Mantra construction knowledge needed for inserts

So I am going to pull the trigger and [attempt to] put inserts in a new pair of Mantra's. If it works, I am going to put inserts in the rest of my skis and switch a pair of Dukes around on all of them.

This will also make packing skis a lot easier and lighter.

I made a thread about the possibility of doing this here:
http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/s...d.php?t=113720

so now I just need to decide what insert I am going to use. This is all dependent upon the construction of a Mantra. Does it have the same titanium top sheet with wood core or whatever as the Katana? Or is it all wood?

I am a total tech jong, but I am no stranger to power tools.

If this does work, I will be posting a full tutorial on how to do this, including pictures, in Tech Talk. I know a lot of you have shown interest in being able to do this because it cuts down costs on tens of bindings for your quiver.

sooo you're going to helicoil the mounting holes so its metal on metal right?

I could see an issue with sealing it from water getting to the core

From everything that was posted when the Explosive was retired the Mantra is two sheets of titanal sandwiching a fiberglass-wrapped (sock-style, not sandwich) wood core.

i dont know if its the same as the katana but i do know there is a lot of metal in the mantra. When i mounted mine it felt like i never hit wood.

Dont fucking put inserts (heli-coils) on a new pair of Mantras. I know what your thinking and its not a dumb idea but, just a bad one! Each heli-coil requires you to drill a pretty huge hole in your ski, putting 8 of them per ski will affect its flex and durability, void all warranty and make its resale value close to nothing. 8 heli-coils=30 regular drilling's. Dont do it, just buy another set of Dukes instead of ruining all you skis....

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Originally Posted by skiwithcharlie

Dont fucking put inserts (heli-coils) on a new pair of Mantras. I know what your thinking and its not a dumb idea but, just a bad one! Each heli-coil requires you to drill a pretty huge hole in your ski, putting 8 of them per ski will affect its flex and durability, void all warranty and make its resale value close to nothing. 8 heli-coils=30 regular drilling's. Dont do it, just buy another set of Dukes instead of ruining all you skis....

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they're not heli-coils....

they're threaded inserts. it requires a hole 3/8".

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Originally Posted by XtrPickels

sooo you're going to helicoil the mounting holes so its metal on metal right?

I could see an issue with sealing it from water getting to the core

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a product called Silastic 734 will take care of that