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December, 2024

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I need your help to pass school and make skis.

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Bigwoods
Posts: 3116 - Karma: 76
So in grade 11 we have to do a personal project where you choose something that sparks your interest. It must be done with the thought of Homo Faber (man made) in mind. My brother designed a skate park and many sick ideas are brought to light. This project makes or breaks it, its the fine line between failing and passing.
So my plan was, to fabricate my own pair of skis. I know that you need a press and wood, but basic knowledge won't be enough. So NS, i'm asking you to guide me through the process of making my snow whips. How should I go about this?

Thanks
Feb 14 2008 7:12PM
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Pirruccio
Posts: 1301 - Karma: 70
im not sure what you use for the bottoms but just buy some plywood bend tips and tails with long periods of weighted and heated
paint them
apply fiberglass
i remember a video of a kid making skis
search for that
Feb 14 2008 7:16PM
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televback1
Posts: 386 - Karma: 11
search google there is a website that is devoted to making custom skis
Feb 14 2008 7:21PM
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Piste.Off
Posts: 11586 - Karma: 1,860
get an invite to the ski makers cult
Feb 14 2008 7:22PM
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televback1
Posts: 386 - Karma: 11
go to

http://skibuilders.com/howto/

i am goin to make a pair this summer
Feb 14 2008 7:35PM
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steezyjibber
Posts: 15967 - Karma: 11,026
yep
Feb 14 2008 7:36PM
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SteezePatrol
Posts: 10281 - Karma: 36
i got this using the searchbar http://students.washington.edu/seanr2/stumpysticks/front.html
Feb 14 2008 7:48PM
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tjski
Posts: 5859 - Karma: 44
word ill send this boy an invite...its actually thriving agin believe it or not..
Feb 14 2008 7:51PM
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fitz
Posts: 455 - Karma: 54
If you're worried about passing, I wouldn't suggest making skis. If you want to make a good, rideable pair of skis, its gonna cost about 500$ at least to start up. And your first pair of skis probably won't be rideable. It will also take at least a few months to do. So if your looking for marks, its gonna be hard to get them making skis. But if your set on it skibuilders.com, is an awesome site. You can order all the materials off there, base, edges, topsheet. You will need access to pretty significant wood working tools also. But, If you think you can pull it off, I say go for it!
Feb 14 2008 8:03PM
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poofartpee
Posts: 7436 - Karma: 1,540
www.skibuilders.com
Feb 14 2008 8:07PM
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GGreene
Posts: 993 - Karma: 42
i made some skis last year for a school project and they were super cool
the edges were metal and we had petex for the bottoms they work well
but the hardest part was making the press, insain
Feb 14 2008 8:10PM
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MadSteezin
Posts: 4572 - Karma: 936
Thats the site you wanna use. I've seen it floating around before.
Feb 14 2008 8:18PM
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televback1
Posts: 386 - Karma: 11
ya skibuilder.com is a really good site

i think i am goin to start and tryin to build some one ski season is over i am thinking about making a hellbent like ski but symmetrical and 115 underfoot with a lot of early rise and reverse camber but stiffer than the hellbent so its an big moutain ripper too

but thats just a dream right now
Feb 14 2008 8:34PM
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landonn
Posts: 2913 - Karma: 385
this sounds like a long process, i would go with something easier than this.
Feb 14 2008 9:00PM
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steevner
Posts: 4502 - Karma: 47
that last post was made in april. hardly thriving. i wish it was tho
Feb 14 2008 10:25PM
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CTD
Posts: 6301 - Karma: 350
dude, trust me, from personal expierence. building skis is way too hard to do for a school project. theres sooo much expensive hardware to build, and its ALOT of work, all sorts of stuff youd never imagine. i dunno if you skate, but a skateboard would be similar, and they are MUCH easier to make at home. checkout the board building threads on www.silverfishlongboarding.com.

sorry to bust your bubble, but to make anything that is even ski able, your talking about at minimal about a grand. but build a longboard or something, just as fun, and you can build a deck, and spec it, for like 150ish.
Feb 15 2008 1:01AM
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Powforbreakfast.
Posts: 2226 - Karma: 417
no no, you see, there is a ski building and designing 2.0 cult.  and yes, 9/10ths of all the threads have a february post.  it is, indeed, getting more interest for some reason.  so far, it's a lot of me asking questions, and having iggy answer them.  i've learned a lot though, and i've pressed skis with my cousin before, so once we get our new press built i'll be making more and more skis, and i'll be able to answer more and more questions.
also some sites to check out:
skibuilders.com
snowboardmaterials.com
grafsnowboards.com
Feb 15 2008 1:08AM
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bigolrig
Posts: 572 - Karma: 14
makes me want to build a pair this summer.
=0
Feb 15 2008 7:11AM
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dave44
Posts: 11052 - Karma: 113
Wouldn't a press on its own cost over a G?
Feb 15 2008 7:24AM
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iggyskier
Posts: 10451 - Karma: 10,021
depends.

this press....well no.
Click for larger image

but a press like:
Click for larger image
or
Click for larger image
or
Click for larger image
or (mine)
Click for larger image

and things quickly quickly get much more expensive.  heating elements, molds, cat track, lots of steel.  a grand for a press is pretty cheap.
Feb 15 2008 8:17AM
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iggyskier
Posts: 10451 - Karma: 10,021
and this is pretty spot on.  even simple tasks quickly become pretty complicated if you want to do everything completely correct.

it can be done quicker depending on equipment, funding, and just how anal you are.
Feb 15 2008 8:19AM
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televback1
Posts: 386 - Karma: 11
u can make your own press for pretty cheap all u need is a large firehose, frame(you can construct using metal and so on) and a compressor which u can rent for the day u want to press
Feb 15 2008 8:19AM
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iggyskier
Posts: 10451 - Karma: 10,021
Molds too.

And do not skimp on the press frame.  They do blow up.  There is a ridiculous amount of force being exerted on the frame and if it fails and you are close by, you are going to be fucked up/dead.

A lot of people have gotten by using those wooden frames, but they press at around 30-40 psi.  I press at 70 psi, and a few of the other guys with even beefier presses can go up to 90-100psi.

Also, one thing I would strongly suggest you consider for both decreased cost, complication, and time, is using a vacuum setup.  Must cheaper, don't need to have a huge press frame, pretty easy for anyone to understand.  That seems like it would probably be the best route for you at this time.  A lot of people seem to use them with good success on ski builders.

here is a picture
Click for larger image

Click for larger image
Feb 15 2008 8:33AM
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Bigwoods
Posts: 3116 - Karma: 76
I know this project is going to take a long time and my marks are depending on it but this isnt something that's a project due in a month.. I've got a full summer to do this. And I know this is what I want to do, it has to be what interests me, what better. Plus this is the step that I needed to push me over the edge to start, once im done with the project, i'm sure i wont be done making skis.

As for now i'm going to check that skibuilders, big hand to NS to posting helpful shit, everyone appreciates it. And iggy, expect some PMs
Feb 15 2008 4:41PM
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