Race_Carver Posted January 25, 2011 Report Share Posted January 25, 2011 Looking for opinions/feedback on how the Donek plate works for racing. I just picked up a mint condition used first generation SG 185 metal race board with a 4x4 insert pattern that I'm planning to use for general carving/gate training/jumping into a NASTAR course/ etc., when I don't want to bring out the new SG race boards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeoffV Posted January 25, 2011 Report Share Posted January 25, 2011 Check out the review sections for the Donek Plate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Race_Carver Posted January 25, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 25, 2011 Check out the review sections for the Donek Plate Thanks, I feel confident that the Donek plate works well in free carving situations from what I have read here. I haven't seen any reviews/opinions about how the plate works in racing situations say compared to the Apex or Bomber carbon plate. Does anyone know if Sean has some racers on his plate? Racing/race training is a very different dynamic than free carving. Basically, I got the SG at a steal, and Sean's price point is good for what I want to use it for. However, if the Donek plate doesn't react "right" in the course, then it really isn't a bargain for my intended use of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
utahdeafcarver Posted January 26, 2011 Report Share Posted January 26, 2011 I just got my Donek plate via FedEx today and I would be able to tell you after this Friday, Jan 28 (GS that day), but my plate arrived with missing parts! I am so bummed right now. :( I've sent e-mails to Sean about how soon he can get the missing parts to me. I'm hoping for USPS overnight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
utahdeafcarver Posted February 4, 2011 Report Share Posted February 4, 2011 Sean overnighted the missing parts to me. I just want to make this clear: he provides excellent customer service! As for my plate, I did race on it and placed 4th and 3rd, respectively (Men's Open class), but cannot yet give a good report, as my setup wasn't optimal. See my other post under Carving Community about my plate setup and the issue I had with bindings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emdee406 Posted February 7, 2011 Report Share Posted February 7, 2011 Sean overnighted the missing parts to me. I just want to make this clear: he provides excellent customer service! As for my plate, I did race on it and placed 4th and 3rd, respectively (Men's Open class), but cannot yet give a good report, as my setup wasn't optimal. See my other post under Carving Community about my plate setup and the issue I had with bindings. You looked pretty damn fast/competitive to me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neil sunday Posted February 15, 2011 Report Share Posted February 15, 2011 while i am retired from racing, i still coach and run gates 5 days a week. i have been using the donek plate since this summer. good stuff with lots of vibration absorption. really seems to smooth out the ride. it will take some getting used to, as plate system riding is completly different than riding without. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evnewsphoto Posted February 16, 2011 Report Share Posted February 16, 2011 Neil you retired!! I will miss racing you my old friend.... As far as my experience with the plate it's been good but hard to get used to, here is my thoughts that I sent Sean the other day since he asked for feedback; " I finally feel like I am getting comfortable with the plate and it helped me do well in the GS on Sat up at Howleson I think. I know you asked for feedback so here are a few things; I have found that it really forces me to go back to basics on my balance, which is a good thing, it amplifies my bad habbits like over rotation of my upper body from years of too step of a stance, I have since lowered my stance from 55/50 to 45/40 and that has helped a lot. Training ar Eldora helped too since Matt Drinker and Galen Goldscheitter worked with me on how to be more stable and what to do with the plate. The upshot is that to make it work you have to be stable in your stance over the board with no rotation- more sideways than you might think, a freestyle stance more than a Eurocarve stance. I am trying to keep my shoulders and hips lined up exactly with that 45 degree stance and no movement at all, that is the key to it. I know you might have some freecarvers out there that have bought the plate and for them it will be really hard to adapt, maybe pass on the stance thing since some of those guys are riding at 70 or so. " I also have T-nuted my 14 year old Factory Prime 157 so I could try it with the plate, and it helps and hurts just the same, I would say it applified the chatter but also let me throw my weight around a lot more fore and aft. The board is close to being dead and has no snap left so I was thinking it would make the board ride better, but I found that the lack of energy was still the same. Here are some pics; Bottom line, it doesn't make snowboarding easier but harder, but if you can be balanced and perfect it rewards you with a better carve. Everett Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evnewsphoto Posted February 16, 2011 Report Share Posted February 16, 2011 Opps, here are the pics; Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evnewsphoto Posted February 16, 2011 Report Share Posted February 16, 2011 Opps, here are the pics; Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evnewsphoto Posted February 16, 2011 Report Share Posted February 16, 2011 And mounted; Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlexJ Posted February 17, 2011 Report Share Posted February 17, 2011 EVnewsphoto, Some very intersting comments. Both on plate riding in general but also with stance angle and alignment. I have been offered a plate to use for racing (just getting back into it this year) and was not real sure if it would be worth the effort and the learning curve. I would need to T-Nut it as well since it would go on my 96 factory prime (was new the last time I raced). The stance anlge and alignment is something I need to try regardless if I use the plate or not. Been riding 67/63 on everything for basically the last 16 years, feels great free carving but awkward in the race course. (particularly in SL) Thanks for getting me thinking about trying something new. Alex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evnewsphoto Posted February 17, 2011 Report Share Posted February 17, 2011 Glad I could help, I would not recomend you T-nut your FP until you try the plate on something else that has a 4 hole. I rode it first on my GS board (Doneck) and that's why I wanted to try it for SL, I still have to try it in a course which I will do on Saturday. Also my FP is at the end of it's useful life and has a big rock shot already.I got the T-nuts at Ace hardward and they were M6 that matched the screws for mounting that you probably got with the plate, I also bought a bit for drilling the recess on the base at Ace- it was 3/4, not that I am recomending it but that's how I did it. You can also see in the one photo all the measureing out I did so that it was aligned correctly- measure twice cut once! I am still going to buy a new SL board and I may not use the plate for SL, I think it's bettter to have a natural feel in SL, it really works better in GS. If I were you I would only try it on a GS board and I would spend at least two days free riding it before you tried to race/train with it, that was my mistake, I raced on it after one day of free riding and training. Hope that helps, Everett Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SunSurfer Posted February 19, 2011 Report Share Posted February 19, 2011 http://www.worden.fr/boutique/index.php/Worden/118-ENTRETIENREPARATION/60-Vissage/730-1604SM9.html I've bought inserts from this site in France, and used them to create a UPM pattern for a plate on an older glass board. There are classy and effective alternatives to just using T-nuts! There are photos of FIS World Cup racers racing with these in their boards in the days before UPM/Hangl pattern boards being available. SunSurfer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evnewsphoto Posted February 27, 2011 Report Share Posted February 27, 2011 SunSurfer, those do look better than what I did, is there anywhere in the US to get them? How long did they take to get? Also the photo is tiny, are they tappered or flat? They look tappered, does it come with a bit or do I need to buy that seperate? And it says they are 9 mm, is that the thread size or the diameter? The plate uses 6 mm screws. I just bought a 2008 Oxygen Proton 160 and I found that the max stance is only 20 and the plate needs a minium of 20 and a 1/2 or so, close but no cigar. So I will most likely need to do it again so that's why I am wondering. I also bought a used Kessler 156 and I will see how that mounts up when I get it (it's in the mail now). Thanks, Everett Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evnewsphoto Posted February 27, 2011 Report Share Posted February 27, 2011 Sunsurfer, I just spent some time looking and found some older post of yours where there are better photos of the inserts. I like the look of them but it does need a different drill bit, a "counter sunk" bit correct? Does that Worden site only sell you the inserts? I found this: http://www.tesmasport.si/montazni-komplet-za-snowboard Where the bit is included I think, but it's much more expensive. Do you think ski shops around Denver might have the bit and I could bring in the inserts and ask them to drill and install? Also I wonder if Fin has them and could do it if I stoped in there? In the end I may just T-nut again, they were only $.70 each at Ace hardware and they were the correct 6 mm thread. They may not look pretty but I am racing USASA not FIS and I have to work on a whole lot of of overthings before T-nuts would make me loose a race. Thanks, Everett Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SunSurfer Posted February 27, 2011 Report Share Posted February 27, 2011 Have bought two lots of inserts from Worden. Both arrived promptly, one lot sent to UK where I was on holiday, one lot to New Zealand where I live. Know about the tesma site but have not dealt with them. Have seen some comments from others in the USA that their local shops have these inserts. Fin has a post where he drilled a Sigi Grabner race board to install these things. It's a much less stressful thing to drill an old board than it is to drill a top-end, very expensive, race board. Don't know if Fin, Bruce Varsarva, or Sean Martin have considered getting in stocks to retro fit old boards for the UPM pattern. It would be useful service, but obviously would reduce the market for new boards!! Would want to be on very good terms and absolutely trust my local board shop before I would entrust the job to anyone else than myself. The P-Tex on the inserts is 2mm thick so plenty of leeway when you get a base grind to finish the job off. I got a 16mm countersunk bit from my local hardware store. The inserts are designed to go with a 110 degree countersink bit, I was only able to source a 90 degree bit locally and filled the gap with the epoxy I used to bond them into place. 110 degree bits are available from some hardware outlets, you don't have to buy the special Maeslinger-Snoli one. Procedure: Marked out where I wanted the inserts, very carefully!! Drilled a 3mm guide hole from the top surface of the board. Use a drill press if you have access to one to get the holes perpendicular to the base. Drilled a 16mm hole just through the P-Tex base on the board. Countersank the hole in the base using the countersink bit. Then drilled the top surface holes with 9mm bit. The 9mm refers to the outside diameter of the top part of the insert. They take standard M6 x 1mm thread binding screws, absolutely normal snowboard binding thread. Check everything fits nicely. Adjust hole depth if necessary, better to drill too shallow initially than drill too deep. Bond them in place with epoxy. Coat all the metal surfaces with a thin layer. Slot them into place. Once set get a base grind for a beautiful finish. There are a range of ways you could use to ensure they are all vertically aligned properly. When I put my next lot of UPM inserts in, I will use the holes drilled in UHMWPE base for the mechanicals of my plate to tighten up screws in the inserts, to pull them well into place, and ensure they are aligned with the base unit. SunSurfer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evnewsphoto Posted February 27, 2011 Report Share Posted February 27, 2011 Sunsurfer, thanks for all the great info. I will call around town and see if anyone has them and check with Fin, I am not in a huge hurry to do it yet but if I do I'll let you know. Thanks again, Everett Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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