PSA: Mount your own fucking skis.

Mounted the new spring and non-pow setup last night, had to use a combination of Wildsnow's heel template and the radical toe piece template from this forum.
As with every mount, I re-learned a few lessons and made a few mistakes I've probably made before but I'm too stupid to remember:
. use a good (ie sharp as fuck) bit or it will wander
. drilling straight without a drill press isn't that easy, good thing it doesn't matter as much in a soft core ski
. measure 15 times and drill once, especially when you're installing non adjustable bindings. I have a bit too much heel gap on the left ski, calipers say 6.2 mm instead of 5.5. The other one is perfect and I still have no idea what I did since I fucked up the 2nd ski and repeated the exact steps I did for the first one.

Results, the setup comes in at 1750 g per foot, not exactly weight weeny class but over a pound lighter than my Wailer 105s:

Attachment 203919

Attachment 203920

Gratuitous quiver shot, guess my infatuation with DPS finally calmed down a bit:

Attachment 203921

Right on! That's a very light setup for its size. Solid big day boards.
For comparison, the V-Werks I just put together w/ the same binders weighed in at 1930g/ea on my cheap kitchen scale.

What does Down use for the cores on those?

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Originally Posted by Boissal

. drilling straight without a drill press isn't that easy, good thing it doesn't matter as much in a soft core ski

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https://www.amazon.com/Milescraft-13.../dp/B00F1ZJFZK

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Originally Posted by Norseman

Right on! That's a very light setup for its size. Solid big day boards.
For comparison, the V-Werks I just put together w/ the same binders weighed in at 1930g/ea on my cheap kitchen scale.

What does Down use for the cores on those?

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Paulownia. Here you go ...

http://www.downskis.com/shop/lowdown-102-179cm-2016

... Thom

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Originally Posted by kai_ski

https://www.amazon.com/Milescraft-13.../dp/B00F1ZJFZK

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Ha! Thanks, definitely more reasonable than investing in a drill press...

yup.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Boissal

. drilling straight without a drill press isn't that easy,

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Yes, it is really easy. What you need is a solid center punch. I like SVST's because it fits perfectly in jig bushings. If I'm not using a jig, I like the spring-loaded ones. After that, use a small drill bit to enlarge it a tad. If I'm installing inserts, I'll next use a 3.6 x 9.5 alpine bit to enlarge the holes and check alignment before going with the F bit.

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Originally Posted by dschane

Yes, it is really easy. What you need is a solid center punch. I like SVST's because it fits perfectly in jig bushings. If I'm not using a jig, I like the spring-loaded ones. After that, use a small drill bit to enlarge it a tad. If I'm installing inserts, I'll next use a 3.6 x 9.5 alpine bit to enlarge the holes and check alignment before going with the F bit.

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I center punch on the template with the tip of a sharp screw then redo it with an actual center punch and hammer to really put a defined hole in the topsheet. None of that matters if you're using a shitty bit though because it can wander a bit before biting. My point was: buy a decent bit instead of reusing the one you've been using to build a fence and refurb the shed...

Ah, drilling straight with a shitty bit isn't that easy. Agreed.

Nice skis by the way.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Boissal

My point was: buy a decent bit instead of reusing the one you've been using to build a fence and refurb the shed...

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Yeah, don't cheap out on a proper bit. Personally, I would never drill a ski without one.

http://www.tognar.com/alpine-binding-drill-bits/

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Originally Posted by kai_ski

Yeah, don't cheap out on a proper bit. Personally, I would never drill a ski without one.

http://www.tognar.com/alpine-binding-drill-bits/

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I have their 4.1 x 9 and it drills into a DPS ski like it's butter, no wandering, just punches right through to the stepped section. The 9/64" el cheapo bit with masking tape depth gauge I was using yesterday (after spending 15 minutes wondering if I should just go buy a new one) felt a bit less precise... Interestingly I tapped a few of the holes with a regular #12 tap (which is meant to tap 4.1 mm holes, correct me if I'm wrong) just to get a couple threads in and the screws went in much easier and felt more solid. I had never bothered taping a non-metal ski but read somewhere on here that people were doing it and the same tap could be used for 3.6 and 4.1. Guess it makes sense since the same screw goes in both holes...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Boissal

Interestingly I tapped a few of the holes with a regular #12 tap (which is meant to tap 4.1 mm holes, correct me if I'm wrong) just to get a couple threads in and the screws went in much easier and felt more solid. I had never bothered taping a non-metal ski but read somewhere on here that people were doing it and the same tap could be used for 3.6 and 4.1. Guess it makes sense since the same screw goes in both holes...

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I always tap all holes.

Huhuhuh

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Originally Posted by Leavenworth Skier

I would not drink space dust and try to mount $1200 carbon fiber skis that have a special mount pattern, but I'm not an enginerd like Norseman.

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That beer definitely counts as 1.5 normal beers. I'm always so psyched when I find it at the City of Rocks (no chance of it ever appearing in a UT liquor st0re_

Anyone ever fill the hole where you put your pole to take fks off?
What type of epoxy would be best?

Clear would look best, something a little flexible too

Does stepping on the dildo with your ski or boot not work with fks?
Honest question from an ignorant man.

it scrapes away a ton of plastic:(

I stomp em anyway. Not worried about it

They're going to ski a lot fuckin better.

I'm lucky that I work at a ski area and the boys like me and my family and they will hook us up with killer service. I can do it all, but to have a crack team on the spot to tune Owen's race skis or fix my wife's core shot is pretty damn nice. I like to mount my own fucking skis, but I also appreciate good shop techs.

Word

Nice quiver

I like the produce scale for weights by the pound!

Good tip re: mounting Kingpins:
https://www.tetongravity.com/forums/...ngpin-question