Cost of a good setup/starting out

I'm not sure about cost there are alot of variables such as purchasing an air compressor and if you have access to scrap metal or if you have to purchase it to make your frame and if you have to pay someone to weld your frame.

For websites check out:
www.grafsnowboards.com
www.snowboardmaterials.com
http://www.snowboard.skule.ca/clubshell.html

Im looking at building an i-beam press should i bolt or weld?

I'm not exactly the best person to ask since I haven't done this but if you bolt make sure to use high grade bolts and use some sort of torque wrench so you get all your bolts tightened the same, you definately dont want this to explode on you!

www.boardcraft.com is another good site

It varies a lot, depending on your press set up.

You can make a wooden or pneumatic press like they do on ski builders pretty easily for not much money.

Or you can build one like this for a fair bit of money.


That one cost me a fair bit, probably close to $2000 at least.  It would save a lot of cash if you could find steel for cheap, as I had to buy all my steel new.  That would cut costs in half.  But it is hard.

Then there is tools....
right now I have:
2 dewalt fixed base routers
1 dewalt plunge router
1 dewalt hybrid table saw
1 Bosch jig Saw
1 dewalt miter saw
1 Bosch Sander
1 Porter cable belt sander
1 Ridgid drill
1 Dewalt drill
1 Ridgid angle grinder
Dremel tool
1 Ridgid drill press (sold , but used to make ski press)
Lots of drill bits (press took a ton), router bits, saw blades, etc., etc.
1 Ridgid Planer (2nd actually, first broke_
1 Ridgid Shopvac
1 Delta Dust collector
1 Delta Air filtration system

and there is stuff I am forgetting too....had to build up a shop, etc.

Now, you can bring the costs down for sure.  I would say that if you have no tools at all, a few grand could get you set up with a bunch of decent tools, a decent press, which would overall be a nice

If anyone wants, I can post a list of what I would say is the most basic set up needed, from tools, bits, blades, press, etc. 

Welding will be stronger, but bolts allow you to take the press apart.

i bolted mine, which for me was good because I moved and had to take it apart.

If I ever get a more set shop, I will probably weld.

My press has I think 148 grade 8 bolts, ranging from 2.5" to 7", some going thru 3 different layers of 3/8" steel, so drilling my press we pretty complicated and took a long time.

It has like 15 feet of 1/2" diameter steel drilled out of it.

So, if I had welded it, it would have probably taken 1/3 the time to make.

If you bolt, use grade 8.  At least 3/8 thick, and lots of them.

that is so sick, such a huge investment. do you have a job where you need all those or all they all solely for ski making?

No man.  I am a senior biology student. 

Why do you think this whole ON3P skis thing has been drawn out for so long?  I have basically been going at it with everything I have, but it is hard to raise the capital needed to get this done on the level I want.

So for me to get enough money to do this, there has been months where it is like..."ok....this money I will buy a router, next month a table saw, the next a jig saw, etc."   Just lots of time to gather what I need.

If I finish the pair I am working on today by tonight, I will post some pictures.

that is so sick. i own pretty much only the basic tools... drills, jig saw, dremel, hand planer, etc... together with the other kids going into this endeavor with me we have just about everything we need for a basic setup... planer, table saw, band saw. building skis is such a money pit at first

Bolt for sure ! this way you can change the dimensions if need be!