Ski Builders Forum

I need to unload my ski press and forms. This design is suitable for pressing one ski at a time.
Steel I-beam press frame:
* Frame is 102" long and the legs are 28" with locking swivel casters on all four corners.
* Press cavity is 12" tall, 88.5" long, and 8" wide.
* The frame is assembled using 5/8" diameter high-strength steel threaded rods and high strength steel nuts.
The image below is a CAD screen snip showing the design. I can provide current photos upon request.

I have pressed 25 pairs of skis in this system using 35 psi air pressure in the bladder. The most recent powder skis and all mountain carvers can be seen in my journal here:
http://www.skibuilders.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=4819

I have three ski press forms to go along with the system. These are all suitable for pressing skis about 185 cm long.
Ski press forms are designed to have a specific close-fitting upper form to keep the fire hose air bladder as flat and wide as possible.
The system has a MEI red silicone heater blanket on the bottom only. This is covered with a 16 gauge aluminum sheet.
Type K thermocouples are attached to the aluminum for temperature feedback to a PID heater controller.

I’m offering the press frame system and forms for FREE. You pick it up from my garage near Park City. The PID controller is NOT included but will be available for sale separately.

Send me a PM if you're interested...

Shif, new here. not able to pm, yet. My son & I are making a trip west with the Indy pass, and would be able to swing though for pickup. March 11-19.

Also, I'm interested in anything you are looking to sell.

Looking at your craftsmanship with the skis coming out of the press - it would be an honor to try learn my craft with it. .

Cheers

I will provide current photos eventually, but in the mean time I found a couple older shots to share.
The press originally had W6x20 wide flange beams top and bottom. The bottom beam is the important part and deflected too much causing loss of camber in the ski. I replaced that beam with a much stiffer W8x31 beam which yields much better results.
Also shown is the cantilevered shelf which greatly helps loading the press forms into the press cavity.

Here is an older photo showing the original lower beam. A rockered ski form is in the press, but just the empty tooling without an actual ski. Round knobs are screwed onto the all-thread holding the press forms together, these make for nice handles when moving the forms from the layup area to the ski press.
An old door is clamped to the upper beam which serves as a nice workbench when prepping materials.

Shif, very interested in grabbing this set up if possible this weekend. I am in Idaho and am free to head that way Friday afternoon. I am new on the forum and can't message you for some reason. My email is bryan.hewett@gmail.com My website is www.ledtlc.com if you want to check out my stuff. I am just getting started and am in bad need of a set up.

Ski press, all forms and templates are now gone.

Shif,
Getting ready to finally lay up my first set in the press! Thanks again!

That's awesome. Sorry for the late reply. Post some pix of the build in the Journals forum.
SHIF