I've been building skis in my workshop for a while now, doing what I can to streamline the production of quality components, while still putting a lot of handwork (too much) into how each pair goes together. My current process is to build up a small stockpile of components and then run through the build and finishing process in batches of 5 or so pairs of skis.
This is great for prototyping, but not so great for making skis people can afford to buy. I have a lot of people who want this one type of ski I make - people who want to buy them, people who want to sell them - but it doesn't work out, financially, unless I pay Blossom or some other factory to do a production run for me. I'm aware that I'm going to have to modify my design to use materials and construction processes that work for the factory - not expecting them to do the stupidly intricate shit I'm willing to do. One example, I haven't yet switched to using precured FG, because doing that meant taking time to source new materials I have no personal experience with and figuring them out, when I've been happy in my comfort zone and having the option to add tint and glitter to my epoxy during the layup process. Nothing about how the graphics on my skis happen is going to apply.
So, my main question is this: can anyone who has gone through this process share what it was like? What do you wish you had known, going in?
Did anyone here consider doing this, but bail?
If you're a factory guy, what do you wish people like me knew in advance?
Not sure I expect to get any answers to this post, lol.
Experience adapting a design for factory production?
Moderators: Head Monkey, kelvin, bigKam, skidesmond, chrismp
Experience adapting a design for factory production?
Melanie
Break over. Back to the... hobby? obsession? labor of love? The whatever that is EVL Skis.![Cool 8)](./images/smilies/icon_cool.gif)
Break over. Back to the... hobby? obsession? labor of love? The whatever that is EVL Skis.
![Cool 8)](./images/smilies/icon_cool.gif)