How to Make a Top Sheet for Skis

Ski makers use epoxy to glue the different layers of a ski together and make a finished product. The topsheet protects the epoxy beneath it from the elements and often bears graphics that appear on the top of the ski. Some ski makers use wood veneers or fiberglass as a topsheet, but you can make your own topsheet with another common material that is much easier to work with.

Things You'll Need

  • Scissors
  • Polyethylene sheeting, 1 mm or 2 mm
  • Permanent markers or acrylic exterior house paint
  • Low-adhesive tape
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Instructions

    • 1

      Cut the polyethylene sheeting with scissors into a strip that is slightly wider and longer than your ski. It must entirely overlap the ski.

    • 2

      Apply graphics to one side of the polyethylene sheet. If you use clear polyethylene, apply the image in reverse because after application it will only be visible from the other side of the sheet. If your polyethylene is opaque, draw the design normally but keep in mind it will be exposed when the ski is finished and may scrape or wear away. Sharpie markers will work, but plastics manufacturers recommend acrylic exterior house paint for best results.

    • 3

      Affix strips of low-adhesive tape to the top side of the topsheet. This is the side that will actually be exposed when the ski is finished. If you use clear polyethylene, this is the side without the graphics; if you use opaque polyethylene, this is the side where you applied the graphics. The tape will keep epoxy from sticking to the exposed side of the topsheet when the ski is pressed and glued together.