Is it possible?

I mean, at the wood shop where I work they would use a vacuum for something like this, but when they can’t they use like.. 100 C-clamps all next to each other

You absolutely can but I don't think it really solves much for a ski press. Pneumatic systems can be made with old firehoses and very cheap/basic fittings and compressors, and those deliver much more even pressure.

Remember, a A 6'x1' press needs to withstand 25,920 lbf for a 30psi press. You only have ~1.2-1.8mm of base thickness to work with to grind it flat (and you really want to minimally reduce this if you want a durable ski), so the press/mold needs to stay pretty dang flat under pressure, hence the seemingly ridiculous levels of structure you see on most presses

IsaacNW82You absolutely can but I don't think it really solves much for a ski press. Pneumatic systems can be made with old firehoses and very cheap/basic fittings and compressors, and those deliver much more even pressure.

Remember, a A 6'x1' press needs to withstand 25,920 lbf for a 30psi press. You only have ~1.2-1.8mm of base thickness to work with to grind it flat (and you really want to minimally reduce this if you want a durable ski), so the press/mold needs to stay pretty dang flat under pressure, hence the seemingly ridiculous levels of structure you see on most presses

Woah, Woah, dumb that down for me. How hard is it gonna be to make that set-up. is the quality going to be noticeably better?

A vacuum based setup will provide more even pressure across a mold. Jacks can work but it is hard to provide constant pressure without a very well built male and female die section

OreoMuncherWoah, Woah, dumb that down for me. How hard is it gonna be to make that set-up. is the quality going to be noticeably better?

There's no quick answer other than "somewhat difficult", depending on what tools you have available and what experience you have. Have a good read through these if you are interested in this stuff:
http://www.skibuilders.com/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=16
https://www.newschoolers.com/forum/thread/651776/Official-Ski-Pressing-Shaping-Building-Constructing-Thread?page=1

Many people have built their own skis and ski building equipment with wildly varying results

IsaacNW82There's no quick answer other than "somewhat difficult", depending on what tools you have available and what experience you have. Have a good read through these if you are interested in this stuff:
http://www.skibuilders.com/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=16
https://www.newschoolers.com/forum/thread/651776/Official-Ski-Pressing-Shaping-Building-Constructing-Thread?page=1

Many people have built their own skis and ski building equipment with wildly varying results

thanks!

OreoMuncherWould making a ski press with car jacks work? I mean, Im pretty sure it could and it would be relatively cheap.

Short answer no

long answer-it wouldn’t work as it would act similar to a clamp press I/E pressure would be unevenly distributed and your only getting 20/30 psi max. And your base would have ripples from the pressure being located in 3-4 spots. Press would have to have large cavity to make room for jacks and for top mold to be thick enough to not flex. Best bet is pneumatic press for same price. Ask your local fire department and if not I have some extra hose I’ll sell u

Why is everybody trying so hard to make skis, there are arguably too many companies as it is. And it’s not like building skis looks super fun, seems like a lot of hard work wearing a respirator and working with a bunch of plastic and fiberglass materials. Not to mention it’s an extremely difficult way to make any money. I get the creative appeal but still

hi_vis360Why is everybody trying so hard to make skis, there are arguably too many companies as it is. And it’s not like building skis looks super fun, seems like a lot of hard work wearing a respirator and working with a bunch of plastic and fiberglass materials. Not to mention it’s an extremely difficult way to make any money. I get the creative appeal but still

People underestimate the difficulty of making a good product.

Would a press with the pressure supplied by trolley jacks work? Probably, if you’re jacking a beam up toward a frame resin anchored to a concrete slab. While the jacks would be cheap the steel frame would be less so compared to alternatives.
Should you do it this way? Probably not.

if you’ve never built skis before, getting the layers properly prepared and wetted out will have far more impact on the finished ski than how you apply your pressure. Keeping your press simple for your first pairs is a far better approach for getting into it and minimising chance of total failures.

a female rocker line mould made from mdf ribs bolted together, lined with aluminium sheet and a small laminating vacuum bag set up is a far better entry point.

happy to answer questions on my journey into self build ski production using a set up like this for my initial ski designs, before moving production to a factory for all but prototypes. Just drop me a DM.

FaunaSkisWould a press with the pressure supplied by trolley jacks work? Probably, if you’re jacking a beam up toward a frame resin anchored to a concrete slab. While the jacks would be cheap the steel frame would be less so compared to alternatives.
Should you do it this way? Probably not.

if you’ve never built skis before, getting the layers properly prepared and wetted out will have far more impact on the finished ski than how you apply your pressure. Keeping your press simple for your first pairs is a far better approach for getting into it and minimising chance of total failures.

a female rocker line mould made from mdf ribs bolted together, lined with aluminium sheet and a small laminating vacuum bag set up is a far better entry point.

happy to answer questions on my journey into self build ski production using a set up like this for my initial ski designs, before moving production to a factory for all but prototypes. Just drop me a DM.

Really appreciate it! thanks!