ghetto build

[gnarshred]

So i don't have any CAD programs (partly because they're expensive) and because the best one I found (snocad) is windows and I run a Mac. Anyways I was thinking of how to create my template without a printed out pattern. So, I took a piece of blank wood, marked the tail width, waist position and width and tip width. (I'm building a pair that are 124-85-114) Then I put two finish nails halfway in at the tip and tail so that they are jsut on the inside edge of my marks. Then I took a piece of stiff pine I had and ripped a piece that was a half inch thick. Then I took that, put it on the outside of the nails, pushed at the middle until it was at the mark I made to be the outside of the waist, and traced the inside of the pine. It made a perfect arc from tip to tail. I was very very doubtful when trying it but it turned out nice. Just a suggestion for people who don't have access to the nice technology (but in opinion doing it old school is more satisfying).

[pentagram]

I think that if we can use such simple methods than thats great.i have been thinking of doing it simple with my board and the technique you described is one of them, I have also heard you can use the same technique for your template to get the chamber.good luck for yoyr skis and let us know any other ghetto techniques floating in your mind, greetings from new zealand

[o2bjedi]

Yeah thats how i made my templates and camber, with a piece of wood. You can get the exact shape desired want and in my opinion a lot easier than dealing with cad programs and computer jargon.

[G-man]

Another method that I have used is to clamp a factory ski, base up, to a piece of 1/2" MDF (which will eventually become the template) and run a router with a laminate trimming bit along the ski's metal edge (bearing follows the ski edge). You have to get a little creative with the clamping aspect while you're routing, but once you get that worked out, it's pretty easy to turn out a very nice side-cut arc. I usually place a few 1/8" spacers between the ski and MDF to compensate for the space between the bearing and the cutter surfaces on the router bit. I have a whole room full of old skis, so it's pretty easy to find just the side-cut I'm looking for. I've made a bunch of different tip and tail templates for finishing off the ends. Also, my initial templates for a new design are just one sided (as in right side or left side). When I make the actual two sided template, I use the one sided template to pattern cut one side of the two sided template with the router, then flip the one sided template over and pattern cut the other side of the two sided template... that way, both sides of the final master template are exactly the same. Man, I hope that wasn't totally confusing.

G-man