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December, 2024

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K2 Reckoner coreshot / blown sidewall repair

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brownetown
Posts: 441 - Karma: 4,329
Found a pair of reckoner 112s for 50 bucks. They've only been skied a couple of times and are basically brand new, but have some pretty nasty damage right underfoot. I'm not super handy with heavy repairs like these and you guys are actually lowkey smart when it comes to this stuff so I figured I'd seek some advice. Forgive my cluelessness and any advice is appreciated, thanks in advance.



As you can see, it's pretty mangled. They seller said he filled them with epoxy to prevent moisture and skied them without noticing 'much of a difference on flex or edge hold' (though this is at baker where there isn't much groomed terrain) but I was thinking of doing a proper repair so they could last a bit longer.






The epoxy layer is shoddy at best, and I can still see exposed metal through the material, which makes me keen to remove it. The edge is super warped due to impact but is fully intact without any cracks. I'm not sure I'm skilled enough to remove the sidewall or the epoxy without removing the edge. Honestly these are just going to be spring slush beaters so I'm fine with lacking edge here. I've done a little bit of digging on NS for related threads about woodcore ski repair, and it seems git-rot might be a good epoxy to use. Obviously the people love west systems g flex so maybe I'll just stick with that and save some coin.



It seems like there are two different approaches I can take to this. The first would be to go bdog mode and take an angle grinder to the whole thing and remove the edge, sidewall and epoxy that's currently there, refill it with epoxy, and clamp the shit out of it with wood blocks.

The second would be to only remove sidewall between the red marks and remove any chipped wood that has splintered off on impact. I'd also try to remove the white epoxy currently there so I could free up the edge, though I'm not sure how I'd do that. From there I'd try to bend the edge back into place, which would hopefully make a space which I can fill with epoxy. I'd then pump epoxy into the empty space until it's flush with the sidewall and with the base. I imagine this method would make the ski more durable and better performing.

I'm aware you generally lose torsional rigidity by removing sidewall, but does it matter that much since it's underfoot? If it's worthwhile to try and get some ABS in there let me know.. and if so I'd love to hear some suggestions on sites to get some in the states. Anyways thanks for reading all this, let me know what you think. I have access to a buddy's shop with some tools so feel free to get creative with the suggestions. Cheers!
Apr 15 2024 5:27PM
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deac
Posts: 827 - Karma: 3,849
G/flex 650 is a toughened, versatile, liquid epoxy for permanent waterproof bonding of fiberglass, ceramics, metals, plastics, damp and difficult-to-bond woods.
G/flex adheres tenaciously to difficult- to-glue hardwoods, both tropical and domestic varieties. This is important since many of the exotic and tropical species now being used to replace traditional woods present bonding challenges.
G/flex has the ability to glue damp woods. It can be used on wet surfaces, even underwater when applied with specific techniques.
Apr 16 2024 2:58AM
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IsaacNW82
Posts: 769 - Karma: 6,693
If it were me I would cut just the sidewall out first, then I would try to remove that epoxy repair with a chisel but if its really in there then I would leave it. If the epoxy repair came out, I would hammer that edge back into shape. I think this is a good job for G-flex because you'll want to fill in a lot of volume on the sidewall there with something that can flex a little and not crack. I don't think its worth trying to replace the sidewall with more ABS, ABS is pretty cheap, not that durable, and like p-tex a little bit finicky about prep to bond it well.

Whatever you do, make sure to let it thoroughly dry, sand it/wirebrush it to rough it up as much as you can, and clean any grease off the metal with the non-residue cleaner of your choice (like acetone) before you epoxy it. Give it plenty of time to cure then go nuts with a nice file to bring everything flush or a little low, especially if you want to hit rails on it.

Also another word about epoxy- often the weak link is the bond between the epoxy and materials such as metal, thermoplastics (base material, sidewalls) and thermosets (already cured epoxy). You want to pick an epoxy designed to bond with these, G-flex is but so are other cheap, readily available epoxies such as J-B weld's plastic bonder
Apr 16 2024 6:37PM
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