Sounder Snow Craft

Document your personal work here. Show photos, movies, and share your secrets.

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stormyclouds
Posts: 45
Joined: Mon Jun 04, 2012 1:24 pm

Sounder Snow Craft

Post by stormyclouds »

Hi everybody. I've been following this site for close to 5 years and I want to thank everyone for this amazing resource. Last year I finally made my first snowboard after years of late nights conducting research as well as hundreds and hundreds of mental layups while laying awake at night.I have benefited from this site in so many ways and I feel it is my turn to contribute and add to the stoke!

Before building my own press I wanted to go through the process one time with the help of a friend who allowed me to make my first board at his house with his huge I-beam press and his molds. I am a fine woodworker by trade so all the other tools needed I already had and I was able to do the majority of the preparations at my own shop. Here is the only photo I can provide of board number 1.

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158 cm
9.3m Sidecut
Smooth-on PCM 790 poured sidewalls
Clear topcoat
Poplar Core
Camber between the feet with early rise Tip
6.5mm at the center 2mm tip and tail

Flex came out perfect and rode really well. I had a few friends ride it to make sure I wasn't crazy and all gave it the thumbs up. A few of them even said they wanted to buy one. It looked good for my first board but you could tell it was someones first but it was a great starting point and I was hooked instantly.

So over the last year a slowly started putting together my own press and it was finished in october ready for the winter.

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I went with a beefed up version of Goz's press with 1.5" square tube .25" thick along the bottom and 1.5"/.25" angle iron on the top. Firehouse was supplied by Dtrain(thanks Derek!). Here are a few process shots of board two.
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Press went perfectly! Base came out flat which was a big relief. Here are the stats:
155cm
26.4 Waist
306 Nose
294 Tail
9.23m Sidecut

Full wrap edges
Entropy CLR Room temp cure

Layup:
Durasurf base
22oz Triax
Poplar core
22oz Triax
Elm Veneer top sheet


Finished Board:
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I just got back from riding and I have 5 days on the board. So good! So good! It is a smidge on the stiff side so I think I'll go with 20oz cloth next board plus it will lighten it up a bit. It came in at a bit over 7lbs which surprised me. Thats all for now. Thanks again!
gav wa
Posts: 381
Joined: Tue Feb 18, 2014 8:58 pm
Location: Perth

Post by gav wa »

6.5mm core / 158cm swallowtail and it is over 7 pounds. Yeah a bit heavy, not too crazy heavy though. I aim for similar boards to be under 3.1 kg. If I can get them to 3kg then they actually feel like a light board rather than a normal board.
It's a nice looking board though, definitely something to be proud of as a first board. What is the veneer? It's a nice tone of wood and it soaked the resin through nice and evenly which is always a bonus when you try to finish off the board.
stormyclouds
Posts: 45
Joined: Mon Jun 04, 2012 1:24 pm

Sounder Snow Craft

Post by stormyclouds »

Thank Gav. The board at the bottom is my second board and the first photo was my first. All the stats are there for both boards. The one your asking about(i think?) is my second and it is a 155cm with an Elm topcoat. Im pressing another one in the next few days So hopefully the flex will be more to my liking.

I did notice on the second board with the Elm topsheet that after riding for a week the bottom went slightly convex. I'm thinking that it probably wasn't fully cured yet? It came out of the press flat and I let it sit for a week but the temperatures barely got up to the 75 degrees needed.
Dtrain
Posts: 549
Joined: Wed May 18, 2011 12:03 pm
Location: Prince Rupert/Terrace B.C.

Post by Dtrain »

So sick!
stormyclouds
Posts: 45
Joined: Mon Jun 04, 2012 1:24 pm

Post by stormyclouds »

Thanks dtrain! I'm having a lot of fun with this stuff. Finished a freshy a few days ago and can't wait to try it. It's very close to where I want it to be.
stormyclouds
Posts: 45
Joined: Mon Jun 04, 2012 1:24 pm

Post by stormyclouds »

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stormyclouds
Posts: 45
Joined: Mon Jun 04, 2012 1:24 pm

New Deck

Post by stormyclouds »

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Flex came out great on this one. I was having a problem with them being too stiff. I can confirm that veneer topsheets DO add stiffness. This one has 20oz triax with isosport topsheet. I used a computer printed rice paper laminate and I am happy with the way it turned out even though its crooked! Looks like a surfboard.
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stormyclouds
Posts: 45
Joined: Mon Jun 04, 2012 1:24 pm

New Deck

Post by stormyclouds »

Image[/img]

Flex came out great on this one. I was having a problem with them being too stiff. I can confirm that veneer topsheets DO add stiffness. This one has 20oz triax with isosport topsheet. I used a computer printed rice paper laminate and I am happy with the way it turned out even though its crooked! Looks like a surfboard.
[/img]ImageImage
Dtrain
Posts: 549
Joined: Wed May 18, 2011 12:03 pm
Location: Prince Rupert/Terrace B.C.

Post by Dtrain »

A real beauty right there. Keep us informed on an good Urethane findings
stormyclouds
Posts: 45
Joined: Mon Jun 04, 2012 1:24 pm

Post by stormyclouds »

Image[/img]

1540
320 Nose
274 waist
297 tail
Walnut veneer

Recent press fresh from the press. Still haven't found a replacement for smooth-on 305. I have the minimal bubbles with sealing the channels with epoxy but I might build a pressure chamber next season.
I'm also hoping to get some into going so my cure times aren't 7 days. Its killing me!
Regarding entropy CLR, does anyone else find that it is a stiff epoxy cured at room temp? With 19oz triax and 6.5mm core my boards are definitely on the stiffer side. I'm interested in the lower limits of flex just to see what it takes to get there so I can then toy with the in-between. I'll try biax with carbon stringers and see where that gets me.
Dtrain
Posts: 549
Joined: Wed May 18, 2011 12:03 pm
Location: Prince Rupert/Terrace B.C.

Post by Dtrain »

Your board also have more material because it so wide, adding to the stiffness
User avatar
MontuckyMadman
Posts: 2395
Joined: Fri Jun 20, 2008 9:41 pm

Post by MontuckyMadman »

The less resin in the laminate the stiffer the board will be.
Pressing at room temp means you evacuate more resin during the cycle making the fiber to resin ratio leaner.
sammer wrote: I'm still a tang on top guy.
stormyclouds
Posts: 45
Joined: Mon Jun 04, 2012 1:24 pm

New shapes

Post by stormyclouds »

Been busy making and testing variations of the same shape. These have been riding extremely well. This is called the Tree Weasel. I am super addicted to board building and fortunately now, I have been making them for other people which has started to fund the habit. Cheers!

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I have been experimenting with different core configurations and I have been really happy with some VG Doug fir mixed in. Pretty light weight and soooo snappy!
24Dave
Posts: 124
Joined: Mon Oct 03, 2011 2:14 pm

Post by 24Dave »

Hey stormyclouds,
Love the elm topsheet and the tints as well! Are the gray and green boards tinted resin? They look pretty awesome.

I reckon your next step is to heat cure. It might actually add stiffness, but definitely will add toughness and adhesion to your laminates. Even 130 to 140F for two hours will get most resins well cured. I believe resin stiffness can affect board stiffness on the compression side or deck, but probably not so much on the base/tension side. As you are doing, I'd adjust stiffness with core thickness and laminates once you settle on a faster resin system.
stormyclouds
Posts: 45
Joined: Mon Jun 04, 2012 1:24 pm

Post by stormyclouds »

24Dave, thanks! I should have mentioned that I have a heated Ibeam press now so my stiffness is now being adjusted by core profile and CF stringers. Super happy now. I am using Entropy CPM and curing at 180 degrees for 40 minutes top and bottom blankets.
Yes, resin is colored with opaque pigment. I am having a lot of fun mixing colors. Cheers!

FYi I wouldn't use Elm as a topcoat again. It is really open pored and not strong. I have actually been shying away from veneer altogether. No matter what you do to it, it just doesn't hold up. I love the idea but I'm selling boards here and there and asking a customer to baby a topsheet is a lot to ask in my opinion.
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