186 Rocker Review Thread

**2nd mate** · 07-20-2008, 05:06 AM

Just saw the tops. FKNA!

**vanisle** · 07-20-2008, 05:43 PM

That is one sexy topsheet,nice work Pat and kudos to whoever did the artwork

**splat** · 07-20-2008, 09:14 PM

Hey! nice avatar, vanisle.

**vanisle** · 07-20-2008, 09:47 PM

Could probly squeeze a pair of Lhasa Pows in there too eh!!

**toiletduck** · 07-21-2008, 02:10 AM

Originally Posted by vanisle

Could probly squeeze a pair of Lhasa Pows in there too eh!!

Spotted that on the topsheets too.. any significance? I don't get it, or how to pronounce it

**Core Shot** · 07-21-2008, 05:24 AM

Lhasa = place of the Gods in Tibet

Lahsa pow sound like lotsa pow

not bad

**2nd mate** · 07-21-2008, 01:26 PM

Originally Posted by Core Shot

Lhasa = place of the Gods in Tibet

Lahsa pow sound like lotsa pow

not bad

You are a google master

It is also a dog kinda like a shitzu according to intraweb encyclopedia.

**apeyros12** · 08-18-2010, 02:28 AM

Just a simple question.

How do the 186 measure against the 190 Katana? Does anybody have a photo comparing these two skis length wise?

**splat** · 08-19-2010, 06:38 PM

If you stand a 186 Lhasa up straight, it will measure 184.5 cm from the floor to the tip.
I guess you could call a shop and have them do the same measurement on a 190 Katana....

**Bati** · 08-19-2010, 07:59 PM

Originally Posted by splat

Asymmetrical sidecuts occur because of the cooling/curing process involved with sintered uhmw pe plastic. It shouldn't happen, but the material develops a tension in it. When cut, this tension releases. In bases, it usually seems to want to release sideways, thus creating asym bases.

The reason those bases were asym is because the skis were protos and we hadn't made a mold yet. After cutting, they tweaked and created a larger radius on one side than the other. Typically, we wrestle asym bases into a mold and they come out to spec, having been properly realigned. For protos, we just press between a couple sheets of metal with no borders to hold the base to shape and the asymmetry of the base manifests in the skis. Once we feel like we have a viable design, we make a mold to ensure the skis have a symmetrical sidecut.

I have cussed and insulted the base manufacturers for this and even gotten refunds out of them for shipping us shitty material. Lately, in order to further minimize that tweaking when cutting, we have been putting the material through a heat up/cool down process. This has been very successful , as evidenced when the bases fall right into the mold like they're supposed to.

I have wrestled some ugly bases into molds and gotten perfect skis, but it's time consuming and frustrating. Some of the guys we had pressing last year were cheating when my back was turned and pressing the crooked bases between two sheets of metal and we shipped some asym skis. They got fired for that. If a company does not use molds for their skis, there's a good chance that either 1) their skis are asym or 2) they are getting some damn sweet base material that isn't twaeking and they aren't making asym skis. However, most people in the US are getting their bases from Crown Plastics, where we get ours.

To check for asym, all you have to do is hold your skis together so the edges are flush tip and tail, then squeeze and see if the edges match up in the center.

And what's if you cut the bases just some centimeters oversized, and once it gets deformed, you cut it again with the fitted shape? should it work, right?... I'm making my first press right now, and will obviously have to deal with it in some weeks.

**apeyros12** · 08-19-2010, 10:45 PM

Thanks, splat!

**splat** · 08-20-2010, 08:53 AM

Originally Posted by Bati

And what's if you cut the bases just some centimeters oversized, and once it gets deformed, you cut it again with the fitted shape? should it work, right?... I'm making my first press right now, and will obviously have to deal with it in some weeks.

Slicing it into big rectangles a bit bigger than your base cuts so the tension in the plastic settles out will make you individual cuts better, but having some pegs or blocks on your aluminum to hold the shape, essentially making a mold, is the best way to ensure your bases hold their shape, other than edging them on a template cut in your base shape, Bati.

**gritter** · 08-20-2010, 09:37 AM

Bati,

Obviously Splats advice is the right way to go, but if you are doing a home build and can't get a proper mould then I found that there was a big improvement if you cut your bases using a router rather than cutting them out with a blade.

I have done a couple of home builds and after creating a few banana bases with a knife I tried a router (on the same batch of base material) and got no warping at all.

Credit where it's due - this tip came to me from skibuilders.com

I can't offer any explanation as to why this might be, but it worked for me.

Gr.

**Bati** · 08-20-2010, 05:17 PM

Originally Posted by gritter

Bati,

Obviously Splats advice is the right way to go, but if you are doing a home build and can't get a proper mould then I found that there was a big improvement if you cut your bases using a router rather than cutting them out with a blade.

I have done a couple of home builds and after creating a few banana bases with a knife I tried a router (on the same batch of base material) and got no warping at all.

Credit where it's due - this tip came to me from skibuilders.com

I can't offer any explanation as to why this might be, but it worked for me.

Gr.

Thanks Gritter, i just got the router