Inventions and modifications

[vapor]

A thread last year discussing the cons of using certian plate systems on metal boards got the creative juices flowing. This is the more polished version of the prototype that i rode last year that gets rid of point contact and allows for a more natural flex.

I was wondering who else has done some modifying or home projects??

would love to see pics as well.

[Jack M]

that pic is way too small.

[vapor]

here is a second pic

[photodad2001]

What kind of materials are you using? Have you thought about tapering the thickness as it extends outward? Especially toward the nose and tail so it doesn't interfere with the boards flex. Maybe more of an oval or oblong shape? Just some ideas.

[vapor]

For the plastic used lexan was suggested quite a bit because of its toughness. You can usually find sheets in the bigger hardware stores.

The problem i didn't quite overcome was bending the stainless parts on the ends to shape. They still retained thier elastic qualities,but lost lost some of its stainlessness for lack of a better word do to chromiun precipitation. Is there a metalurgist in the house???

[astrokel]

Interesting...

Just to be clear, is the stainless plate actually a spring with the plastic plate essentially a slip plate for the spring? It looks like there's some kind of foam insert between the metal and plastic plate. If the assembly is as I'm guessing how did you solve the issue of wear/abrasion between the plate hole and the screws holding the binding to the board. Seems like some kind of sleeve/bushing is needed. It's kind of cool does it work well on the hill?

If my assumption is wrong... nevermind.:o

Thanks for sharing!

[Hans]

I wanted to fit my TD2's on my 14.1cm width Cyborg. So I did................

Don't think Fin would agree with this, so don't try this at home (it's at my own risk, I know, but it works, I have tested it already in real snow).

Time to let us see the new TD3. Can't wait anymore, come on Fin....., summer is taking too long........

[*Ace*]

Dang, the TD2 is almost too big for the board!

[queequeg]

I wanted to fit my TD2's on my 14.1cm width Cyborg. So I did................

Seems to me like the purpose-built TD2 Skwal binding would have fit the bill without the need for (possibly dangerous) modifications:

http://www.bomberonline.com/store/bindings/skwal.cfm

It is only 11.5 CM wide, stock.

[vapor]

Interesting...

Just to be clear, is the stainless plate actually a spring with the plastic plate essentially a slip plate for the spring? It looks like there's some kind of foam insert between the metal and plastic plate. If the assembly is as I'm guessing how did you solve the issue of wear/abrasion between the plate hole and the screws holding the binding to the board. Seems like some kind of sleeve/bushing is needed. It's kind of cool does it work well on the hill?

If my assumption is wrong... nevermind.:o

Thanks for sharing!

Your correct about the assumtionabout the spring and the bottem plate being a slip plate. Good eye. The other part you thought was foam is essentially another piece of lexan that locates the springs.The metal base plate sits on that so there is still a solid connection between the metal plate and the board. Once i get things dialed in ill machine up another and use aluminum there.

Ive been running the same two boards for a few years now so i can be pretty objective on how it feels with and without

First thing you notice is that your up higher and have more leverage on the board.my guess it wouldn't be any different than some of the thicker lexan plates people are running under their bindings to protect the board.

Second,I still felt that there was just as solid connection to the board as before. The binding didn't feel like it was flexing.

What else i did notice instantly was that in sections of runs that ive always had a hard time holding an edge it seemed easier.Whether it was truly working as designed and allowing the board to flex without the bindings hindering it or me progressing at carving,im hoping a bit of both:D

[vapor]

I wanted to fit my TD2's on my 14.1cm width Cyborg. So I did................

Don't think Fin would agree with this, so don't try this at home (it's at my own risk, I know, but it works, I have tested it already in real snow).

Time to let us see the new TD3. Can't wait anymore, come on Fin....., summer is taking too long........

If it doesn't fit, make it fit:biggthump Yes we do modify at our own risk but if don't damage the structural integrity,then go for it.

Working in a machine shop you'd be suprised how often your called upon to do that without the help of a team of engineers at your beck and call.

[SEJ]

Vapor, cool s**t. Give us a cross section, still a little confused how it handles under load,

Hans, beautiful work.

To both of you, you deserve McGuiver awards. It's always cool to see new garage engineering. I dabble in it myself. "Damn, if only I cut it here, tapped a hole there, then I could". Occupies to much of my brain, but it IS fun.

[rocketman]

Hi Vapor,

I just got a used Rad Air LSD 163 for my 140 lb daughter. What is the board like to carve on? How is your board as an all mountain carver?

thanks

[pebu]

A buddy of mine up at MTU invented the color green... Does that count?

[Sinecure]

One of us who have modded our pants to handle remote intec release should take pics and post them. Mine are packed away until November.

[Hans]

Seems to me like the purpose-built TD2 Skwal binding would have fit the bill without the need for (possibly dangerous) modifications:

http://www.bomberonline.com/store/bindings/skwal.cfm

It is only 11.5 CM wide, stock.

I have thought of that. But then you miss the tweeking possibilities of the normal TD2 baseplate. You can't turn the baseplate of the skwal. And I ride about 85 / 77. So I wanted a neutral position with no cant but only lift. I think it won't hurt because the modified TD2 baseplate covers the board (in the width), so strong enough with my 185 lbs. Another solution is Cateks but I find them too stiff and too direct.

[queequeg]

I have thought of that. But then you miss the tweeking possibilities of the normal TD2 baseplate. You can't turn the baseplate of the skwal. And I ride about 85 / 77. So I wanted a neutral position with no cant but only lift. I think it won't hurt because the modified TD2 baseplate covers the board (in the width), so strong enough with my 185 lbs. Another solution is Cateks but I find them too stiff and too direct.

This is true, it seems like you are limited to fewer options with the Skwal version.

[MUD]

For the plastic used lexan was suggested quite a bit because of its toughness. You can usually find sheets in the bigger hardware stores.

The problem i didn't quite overcome was bending the stainless parts on the ends to shape. They still retained thier elastic qualities,but lost lost some of its stainlessness for lack of a better word do to chromiun precipitation. Is there a metalurgist in the house???

OK, Here ya go. This is a snip from a web page. It says it better than I could without looking in a few books.

"The stainless you have is likely in the cold rolled condition. Annealing is commonly done at 1900F or so, for roughly an hour. You want to cool it fairly fast, especially through the 1500F to 800F temperature range, to avoid 'sensitization'. In that temp range, the chromium and the carbon in the stainless tend to combine, which depletes your stainless steel of chromium, the magic element that makes it stainless. Water quenching is fine metallurgically, but it may give you additional distortion, causing your sheet to warp or bow.

If you do it in air you WILL get an ugly scale- will you be able to grind it off? I'd recommend trying a small piece to see if you can live with the discoloration. Alternatives include using small stainless steel bags offered by heat treat supply houses, or getting it done commercially in an inert atmosphere"

Taken from:http://www.finishing.com/125/45.shtml

Then you need to heat-treat it to give it the properties you desired in the first place.

Sound fun? I work with all kinds of metal, but rarely cold work stainless for this reason. Most of my stuff is either structural that gets coated in some way, or cosmetic, in which I use something soft to begin with.

[vapor]

Vapor, cool s**t. Give us a cross section, still a little confused how it handles under load,

Hans, beautiful work.

To both of you, you deserve McGuiver awards. It's always cool to see new garage engineering. I dabble in it myself. "Damn, if only I cut it here, tapped a hole there, then I could". Occupies to much of my brain, but it IS fun.

SEJ This might help

Rocketman New board this year i bought off of here so we will find out together.

Pebu My four year old step daughter beat him to it fingerpainting with blue and yellow......somehow she got the patent on it.:p

Hans Thanks again,will try again and quench it to limit the time in the range the carbon and chromiun combine. I can be such a geek when it come to this stuff:D

[photodad2001]

I wanted to fit my TD2's on my 14.1cm width Cyborg. So I did................

Don't think Fin would agree with this, so don't try this at home (it's at my own risk, I know, but it works, I have tested it already in real snow).

Time to let us see the new TD3. Can't wait anymore, come on Fin....., summer is taking too long........

I haven't seen this before, but that was the shape that came to mind when I saw the original posters idea!

[SEJ]

Cool looking stuff vapor. You know, SS is a pretty generic term. There are many different types of it, the more corrosion resistant being the 300 series. Any idea what you're using, 304, 316, etc? It's true that wherever youy cold work it you lose corrosion resistance. Annealing prevents this, but, maybe a better grade and you have no issues? A little moly goes a long way.(316)

[trikerdad]

I have 3 "bent" boards leaning against the wall, 2 custom Coilers and a Donek, that I hated to throw away. The noses have been over stressed and are decambered in front of the front bindings. The Donek actually cracked across the front set of inserts. So, I thought I'd try to revive them. I made some spring plates out T-410 stainless and had them heat treated and tempered. T-410 is used to make stainless springs. It takes my full weight to flatten them enough to get the screws started in the base plates. I rode the board in the pictures below at OES and it worked great. The one picture shows how much camber is in the board with the plate in place. The brown color is how they look after being tempered but, they will polish out with some scotch brite.

[vapor]

I have 3 "bent" boards leaning against the wall, 2 custom Coilers and a Donek, that I hated to throw away. The noses have been over stressed and are decambered in front of the front bindings. The Donek actually cracked across the front set of inserts. So, I thought I'd try to revive them. I made some spring plates out T-410 stainless and had them heat treated and tempered. T-410 is used to make stainless springs. It takes my full weight to flatten them enough to get the screws started in the base plates. I rode the board in the pictures below at OES and it worked great. The one picture shows how much camber is in the board with the plate in place. The brown color is how they look after being tempered but, they will polish out with some scotch brite.

Nice work trikerdad!!!! Do you guys have an oven big enough to do sections that size or did you send it out to get it done??? My roommate works at the "competition" and they are getting an oven in a short time thats just big enough.

Did you find that it stiffened up the front end or change anything else in the riding qualities other than recambering the board?

SEJ Was reading up on the alloy content of stainless steel. 300 series steels are austenitic and and have low carbon content which inhibites carbide precipitation but are non heat treatable. Was using a 400 series stainless that sitting around in the shop. Trikerdad alloy sounds perfect. martensitic with a low carbon content.

[pokkis]

Would it be much simpler to do Snow-stix type solution? i mean that would be adjustable and does not require playing with that much with heating metal.

[SEJ]

trikerdad, that's some awesome s**t. SS conshox?