Voile Split Kit (DIY)

What can I say? This is a great product, and the only one out there! Sure beats snowshoeing, and the skiers will love you for breaking trail. Want to get your board split? Check out my website, www.mnttechnologies.com There is also a review on Voile's website about me!

I converted the missus' board into a splitboard over the summer. She hasn't used the board yet so I can't say much about the functionality of it (though three of our BC buddies have converted boards and absolutely love them). This review for now is just for the conversion process:

The instructions were ok, but not great. There were things they probably should have said but didn't, so I'll dock it a star for that. I found these instructions very helpful: http://splitboard.com/talk/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=5801

The hardware was all solidly built and the pieces were all there, with the exception of a single bolt missing for the T-nuts. I found that a standard snowboard binding bolt fits just fine so I used that. In the end it took a an hour to cut the board one day, a night for the inside sealing to dry, and several hours the next day to mount everything. It wasn't too bad a job, provided you have the right tools (drill, countersink bit, boring bit, good saw, etc.). I was skeptical of the whole splitboard idea because it seems forced (why not just learn to ski? honestly!), but Voile has done a bit of clever engineering here and I have to admit that this system is well designed. In the end it was cheaper than either a "real" splitboard or lightweight snowshoes, and now the board is BC ready. Can't wait to get out there this winter and see how the missus likes it! I'll update this review later in the season.

I covered the installation process earlier, but I want to give a report on how it actually works. Like I said, I converted one of the missus' boards (make that ex-missus now, but whatever) even though I am a two-plank man. We finally used it over last season and she loved it. Much, MUCH better than snowshoes with board on pack. For anything but the steepest terrain this is the way to go, just so much better and less effort than snowshoes (for the steepest you want crampons anyway). She could finally keep up with me without killing herself and really started to enjoy the BC. BC is just much more fun and enjoyable without a board on your back.

I have to admit I was very skeptical of the whole splitboard concept when I first heard of it (and even after I saw it), but Voile really has this nailed. The conversion is snappy and secure (though not as nice as AT, but what is?), it tours well, and it snowboards well enough that you knuckle draggers can put off learning to ski. This was all without Spark R&D bindings; from what I'm told those make it just as good as a regular board (keep in mind that non-Spark bindings get an extra 2 cm or so of lift off the board, something many boarders do not like). I'm sold enough on this that instead of telling my BC snowboard buddies to "get a job and learn to ski", I now tell them to "get a job and get a splitboard".

As a side note, I highly recommend getting the Voile ski crampons with it. Well, I recommend getting ski crampons with any BC setup because they're fantastic, but with only one metal edge on the splitboard skis it is even more important to have the super-edging capability of ski crampons while climbing on hard snow. Voile's ski crampons are great in this regard, too. I really can't say enough good about them.

Bought this kit a few years ago so I could join some buddies on their regular snowshoeing trips in Yosemite without using snowshoes, and with the added benefit of riding the downhills. I had already retired my old Santa Cruz board that had become a little too convex underneath, so it was an ideal candidate. The kit not only provided me with a faster, more comfortable mode of travel on the snow trails than showshoes--I was always way ahead despite never having trekked snow before--but also breathed new life into the board; by using a couple of strategically placed shims under the pucks I was able to take out the convex and restore a slight concave to the bottom surface, when assembled as a snowboard.
I found the instructions perfectly easy to follow.

I consider myself a hands-on type of person. And I really liked the idea of having a custom made split board. So I got myself a Burton Fish, filleted it and started boring all sorts of holes in it. And I have to say it was all worth it. It is not a job for the faint of heart. It takes some skill and some time, but if you play your cards right you'll have a split at less than half the cost.
Also! Most definitely t-bolt the pucks to the board. I had a friend rip all 16 screws out of his deck using the supplied wood screws...

Voile split kit is smart and stylish but and it's a big but, I'm a trades person and still found the instructions very hard to read ! They are very basic and under worded , if not for they videos online I'm not sure I'd have finished it on my own , also the philips head screws can be temperamental when tightening them , I cut my 2010 libtech banana magic it looks amazing and can't wait to make another !

I cut my Burton Malolo powder board and turned it into a backcountry machine. The kit is better than I expected. However, if you don't have skills with your hands, get some help, it's not for the faint of heart. I would also advise looking at threads online that explain better how to do it yourself, there are lots of resources available, even on this site. You must use precision when drilling and mounting the pucks or you'll have problems like my buddy did. The provided instructions are minimal, but sufficient if you do your research first. The whole system isn't exactly light, but you don't notice it when ripping down the steeps, it performs exactly as my Malolo resort board in pow. However, it doesn't perform quite as well when riding inbounds icy hardpack conditions or moguls, edge to edge is a little slower and less precise possibly due to the additional height above the board. If you want to work a little for sick lines without long lines you must get a split and feel the freedom to explore. Just make sure and get avy and first aid training first, most backcountry is self rescue and the risks can be fatal.

Check out Snowboarder magazine Feb 09 issue for a step by step method of application. In the "Droppin' Knowledge" section. May be very helpful.

a long project with a difficulty rating or 4 stars. a steel cutting blade is needed (out of box carbide on inserts= deafening noise and an uncut board)fyi exp after is open A+ to what you want to do with it, i had installed the riser bar backwards resulting in a small problem. This i don't think will ever equal a factory split (unless an master carpenter putters in his workshop) yet to ride although i could never trust this as much as a factory deck (non split especially)
recommended for those fed up with bc access as is is.
Downsides: pucks, number of components (study pics carefully- leads to a large window of error, ruining a nice deck (cascade 58 ), and a large investment (400 +)
Upside - access, investment, opportunity, and pride.
3 for kit +- as per personal exp.

I built two splitboards, first took me about 5 hours, but it was due lack of tools. Second was for my wife and it took me less than 2 hours to built (without cutting and waiting for the epoxy to dry out). It is pretty easy once you know what to do.
It takes around 2 minutes to put it together or apart on the mountain.
Both snowboards are 7 year old SIMS with wood core. Its pretty solid also on the icy surface and I dont notice any obvious difference.
But carry screwdriver with you at all times, its handy.

Kit worked out great! I heard the wood screws tend to come out so I used T-Nuts to begin with. I uploaded a "How To" video on youtube if you are interested in seeing how the process worked out for me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7vsVFt44Cc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q14Ub7__Htw

I'm still finishing up the building process, so I can't speak of on mountain performance yet, but I can say that if you have the patience, splitting your own board seems the way to go. Factory splits are just too expensive and with a custom split you get to choose any board you want instead of being limited to the minimal selection of factory splits.

A couple notes on building:
1. when splitting the board, make sure you file all the way through the edges so the blade doesn't catch and rip it out. It's set in further than you think so use a dremmel or something if you have to.
2. i decided to replace the puck screws with 1/4 by 3/4 long bolts with 1/4 t-nuts on the back instead of the wood screws with epoxy method. if you use a forsener bit to countersink the t-nuts you can p-tex right over them. i think this will be much stronger. if you want to ride hard and drop cliffs in the backcountry, don't get stuck 5 miles out with a stripped puck mount, use a t-nut.
3. also, don't try to split a burton, the burton binding insert pattern has metal inserts right down the center so it'll screw up your cut.

i did lots of research before I had the balls to chop a board in half, so hopefully these tips will help.
good luck!

super easy to put together. I just split my sick stick. opened up a whole new world of snowboarding

(1) after you cut, but before you seal the edge, sand and file the cut edge, slap it together and look for gaps, repeat until it is seamless.

(2) when you slap the stickers on to drill the descending stance, make sure the drill holes aren't on top of the pre-existing binding mounts. once you cut those stickers, they are a pain to move.

(3) make a list of everything you need before you start. you will need a good countersink bit. a ball peen hammer. marine epoxy to glue the blocks/block mounting screws.

Easier than you would think to setup and install.. I also have a Voile split decision factory split setup... My home split board actually is a tighter fit. It took quite a bit of filing to the pucks to get the slider plates to go on and off with out a hammer.. I don't know why they make it with such a tight tolerance... I am doing this again for sure!

It's too bad that Voile have the patent on this, and there isn't anyone else making splitboard kits. I just got my kit, and it is pretty much exactly the same as my 2001 prior split.

Here's a few ideas to make this kit better:
1) lighter materials, especially the touring bracket.
2) blocks should use the existing inserts and t-nuts instead of wood screws (is it still 1980?)

OR...

Someone should start making rockered split boards - I would be the first to buy one (Prior - nice try, but why does a backcountry board need rocker/camber/rocker)

Just my $.02

This interface has proven to be the best of the best, however splitboards still have their issues.

When guiding groups of splitboarders, I always keep a #3 posi-drive screwdriver at the ready. Guests with the inevitable loose binding/screw are often smiling saying "that's why you get paid the big bucks!".

If you are still snowshoeing for your turns in the backcountry, join the split-board revolution and change your backcountry experience for the better!

Its the only game in town and its a good way to go. However my kit was missing a few pieces and the directions suck! I am cant finish until I get the missing pieces. Also you T bolt the touring portion of the kit but only woodscrew the bindings? I would recommend instead of having 3 T bolts for each toe piece of the tourning mounts I would suggest only one and then T bolt the snowboard mounts. I do not trust using wood screws and epoxy here.

Hey this kit is awesome, It is exactly what they say it is. The product is great. I am a machinist and had not a bit of trouble with the directions. The split board turned out great. Very satisfied to say the least. Me and my climbing partner skinned up Mt, Hood in Oregon and we summited that day and used the board to board down and it worked just as planned. The kit took me about 6 to 8 hours to do, but well worth the time spent in my opinion..

Great product! If you follow the instructions carefully and have all of the equipment & tools, you'll have a splitboard in no time. For me it took about 10hrs. to do it (more or less depending on organization). Instructions are pretty clear, they skimp in places. But a lot easier then i thought it would be. Just be careful, don't go too fast, and make sure you got all of the hardware (i'm missing one bolt and T-nut, don't know if it was them or me?). I give the kit a 10! I just might do another one!

The instructions could be much easier, but I just copied what my buddy did. The splitboard worked outstanding, as my girlfriend used it for our three day ski trip at Stevens Pass in JUNE 2008!. We made several runs up and down, and she could easily go straight up a steeper section just as easy- if not easier- than I did on skis. The splitboard looks and feels solid! I was impressed. The only bad part was the instructions. Oh, also, it would be nice if they added the epoxy and the Verathane with the kit, but I can't have it all I guess! JD

The Split Decision Kit works wonderfully. I cannot believe I used snowshoes as long as I did. I split my own board, and these skins work wonderfully. Even though they don't have the back clip, the glue is super sticky. Never worried about the skins coming off. Get a split board and work for your turns.

Excellent kit that included everything except for the tools in the ski shop that I happen to work for. You'll get better results if you've worked on skis and snowboards before, or have some do it yourself skills.

Very easy to install. Great instructions. I will deffinatly buy another one when the next board gets split.

Dave
www.uriedog.com

Since I had an old board laying around it was a no-brainer to avoid the cost of a new split board. Took the Ryobi and parted my 95 Burton right down the middle. The Voile kit and instructions were complete and paying close attention to the details helps. Will skinny up the Gulf of Slides the first chance.

well, i didnt do it myself, but the guy that i had to 'help' me me really had no troubles doing it quickly..and the season is still on! i have used the gear with my tracker skins and it all works perfectly..i love it..and have plenty of season left for pow!

I split an M3 millenium.. a very stiff board. Made an excellent splitboard.

Beware though with your mounting of the pucks. If you will be riding conditions where the board will be experiencing some abuse, or where equipment failure could mean serious injury or death, I advise epoxying the screws (as recommended in the instructions) and also epoxying the pucks to the topsheet.

I had a complete failure of two of the pucks during a wreck, when I cratered board first into a drainage that I didn't see coming at a pretty good clip. The two rear pucks ripped completely out. They had been screwed and glued carefully, and I've never had any problems with telemark bindings that I've mounted.

I filled all the damage with epoxy, and remounted the pucks (and epoxied them to the topsheet) and haven't had any problems since.

Also, many of the components can likely be reused. If you live on the EC like me, you may need to do a new split every 1-2 years due to damage. I have heard that Voile is open to selling the components ala-carte, so you can replace components that are broken or not reuseable (like the rivets for the tip and tail hooks).

Ripped that Burton system off my split and replaced it with the Split Dec. Kit... Was skinning and riding with a friend on Mt Washington (NH) when I knew it had to happen.. Took me 6 times as long to switch with Burton then my friends Voile' system... No brainier..

After lugging my board on my back for a season and trailing far behind my tele friends on ascents, I caved in and bought the Voile Split Kit last season. I went to a swap and found a used wood-core board cheap and just swapped the bindings off my regular board. Compared to what you pay for a full factory set up, this was really affordable. I wasn't convinced of how sturdy it would be in its board formation, but my god I love this setup. It is so worth the money and time, especially compared to the price of factory split boards. I did splurge on snowboard skins, and highly recommend those. Now I can't see ascending any other way.

As many have mentioned, the instructions are vague. My friend and I completed it in about two sessions of three hours each. The only other hassles just have to do with the nature of split boarding. Like when you have rolling terrain after your descent, switching back and forth isn't ideal. So you have to snowplow awkwardly down little hills while your skiing friends are pulling off turns. Also, for longer, overnight trips, once you add the weight of a two-day pack and some hairy terrain, the extra weight on your feet while you ascend is a drag compared to a touring or tele ski setup. But, once you are riding, it is well worth the hoof. And for day trips, you are faster ascending than those on skis because of all the extra surface area. You float up. It rocks. I love my Voile kit.

If it was not for the killer tech support supplied here, I would have been deep in the weeds! Voile does not share enough info so you must search out help and experience. The biggest shocker is even if you do everything right you will end up with 10 new 3/4" holes all the way through your board. You need tee nuts with base material attached or bring it to a shop and have them do a base weld in the holes. The rest of the project is reasonable, even cutting the board in two. It's hair raising but doable. I used a jig saw and long flexible fence clamped to the board to make the cut.

Overall, with regard to performance, the split kit works well with my Burton BMC 166 (better than the Voile boards) and although I am proud of the job that I did, I think that the value is not comparable to buying a factory-assembled setup (i.e., when you add up the cost of the split kit, the extra labor & parts cost at the ski shop, the time spent assembling the kit, and the cost of the board.)

The instructions are very, very poorly written (e.g., what size countersink bit should be used?), several parts were missing or didn't match the instructions, the T-nuts are very poor quality, and the wood screws for the mounting plates are too short. I had to pay $40 to have the board split and to replace the crappy T-nuts with P-tex covered T-nuts and have heli-coils inserted to hold the too short screws. I never did receive the longer screws from Voile as promised. Although I was given a $10 discount for all my troubles, I spent much more buying different size bits and having the better T-nuts and wood screws/heli-coils installed.

I installed the Split Kit on my 'retired' Santa Cruz board and Switch step-in bindings without any problems. It took about 4 hours (but would probably have gone a lot faster if I'd located all the tools I needed before starting ... it took me a while to find the correct size drill bit for some of the holes, and my center punch--an essential item for getting all the holes exactly positioned for the hardware to line up properly.

I tested the board the next day on an outing with some friends who were just out for a short snow-shoeing trail. Although I have never snow-shoed before, nor ever had a pair of skis of any type on my feet before, I found the split board (with skins) so efficient on the ascent (about 900 ft vertical in 1.6 miles) that I was leading the way, breaking the trail through the fresh, virgin snow well ahead of my snow-shoe-experienced friends. About half of the trail was rideable on the descent and with the skins removed and the board assembled for snowboarding it behaved exactly as it had before I cut it in two. On the flatter parts of the descent I decided to try the "skis" without skins and my lack of skiing experience gave me a few tumbles and my friends a few laughs. (some learning ahead of me there:-)

I found the change-over from skis to snowboard and back as quick and easy as advertised (taking little more than one minute to assemble the snowboard at the top of the trail, on firm ground, to about 3 minutes to split back to skis in soft, deep, off-trail snow on the descent, when the slope became too shallow to ride.

This split kit is the best thing I have purchased yet this season. I tried to perfect my skiing but there is nothing like carving pow on a snowboard. I think the voile split kit is a good idea/alternative for snowboarders who dream of doing any backcountry touring on their decks. A MUST BUY IF YOU WANT TO SNOWBOARD THE BACKCOUNTRY- GET RID OF THE SNOWSHOES.

The kit was fantastic! I used my old powder board (Ride - Mountain) and "split" it. The results were even better than I hoped for. The directions were good; however, a little more in depth research on the Web ensures the highest quality result. Plugging the T-Nut holes is challenging. I used plugs (3/4") that I cut from P-Tex base material and epoxied in. Again, it worked great.
First trip is planned in a couple of weeks in Teton Pass. I'm certain the board will perform great!
This Kit exceeded my expectations and was really enjoyable to install.

The product works great. If I were a better craftsman it wouldn't have taken me five hours to assemble after I got it. The only problem I had was the instructions were very vague and based upon a different version of the kit, different parts and types of screws, etc. This led to some hang-ups. Besides that, I love my split board! It rocks! I use regular ski skins with it which doesn’t work well in the steeps. I would recommend getting the snowboard skin if you’ve got the dough.

My new splitboard works beautifully and cost way less then buying a new one. The center cut line is not perfectly straight which makes it more endearing. The only trouble is that the binding puck hardware doesn't use a T-nut like all the other mounted stuff and the puck ripped off at the end of the day. But I think this will be easily remedied by buying some screws and nuts from Voile. Then it will be perfect. Super easy.

I'm very impressed with the quality of this kit. The instructions are very, very clear, and the kit is high quality. Keep in mind: splitting a perfectly good snowboard is not for the squeamish, but for backcountry forays with a snowboard, there is no other way to go!

This kit is great fun. It was pretty easy to cut the board up and get everything lined up correctly. I threaded one of the T-nuts, called Voile and they just sent me out a new one the next day - very nice service. I'm really impressed with the way it turned out. Skiing is super stable and riding feels just like my old snowboard. It is so much easier (and faster) to get up the hill without carrying it!

This split kit is awesome! Voile does a really excellent job providing detailed instructions and user-friendly templates, not to mention excellent post-service for any extra individual parts needed. I definitely recommend this kit to those brave souls that are very mechanically-inclined and on a tight budget with a spare powder board that can be hacked in half. Make sure you take your time and get it done right.

The kit is mediocre for the price. All parts work well, but instructions are minimal. If you have a regular 8 hole binding mount(not burton) then you may want to look into voile's option for that instead of epoxying the mount plates down and locking yourself into a stance for good.