It's in the bag

[dingbat]

I've seen some garage kiteboards come out pretty nice but no edges or flex involved.They just tend to be a bit heavier than something you'd pay $500 for. Banker made some sweet boards for awhile.

Nice work mang!

Willy!

I missed this earlier. Thanks man!

I'm a big fan of Zero Prestige kite boards and bars.;):D

Supposedly the home built snowboards tend to come out lighter than factory stuff when you do it right. One of the things that gives boards from the likes of Coiler and Donek an edge and worth the price tag. Just judging by hand, this board isn't too far off from my Renn Tiger.

[dingbat]

Chubz,

That thing looks like it's going to be a rocket!

As far as reinforcements go, I am lamenting my decision to put them in on my first build. Should have stuck with tri-ax glass only layed with the 0* layer facing out on the top of the board. I added an "X" of uni-directional glass to the tip and tail for additional tortional rigidity. I underestimated how much linear rigidity they would add so now I've got it back in the basement with more glass and epoxy curring on the mid section to try and even up the flex. It's gonna be a monster.

On the up side, it held together really well when I beat it up on some clumpy half frozen snow Saturday afternoon and evening. The shape seems like a winner too. It rode O.K. in the groom where the flex pattern wasn't such an issue and the tail seemed to be just the right amount of playfull for what I was shooting for with this board. If I can get the mid-section stiffened up, I'll be able to get it out on some hard stuff to see how well it carves and know if I'm really there yet.

That resawing thing you're talking about is what we call "book matching" in the trades. I did my core the same way.

The blocks you see under the bag are there to keep the core aligned while pressing and the "ashen" look is mostly from the matte texture left by the peel ply I used when pressing. The glass is a little cloudy as well. I didn't wet it out as well as I should have. Don't think it's going to be a problem as far as short term longevity goes, but I don't expect running out of base to grind is going to be the reason I retire this board.

The tip and tail transition to cap construction at the end of the running length. This way I didn't need to use a spacer and was able to avoid any bonding isues. The end grain of the wood core is also protected from the elements. I'm extreemely pleased with the way the tip and tail came out. I think this is a design element I will surely keep.

Can't sell you a bag. You can buy a bag like this new for $450-$500. A big roll of builder's plastic and some tape would work just as well though. The beauty of this bag is more its size than the material it's made of.

PM me your phone # if you'd like to talk shop.

-Mark

[Chubz]

HEre is the press, a touch rusty from sitting in the garage corner, but a little steel wool and a fresk coat of rustoleum will address that. I followed directions fromskibuilders but it left me a touch too narrow.

I would not be able to press wider freestyle boards in it. It is held together using all thread and bolts which was a PITA. I plan to weld 3/4 of the sides, remove one side, add some width and make it a side feed press. Much easier to get layers in and out of press.