I came across some material I think will make for one of a kind ski for sure. While searching for wood veneer I found www.veneersupplies.com. They carry some very good wood veneers. They also carry copper veneer. Which by itself may not seem that unique but they treat the copper to produce some exotic looking materials.
Once I saw it I knew I had to buy some samples to test the bonding characteristics. For years manufactures have been using aluminum, titanal, and titanium. All can be difficult to bond into a ski or snowboard. However there are techniques that can aid in the bonding of alloys to wood, fiber glass and other materials in a ski.
The 2 samples below are copper. One is called copper azule and the other is copper flamed. The bond seems to have taken very well. As for how a ski will perform with a copper top sheet, my assumption is that it will add some weight and will be damp. Usually when an alloy is added to a ski it to provide rigidity and dampness, ie reduce vibrations.
The thickness of the veneers are .005″ equivalent of .127mm. It’s thin. To give you an idea how thin, it’s about 7 times thicker than tin foil and twice as thick as a soda can. The alloys used in a ski are typically .5mm or .3mm.
I’m going to let the sample layups cure for a few days before I start flexing the pieces. Handling the layup before a full cure could cause the layup to separate.
If all goes well I’ll begin the process of making a copper ski. Sure to turn heads on the slopes. I’ll provide a full report on how well the ski performs or doesn’t perform.
Copper out of the press:
