How about wooden skis?

[nebcskier]

Sure, once I snap some more pictures of the process and parts I'll start a thread. It helps to have a partner as it's more fun working in the shop and drinking beer together.

Here's my first pair which have skied many time inbounds and outabounds. They are a bit stiff due to the hardwoods used for the core. They tend to submarine in powder when skinning. For that reason we soften up the core woods and added some rocker in the Ash skis previously posted.

[Bri7]

Very neat Kevin. Care to share a build thread next time you make a pair??

I know it's not wooden ski, but i though this could interest you mikek... This was mostly done on my work site again. Are you sure you don't want to apply here?

Bases and edges

Triax fiberglass being cured under vacuum

Beta testing

The final result (I know it's not telemark...)

[Bri7]

Hey btw NEBCskier, very nice skis !

Did you have to exagerate the shape of the tips and the tails since you are only using one layer of triax between the two layers of wood? I always wanted to make a pair of wooden ski but never found time to finish the one I started a while ago.

I have a pair of wooden skis (well fake wooden ski, a regular pair of ski and a layer of veneer on top) waiting in the mold in my office. I just don't have a lot of spare time those day at work. Those young and the restless episodes are really keeping busy too much at work

[jooleyen]

Awesome. That is way more involved than what I had planned. I was thinking a single plank of wood only. Even a pair with moose skins or something attached. More primivite. I LOVE the smell of pine tar so don't let the odor scare you away.
What is the basic process of installing a metal edge? Is it simple? Of all the modern additions to a pair of simple wooden skis you could do, I would think that would be the most beneficial.

[Rickster]

Check out this site: http://www.woodenskis.com

A good site for those interested in wooden skis, history, repair, maintenance, etc..

Three years ago, I found a pair of beat up 205 cm Bonna 2000 Turlangrenn with 75mm Skilom bindings in a bin at our local recycle center. $5 later, they were mine, and the Woodenskis site, got me the info I needed to get the lignestone edges glued back in place and get the ski back on the snow. A fresh sanding of the base, a fresh coat of varnish on the top and a few coats of pine tar got them skiing and looking good. I get a few odd looks from folks out skating and flying along on skinny synthetic boards, and a few comments of " that's cool" from others.

I learned to XC ski on the same boards 42 years ago, so I was very happy to find these and get them back on the snow.

[oldschool]

My first pair of skis were Tur Langrenns from LL Bean with some low cut Hagen shoes - got wool knickers and tall wool socks to round out the kit. Those were nice skis but the pine tarring of the bases was something that I didn't like too much - to do it well you want to paint it on, and blowtorch it in - no small trick blowtorching tar on wood - keep the torch moving or you burn the base very easily. That said, once I figured out how it was a messy job but it worked. They glided pretty well and had a nice camber.

I bet the difference you might be feeling is that the Karhus are single camber while your others might be double with a bit more "pop" to striding due to that. Perhaps the Karhus are not waxed right either. My approach to waxing my XC skis is simple for the ones that need wax - strip the kick wax off the ski and clean with base cleaner every couple years (or yearly if you ski a lot) and then iron in a green hard downhill wax - this is a very cold wax. As with downhill waxing you scrape off a lot if not most of what you've applied and what is left will glide incredibly well. This is something that should be done to the tip and tail regions of no wax skis as well to give them optimum glide.

They're different skis - I have a pair of XCD GTs and like them for bushwhacking - the metal edge gives security if you are climbing down a bank and step on a deadfall. I've also navigated creeks and been thankful for the edge and the added bite to not get a wet foot. The edges should be sharpened for the length of the ski and then take a bit of emery paper that's fine and take off the edge a little from the tips and tails. This helps the skis initiate turns better and not "track off" in a straight line all the time.

In the end I'd say you will be lucky to have two different skis that have some nice distinct properties for having fun in the right circumstances.

Hope this helps -

[Woodserson]

AHOY!

Long time lurker, first time poster from beautiful NH. I actually registered to comment in another thread, and then saw this one, most fortuitous! I have and ride two pairs of wood skis, a Madshus 210cm that are around 50yrs old with a 67mm shovel. This is now my go-to #1 ski in my quiver for flat-land low-land tours. They are quiet and fast, and have a low vibration, and are just so so smooooth and I love their grip. I got them from Greg at woodenskis.com, and I treat them as he suggests, pine-tar and glide waxed with Swix Polar Grip wax (the white tube) and I grip wax with Toko's very simple collection of 3 grip waxes, Blue-Red-Yellow. (if you scroll down on the woodenskis.com site you can see my picture in the nordic red sweater)

I also have a pair of 210cm Holmenkollen skis for in-track skiing, they have a shovel of about 58mm. They have great flex to them still, and are very lively and fast. Again, most impressive.

My next pair of woodies will probably be something around the lines of a S-Bound 78, and I think I'm going to make it myself, either out of one piece of wood carved and steamed to shape, or possibly laminated around a jig. Old School style, either way, not hot presses. This one would be for more up and down skiing as opposed to touring.

I really think every skier should have at least one pair of woodies in the quiver, to remember where we came from and realize that sometimes technology doesn't really improve things to such a high degree, it only inspires increased sales. (Don't worry, I have a very large modern quiver!) Also, it has really changed my thinking on my skiing, and where I want to take it in the future. I love skiing, and stepping back in time a bit has really been soothing to my soul.

Great forum, LoveJohnny you are a good egg!

[telemarkmark]

nebcskier,
your wooden skis look lovely.
I have a pair of Scottybobs with maple top sheet, I would have liked ash, but not available. They look the part, though a little delicate, and I guess it is only there for appearance.
One day I would like to have a go at making a pair of real wood ski. Can you give anymore details on yours.
My thoughts are, solid ash, steam bend shape, metal edges to centre, laminate carbon /epoxy to base, coat all in 2 pack polyurethane. Just wax the carbon / epoxy base.
Cheers Mark (from Scotland)

[bgregoire]

I really think every skier should have at least one pair of woodies in the quiver, to remember where we came from and realize that sometimes technology doesn't really improve things to such a high degree, it only inspires increased sales. (Don't worry, I have a very large modern quiver!) Also, it has really changed my thinking on my skiing, and where I want to take it in the future. I love skiing, and stepping back in time a bit has really been soothing to my soul.

Great forum, LoveJohnny you are a good egg!

Totally agree on this one. After 10 years nordic backcountry ski touring, mostly on the E99, but larger XCD skis lately, I also got my hands on a couple pair of beautiful woodies (Trysil Knut oiled ski, HEAD wider BC ski w/ lignostone edges). I totally understand why the OP feels he prefers woodies. Well tarred and waxed, they offer amazing glide and much better grip on the up than my plastic based nordic BC skis, including some waxless ones (I'm talking about their behaviour in the BC)! You basically wax the entire ski with the coldest grip wax, which helps glide but also grip on the entire length of the ski. The wood also seems to hold the wax much longer than plastic. Downside: they are relatively heavier and don't usually come with metal edges, which may prove problematic on ice and when trying to apply the teleturn. Also, they seem more fragile, so I have not yet dared take them on a multiday trip (although I will as soon as I can find a replacement tip). Another tip would be to take off the old 3 pin bindings and replace them with the burlier telemark versions (voile or rottefella) or NNNBC. Ready for you bigger boots and the BC!

[Johnny]

I was just about to update the rotating quotes that appear on top of the site. Here's one of them:

"EYT had potential, just not enough interesting content unless you want a primer on installing inserts."
- Dale Mikkelsen

Quite funny isn't it?
It just made me think that what we really need here is a complete primer on waxing and tarring wooden skis...!
(With all time units converted into beer units of course... : )