at a beautiful pair of skis that you built.

Good luck!

Change school man

doughboyshredder wrote: I suggest you use this as a motivating force. Get a job for the summer, work yourself hard. Save all of your money. Be diligent about researching on here what tools you absolutely need. Start going to pawn shops and garage sales. Put your best effort forth. In a couple years you just may be looking at a beautiful pair of skis that you built.

Good luck!

Excellent advice! This is no simple hobby, and it is EXPENSIVE. You'll learn the hard way if you try to rush it, I did. Now with some disposable income it makes things a little bit easier, not to mention a few years-worth of wisdom gained from the geniuses on this forum.

Start saving, you can do it all with vacuum on the cheap (that's a relative word by the way...), and study hard in school. It pays off later with a big job.

I second what Twizz and Doughboy said. Get a summer job or 2 and save save save. Nothing wrong with used tools as long as they work properly and you know the limits of them. Look for re-conditioned power tools, use them correctly and they'll last awhile. Get resourceful, read the classified for materials (wood, steel, etc) Like most hobbies, this is a money pit, but it's incredibly rewarding skiing on your first hand built skis.

If you watch any DIY ski building video look and exam everything in the video. Most likely everything you see in that video that person built himself or had help from a friend...., templates, the press, the forms, the work benches, the cassettes, the vacuum table/press, the hoses for the press, the cat track, edge bender, planer cribs and/or router bridge table...... All that before you even press your first board.

Too bad your school doesn't have a shop.

Thanks guys for the advise! I think that this will definitely be a long term project, I'm sure I'll have plenty to do to fill time. I've found an abundance of tools so that's good. Now I just have to get a press and materials! I can't wait to get on my own skis, it sounds really exciting,I'm headed to France to Climb Mont Blanc this summer, so a summer job is out of the question, but I am only 15 so I have plenty of time. Again, Thanks for the awesome website and advise guys, I'll be on here very frequently from here on out!

it's definitely a shame that my school doesn't have a shop, it has exceptional everything else, oh well, I'll find a way to survive

Again thanks guys, I'm finding my self pretty stoked about it all of a sudden, I'll make a video of my skis when they are done, however long that may take

livetothemax96 wrote:but I am only 15 so I have plenty of time.

If I could give one more piece of solid advice - do not ever be discouraged by criticism. We're all a weird happy family on here and share our successes and failures for the greater good of the open-source ski/snowboard-building community. But if you do something wrong, we call each other out, cause it helps to learn and be taught from others.

There have been... other 15 year olds, I won't name names, that could not take criticism and things snowballed out of control, and that individual never comes on here anymore. I honestly have no idea if he stuck with the hobby, he might have just given up. Being able to accept criticism and learn from it is a HUGE benefit in life!

twizzstyle wrote:

livetothemax96 wrote:but I am only 15 so I have plenty of time.

If I could give one more piece of solid advice - do not ever be discouraged by criticism. We're all a weird happy family on here and share our successes and failures for the greater good of the open-source ski/snowboard-building community. But if you do something wrong, we call each other out, cause it helps to learn and be taught from others.

There have been... other 15 year olds, I won't name names, that could not take criticism and things snowballed out of control, and that individual never comes on here anymore. I honestly have no idea if he stuck with the hobby, he might have just given up. Being able to accept criticism and learn from it is a HUGE benefit in life!

Nice

livetothemax96

If you are heading over to France to climb Mont Blanc,

Give me a shout - and a heads up before hand. I live at the foot of Mont Blanc. I am more than happy to show you how we make skis at Idris Skis

Tom

Thanks Tom,

Will do! It looks like I'll be flying into Brussels on the 21st of June, and should be in Chamonix that night, after that, I'm probably climbing the 22nd and 23rd but after that it would be awesome! I'll let you know a little bit closer to the date, but seeing how you do things would be fantastic! Thanks!

Ian

Hey don't worry about being 15 years old! I managed to build a pair of (almost) potable skis at that age. You can check out at your school if they have money for students' project. I no longer had time to build skis for the past year, but I now have access to a press which means I am going back on it! Be patient and don't give up, even if it takes a while to get started.

If you are in good relation with your neighbors and friends you can even borrow some equipment from them, just make sure to hand them back in the same condition as when you got them. And don't forget that school is important, if you get a scholarship you will have more money to invest in ski building! And keep us informed and listen to what the other users have to say, there is a bunch of ski-building veterans in here who always have a good advice.

Good luck
Maxime