Ski Builders Forum

Hi there,

does someone know a tape which is designed to stay in laminates? As my core has quite exactly the width of base + edges (no more than 0.3mm extra), I want to avoid any core shift. Additionally to my well-working system using thumbtacks glued to the base, I would like to tape the core to the tipspacer and ski end on the top side - here I can exactly mark where the core should be.
Thank would mean that the tape I use will stay in the core. So it should be thin and ideally like a mesh or net, so epoy ca go trough it. I tried finding something like that, but am out of luck so far. Maybe I am just using the wrong search terms.

Best regards
Philipp

You can use a fiberglass mesh tape that is used for drywall/tile backer board but it does have some thickness to it so you will most likely see it in the laminate. It is not super sticky either so I don't really recommend that method.

I have used porous paper medical tape (3M Micropore Surgical Tape from Amazon) for this purpose with great success. I mainly use it when I'm prototyping something new, but I apply a few pieces of it to the underside of the core+tipfill joint with a tiny dab of superglue to make sure it doesn't move. The paper is strong enough to hold, even if I pre-press the core and tipfill in the mold to make alignment easier during layup and then end up moving the core around the shop a bunch before I'm ready to make skis. The tape is thin enough that I've never noticed any sign of it in the finished skis.