Base Preparation

This year I bought gray Isospeed 7200 p-tex base material.  I chose this material because I had good results with it on the Panjshirs last year.  Also, I was told by my ski shop that this material was easier to grind than a similar Durasurf product.  Additionally, this material is abraded on both sides so less grinding is necessary to get the ski ready for wax.  The edges have a 1.33mm step, are sand blasted, and made from hardened steel.

  
The first step in preparing the base is to cut the base material using the template made earlier.  The base material is easily cut with a razor blade as long as it is clamped down.

Next the edges are clamped and tacked in place using superglue.  As in years past, I did not wrap the edge around the tip or tail, but ran it to the point where the tip and tail radius began.  This makes the edge simpler to manufacture and lightens the ski a small amount.

Once the edges are tacked in place, the base must be covered with tape in order to protect it from epoxy.  The tape also helps to secure the edges in place so they do not shift during pressing.

I chose to use contact paper this year instead of tape because one pass could cover the entire base (vs 3 or 4 tape passes).  Having a single sheet will prevent ridges from forming where the tape overlapped (ridges form during pressing - this means less base grinding is needed later).  Also, the contact paper should be easier to remove than tape because it is a bit thicker.  In order to apply the contact paper, I first set it outside in the ~100 degree sun and softened it up a bit.  Next, I stuck one end in place, then lined up the sheet and began to unroll it onto the base.  Once done, a cloth was rubbed over the surface to ensure a good bond.

 

A razor blade was then used to trim the excess contact paper from the base.

The base is now ready for pressing.