How to Fiberglass Your Skis

The  1993 Fiberglass Diagram is for single and double flips. The 2000 Fiberglass Diagram is for triple and quad flips. The measurements on the diagrams are meant only as guidelines and will vary with foot size.

You can buy fiberglass cloth and resin at most auto parts or boat stores. Thickness of the cloth varies. The finished job should be about 1/8" thick. Epoxy is more flexible than resin and may last longer but it can take a week or more to dry.

Plug binding holes of old skis before beginning.

Use a drill with a wire brush attachment or a grinder to rough the top of the ski then cut lines at two to four angle about 1/4" apart sacross the roughed area.

Cut the cloth into strips as wide as the ski. It works well to lay three or four pieces of cloth flat on a piece of card board and cut along the edges of a ski with a sheet rock knife. Alternate cutting with the ski tip to your left and with it to the right because the tip is wider than the tail.

Place a block of wood 2 to 4cm thick under the center of each ski and secure the ends down with cinder blocks, rocks, or your brother. (Called camber inducing - see 1993 Fiberglass Diagram

Follow the directions on the can of resin to mix 12 to 24 OZ (a coke can or two) at a time. You can use a plastic bottle with the top cut off for mixing. If it’s your first time, don’t mix much or it will harden before you have time to use all of it.

Alternate applying resin and laying cloth. Be sure to soak the cloth completely and push all of the bubbles and excess resin out of the cloth. You can use a flexible piece of flat plastic, a roller, a piece of flat wood or even stiff cardboard. Once you’ve laid a piece of cloth down, work fast to get it soaked. Don’t take breaks to mix more resin when a piece of cloth is only half soaked. If the last batch of resin dries it won’t mix with the new batch and you may have to grind off that layer and start again.

There is a point when the resin has hardened enough for the cloth to maintain it's shape and stay on the ski but is still soft enough to cut with a blade. Cutting off the excess cloth before it hardens completely is much easier and cleaner than having to grind or sand it off after it's hardened. Let them dry for at least a couple of days. A couple of weeks is better.

When mounting the bindings, the glass may be pulled from the ski if there is too much resistance when the screw hits the top of the ski. To avoid this, use a tap to thread the holes first and push down hard on the drill when putting the screws in.

Use a fat permanent marker to write something cool on your glass job like "Super Duty Tough" or "Beefy"

Disclaimer

Fiberglassing your skis can be dangerous and hazardous to your health. Hire someone else to do it if you do not have experience working with fiberglass and the associated tools. Ensure there is proper ventilation to protect your brain from the fumes of the resin. Wear a mask to protect your lungs from the hardened fiberglass dust. Wear goggles to protect your eyes, and other necessary protective gear.