Ski Builders Forum

Hi everybody. I started building my first Snowboard (don't kill me )for about 1 year with a vacuum press. That wasn't good enough for me. So I decided to build my Boards and Skis for my father in a pneumatic press.
My Idea: a press out of wood, no steel oder something else (exept the threaded bars)

The idea




Well, I didn't get enough wood, so I build my press a little bit other than the CAD picture. Look and see the other pictures.


The press


The sideview of the press. When I got time I paint everything in a nice color. May be.


here you can see the fire hose inside. It has a presure of 3 Bar/43.5 Psi. The wood didn't creak or something else, so I think I can go higher presures next time.




My two fire hoses. Each has a diameter of 6 inch / 15,5 cm. 9 inch / 23 cm when its flat.

I got wood and hoses for less, so the costs are:

threaded rod and fasteners: 24€ (Ebay)
wood: 0€
bladder: 0€
metall valve: 0€ (got it from my job)
12 mm drill: 2,55€ (local hardware store)
bolts, steel etc for the bladder: 9€ (local hardware store)
------------------------------------------------------------------
35,55€ for the pressframe

Next week the top and bottom mould. I hope.

until then.... happy building!

Sorry, but the mould overrun its time!
I have a lot to do at work and finaly went on holidays.

Here are some pics of the bottom mould. A Camber of 0,83 inch / 2,1 cm




I have screwed a 0,866 inch / 2,2 cm thick mdf board on it, so I get a smooth surface at all.


tomorrow some pics of the topmould and the cattrack

very nice work! keep the pictures coming.

My Cat-track is ready to press some stuff!
It takes a lot of wood, but it was really cheap! about 11€ for everything!


Everything in action. 36,25 psi / 2,5 bar at this time!


58 psi / 4 bar! My press jumped in the air (about 1 foot). I forgot completely to stabilize the 5 mdf boards... hmm I think I will have to buy a couple new ones!

Nice work! Great that your wooden press works!

It was time to buy a compressor. The tests with the footpump were not so good.

Lets test the Press with 72 psi /5 Bar. Connect the tube and ran out of the garage. Power on! No matter what happens!

almost done!


YES! It works! Nothing to hear! Not even the wood creak!

Next Step, the Core!

Small update:

I built an adjustable rail for the routerbridge. So I can easily adjust the high of the final core.

five drive-in-nuts, some washers an five screws, and thats it. Easy as ingenious!


Heres a detail-pic


I will use 8 layers of 1mm thick plywood. That was the easiest way for me, for the first board. I will use woodsidewalls, too. I guess thats ok.

happy building!

small update:

The Core is finished, only have to wait, till next week.

time to get excited!
Keep us posted

ok i can't wait to press the Board. Yesterday I cut out the Base. Today I glue the Edges with Epoxi.
Tomorrow I drill the holes for the inserts in the Core an check if everything is perfect.
On tuesday im going to press my Board.

Small question about the finishing. What kind of saw blade do you use? For Plastics or for wood?

the Board is in the Press. Tomorrow morning i cut it out. I hope i had my job done well, because i ran 5 minutes over the time of the epoxi. We will see tomorrow with pictures.