Ski Builders Forum

Hi everybody,

I just had a look at the new Völkl Snowboards. It seems that they dont use any tipfillers. Instead, they run the core almost along the entire lenght of the board and at the very end it is just the base, fiberglass and the topsheet with nothing in between.
So I was wondering, why should one use any tip and tail fillers instead of nothing?

Cheers,
Hannes

That sure would be weird. Better get a picture. Its not a semi cap board?

Yeah sounds exactly like semi cap. K2 do it heaps too, they actually have tip fill but it finished inside from the edge so the tip and tail looks like cap.

Some brands do have full core to the tip/tail, Jones and Ride are two big brands that make at least some of their range like this.

For me it's just easier to do full core. I use the trench method for sidewalls so my trench goes all the way around and seals the core.

Some feel this makes the area weaker where the tip/tail curl up but I've never had an issue yet and I've had some nasty off's that have flexed the tip/tail pretty severely and I make my core only 1.5 in the tip and tail to keep weight down out at the ends. Wood is also lighter than Ptex.

The guys here using tip fill do seem to get some awesome results so the best way is to try both and see which one suits your style of build best. I don't think either way is that much better than the other, tip fill would have to be stronger but I don't think it's a deal breaker.

Apparently, Voelkl calls it the slim-tip construction. You can kind of see in these pics.

http://www.warehouse-one.de/out/picture ... ght_d1.jpg
http://www.voelkl-snowboards.com/upload ... nix_d1.jpg

The Alright board has a tip to tail core according to their website.

Cheers,
Hannes

I always felt that sort of tip/design just looked cheap for some reason. I guess it is just because of the old cap board days.

I had same thought. Especially if using wood sidewall… It doesn't look right together imo. Last year at last minute I substituted p-tex TS for wood and very happy with results but after all it was tip spacers. This year I'm doing full wood core no spaces. My only concern because I can't profile tip/tale flat tips will be too stiff, at 1.3 mm hopefully will be OK… It's only one way to find out lol

You can't profile tip/tail section?? Why not?
1.3mm is definitely not going to be too stiff.

gav wa wrote:You can't profile tip/tail section?? Why not?
1.3mm is definitely not going to be too stiff.

I can't profile taper into flat section… 1.3 at the very tip make definitely over 2 mm thickness in the area where I used to start spaces

Funny, I thought the opposite. The thinner the tip and tail the more elegenat imo.
But as you guys said, the only way to find out is to give it a shot

1.3mm in the tip will not be too stiff. I use wood tip spacers (poplar or ash veneer 1/16in about 1.5mm) and it works fine. I use to double up the veneer. That was over kill and looked to thick. Now I use 1 layer and looks much better. If you feel it maybe to soft double up the FG in the tip area. I use FG and CF over the tip. Stiffens the tip and looks thin and elegant.

I always thought it was because it's generally the tip & tail sidewalls that take the most abuse and by using a plastic filler, you don't run the risk of moisture seeping into a wood core, freezing and expanding, and then causing a delamination.

Scott