Test Core, Base and Equipment Progress

After years of reading the skibuilders.com forums I finally have the space to give it a go!

I started out in January with my buddy and feel like were getting close to pressing our first pair. He hasn’t been over in a while because of the circumstances, but I’ve been busy progressing the shop. Gotta finish up the vacuum table and figure out heat for it. I was thinking about getting a motorcycle tyre warmer for the heat and place it on top of the silicone sheet (idea from OACs post)

Also gotta figure out graphics and edgebending. Was thinking about trying a fretbender and either veneer or a printer

I live on the east coast US and do a lot of hard pack/groomer skiing. I used to race GS & slalom in college and HS, and my SL skis are 10+ years old and shot, so my first pair is inspired by my Fischer RC4 Sl’s. 165 cm, 113-64-98, full camber. Poplar core with oak stringers.

Here’s some photos of my progress:

New CNC setup – 2500mm long workbee from openbuilds.

Core and base for my first pair – poplar with oak stringers – 2-12-2 thickness, 113-64-98, 165 cm

Bandsaw setup with sketchy infeed and outfeed rollers

Vac table progress. Looking forward to pressing my first pair! Ordered the silicone sheet from alibaba and 5 cfm vac pump from amazon.

I’m hoping to get the rest of the hardware attached and vacuum test this week. one thing I’m still thinking about is where to attach the vacuum hose – I have an old-style vacuum connector fitting I got from veneer supplies.com that I was thinking about using – but I’m wondering if installing it in the stretchy silicone material will cause it to wear/tear quickly. Other people I saw online do the vacuum connector through the table itself, but doing it that way seems much more difficult to get a good seal.