Building custom skis + skiboards

[nate]

So, I'm on a journey to make my own snow-sliding devices.
As recorded here:
http://mytonskis.blogspot.com/

I'm planning on making a pneumatic ski press simliar to this one:
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_WWlE16CVFao/SV7hzXC_SoI/AAAAAAAAA6M/0Npvu9rs_dc/s800/IMG_3163.JPG made by 'shopvac (http://www.skibuilders.com/phpBB2/profile.php?mode=viewprofile&u=2697)' on the http://www.skibuilders.com/ forums.

It will be fully adjustable to make any length of ski/skiboard.
I'd be interested in any input or happy to answer questions. I realize that the blog doesn't really explain my full plan, but it will become clear as I go along. It'll be easier to understand as it comes together and I can get photographs of the completed parts.

[DennisEvans]

cool
man, you should use that topsheet that i made a few weeks ago, I would love to see that on some real skis lol

[ElkCloner]

Hai

Where do insert money? I from Nigeria, have many fortunes at my disposal.

Yours gratefully



lol, I hope this works as you planned.

[Karl]

great idea, very awesome.

[jare_ball248]

i have looked into this before and i have most the items back home to do it but then i joined the military and out the window went that idea. i have a bunch of blue sparkle base material at my house and i had started on some templates for my routing table i was building. alot of work goes into this make sure you do your research. if you have any questions i could try to help you with what i have learned

[nate]

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ay4uqTJAyeA/Syq-IbRkVbI/AAAAAAAAA0Y/ldF-H_xHHbk/s320/CIMG3704.JPG

http://mytonskis.blogspot.com/

1 down, 1 in the press.

[slow]

1 down, 1 in the press.

That is awesome. Congrats!

More pics of the equipment setup and finished skis please, when you get a chance.

[Phyfe99]

Awesome stuff man....love the blog....can't wait to see the final results and hear how they ride!

[valmorel]

Nate, that looks a little long to me, 150?

[Gromit]

Nate, that looks a little long to me, 150?

I read down Nate's blog (http://mytonskis.blogspot.com/). Someway down, I found this :-
"New Ski Template 175cm
Dimensions for the new ski are 136mm-101mm-136mm, quite similar to the Spruce 120s but lengthened."

[slackercruster]

Your setup looks nice. Hope things work out for you.

I'd like to make some sub 50's. But don't know a thing about making em. SBOL has some 47's, but they are all alum and no steel edges.

[nate]

They came out more like 180cm 139-99-139.
Only 1 cut out so far. Hopefully will finish the other tomorrow and drill out the inserts.
Hard to squeeze everything into the time I have.

edit: Final dimensions 177cm 128-97-128.

[nate]

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ay4uqTJAyeA/Sy0JQrHALEI/AAAAAAAAA04/DXLdO-N05os/s320/CIMG3711.JPG

Edit:
and a test run.
<object width="300" height="225"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=8299295&amp;server=vimeo.com&amp;sho w_title=1&amp;show_byline=1&amp;show_portrait=0&amp;color=c9ff 23&amp;fullscreen=1" /><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=8299295&amp;server=vimeo.com&amp;sho w_title=1&amp;show_byline=1&amp;show_portrait=0&amp;color=c9ff 23&amp;fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="300" height="225"></embed></object><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/8299295">Testing my new skis</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user829574">nate myton</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>
Photos at the blog http://mytonskis.blogspot.com/

[nate]

So, skied my skis several days at Sun Valley, Idaho. Had a blast. Skiing is certainly different than skiboarding, however. At first I had trouble getting them to do what I wanted, but once I reconciled with the fact that I couldn't carve on a dime I became much more comfortable.

They are fast. Unlike my Revolts where I can't seem to go too fast, these just wanted to run. As nice as it is to set them into a carve, it wasn't really possible to let them go like that since I would pick up so much speed. A 17m turning radius doesn't let you carve back and forth across the slopes like 6m does.

Anyways, the added stability from the length was really quite dramatic. Landing slightly backseat no longer meant instantly falling on my tail. High speeds through chop tossed me around less. Moguls definitely took more thought and effort, but were at the same time somehow more satisfying for it.

Powder. Sun valley was sadly lacking in fresh snow. However I did find a few little stashes on both my Revolts and my skis. 4 inches on the Revolts was so much fun. A foot on the Revolts was far too tiring. Powder on the skis was an interesting experience. Any sort of small radius turns were basically impossible. Particularly slow speeds made control quite difficult. But I did take 1 run down a closed run with shin/knee deep snow (but no base to speak of). Whenever I could bring myself to point the skis downhill and accept that my turns would be only slight they were a blast. I just wasn't yet comfortable with that kind of speed so I had to stop several times on the way down to regather myself. When I reached the bottom ski patrol was waiting for me, and they warned me not to try that again.

My next skis will be some sort of hybrid skiboard/ski. We'll see.