PSA: Mount your own fucking skis.

[XXX-er]

Is there any merit to removing bindings and checking out your mount job at the end of the season? Still a bit new to Mounting My Own Fucking Skis, and haven’t had a catastrophe yet, but am still wondering if there would be anyway to know it’s coming.


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at some point be it the end of this season or the beginning of next season its smart to check the screws

do it now and you got more time to fix fucked up stuff

so yeah make sure they are not spinning and if they are I would do the epoxy & FG hack

[waxman]

https://skiandbikemag.com/tales-from-the-shop/

for your reading enjoyment, I may know the author, let me/him know what you think

[SoVT Joey]

https://skiandbikemag.com/tales-from-the-shop/

for your reading enjoyment, I may know the author, let me/him know what you think

I disagree, as long as the mount isn’t a tech binding or a freehand template, the shop should be covering the 20 minute mount. There are a lot of times we would throw in an edge and wax. 30 minutes of labor and minimal materials needed isn’t a lot to eat as a shop between mark up and keeping a customer happy and returning. That rule also only applies if it’s a ski and binding that were bought from the shop. I would not ever think of comping a mount if they didn’t purchase both from the shop.

[jackattack]

FFS. Why should a tech binding mount not be free? Tech bindings cost more that alpine bindings that doesn’t cover it?

Run your business however you want. I hope the guy is still in business charging his customers an honest price for fairly paid technicians doing good work.

And mount your own fucking skis.

[lowsparkco]

https://skiandbikemag.com/tales-from-the-shop/

for your reading enjoyment, I may know the author, let me/him know what you think

I’ll bite. I appreciate your willingness to put this piece out there. It’s clever and humorous; I think ultimately there’s a morale that we may complicate our experience sometimes being thrifty.

I feel like I’ve been on both sides of that story after 25 years of working in the outdoor industry. I also think real friends don’t ask for deals but are willing to pay full boat to help a friend succeed. That being said, having managed a ski shop, if an actual friend bought skis and bindings I’d probably toss them a soda and put the jig on and drill and mount them myself while we shared a story or two.

As I read this I couldn’t help but cycle through the complicated feelings and love / hate relationship the ski industry has with affluence.

I often come full circle back to my initial observation of lift access skiing from when I first experienced it as 21 year old. We’re strapping two boards to our feet to slide on snow? Nothing after that is going to make much sense. The whole experience defies logic. Both the beauty and the bane of the whole endeavor.

[XXX-er]

A free mount comes with a ski/ binding purchase but if you bring in a ski or binding to be mounted you will pay is pretty standard

[waxman]

My store now, if you buy it here it is included. Alien gear is you pay.
Tech bindings are a pain to mount (I'm looking at you Dynafit and your stupid Torx screws) and all the fiddly bits that were put in the box attached but fell off in transit. I say that and we sell ATK (unreadable release settings), Dynafit, G3, Fritschi, Marker and CAST.

For extra mounting pleasure every tele binding should be double the cost to mount no matter where it was purchased.

[ski-wpk]

Tele mounts might be slower but also easier? Off-center toe, or heel not exactly right, and you’re still good to go. I hate mounting alpine bindings. Too much accuracy.

[XXX-er]

Tele mounts might be slower but also easier? Off-center toe, or heel not exactly right, and you’re still good to go. I hate mounting alpine bindings. Too much accuracy.

no heelpiece so mounting tele is way faster IME so you can drink a lot of beer or do some fentanyl and it will still turn out great cuz its only tele !

[waveshello]

Are you even a tele skier if you don't use one of these?

[MyNameIsAugustWest]

Mounted some new sticks. Put Salomon Strive 12s on them using Knut's Warden 11 template. I had written that the heel needed to be mounted 8mm "short" for the heel to be in the middle of the adjustment range on the template. Since I didn't remember writing that, I tested on a 2x4. Sure enough, when moving the heel forward 8mm, the heel piece was dead in the center of the adjustment range. Don't know if Knut is still following this thread but some input if you are....

To clarify, the BSL on my boot was embossed at 316mm (it's actually closer to 312mm). So I mounted the toe using the BSL listed and mounted the heel at 308mm on the template.

Would post pics but....

[waxloaf]

Yup - what you found is exactly the same as what I’ve seen on the warden 11 template for the strive. Thankfully if you mount to actual BSL the heel piece has enough room to move in and get to proper fwd pressure, but your “8mm shorter” approach would be better


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[MyNameIsAugustWest]

^ true but if you go down a shell size, you will likely have to remount to get forward pressure in range


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[schindlerpiste]

Sometimes (more often than not) when it comes to mounting my own, I am a total idiot JONG. Today, I mounted a pair of G3 ION LT 12s on Stormrider Lights. These clamps have no brakes, and leashes are used. The leashes are [supposed] to be screwed in to one of the front toe screws when mounting bindings. Of course, I drilled, cleaned, epoxied and screwed in the toes without the leashes attached. I really don't want to unscrew just to attach. I guess my only option is to drill another hole up near the toe, or forego the leash. Otherwise, I can go real old school and just tie a string, voile strap or other to the clamp and then around my leg.

[XXX-er]

one of those screw holes will have epoxy sealing the threads in the ski, don't overthink just use a binding screw

[teledad]

Can't you girth hitch the leash around one of the arms of the toe piece? That's what I do on the Zeds.

[tgapp]

this thread has been dead for a while

picked up a new pair of binders in Andermatt and figured it was time to mount them

I think I did an okay job, had to work around an existing tele mount and some other silliness

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[Meadow Skipper]

^ nice

[halliday]

I dropped my wife off at the airport early this morning and then decided to take a sick day to get these mounted and work on my bike. Mounted +2 with a V1 CAST system on a 23/24 Nomad 115 @186 with a full Binding Freedom insert mount. Ive done about ten V1 CAST/Insert mounts so far, some for my self, and quite a few for others. I love the Nomad 115 but Im not too keen on the big eye. Maybe take a black Sharpie to it or maybe a big red bloodshot eye? The stained glass Stealie I picked up on Shakedown Street at the Philly Spectrum during the Spectrum final closing shows, It was made by Mountain Family Satined Glass www.mountainfamilyglass.com They were good people to meet on Shakedown. But then again most that you meet on Shakedown are good people.

[waveshello]

I dropped my wife off at the airport early this morning and then decided to take a sick day to get these mounted and work on my bike. Mounted +2 with a V1 CAST system on a 23/24 Nomad 115 @186 with a full Binding Freedom insert mount. Ive done about ten V1 CAST/Insert mounts so far, some for my self, and quite a few for others. I love the Nomad 115 but Im not too keen on the big eye. Maybe take a black Sharpie to it or maybe a big red bloodshot eye? The stained glass Stealie I picked up on Shakedown Street at the Philly Spectrum during the Spectrum final closing shows, It was made by Mountain Family Satined Glass www.mountainfamilyglass.com They were good people to meet on Shakedown. But then again most that you meet on Shakedown are good people.

Cut yerself a eyepatch out of some vinyl and stow that eye, matey! I actually like the look of them, eye and all. Rasta pivots look good on there too.

Sounds like a great way to spend a sick day, I could use one like that right about now.

[forumskier]

What’s the strongest glue/epoxy I can use for reusing holes, but will still be able to remove later on (don’t mind a little extra work when removing)? I’m over 200lbs and ski hard, idk if that makes a difference.

Got some Heritage Lab skis drilled for old Marker Royal demo binders. Picked up some NIB Jester Demos from 2016. Want to reuse holes, but also want to be able to remove once demo binders get sloppy.

[EricB]

What’s the strongest glue/epoxy I can use for reusing holes, but will still be able to remove later on (don’t mind a little extra work when removing)? I’m over 200lbs and ski hard, idk if that makes a difference.

Got some Heritage Lab skis drilled for old Marker Royal demo binders. Picked up some NIB Jester Demos from 2016. Want to reuse holes, but also want to be able to remove once demo binders get sloppy.

Curios - why go through the hassle of mounting 9 year old bindings if you’re planning on replacing them anyways?

Catch and release them.

[Meadow Skipper]

Use plugs with carpenter’s glue instead of epoxy.

[forumskier]

Curios - why go through the hassle of mounting 9 year old bindings if you’re planning on replacing them anyways?

Catch and release them.

I’m experimenting A LOT with mount position on these particular skis.

Use plugs with carpenter’s glue instead of epoxy.

What are plugs? What I consider plugs are the things you put in holes when you are done with them, to keep moisture away from core.

Is there an epoxy that’s gonna be stronger than wood glue, but still able to break free with heat or something when I want to remove?

[gregorys]

IME, I use a general strength epoxy - I think I'm using T88 from system three currently. (I've used others, but that's probably the stuff I've used most cases.)

I've *never* had an issue removing screws. I usually use a 1/4" impact when removing stuff, though I'm about 99% sure I've done it with just a regular screwdriver and hand-power too. We're not talking hundreds of pairs, or anything - but easily 6-10 pairs - so 100-200+ binding screws - and it's never been an issue. (I've never had to heat up a screw to get it to release, etc.)

I've seen posts talking about issues removing screws with epoxy - using a torch etc - but I always, always use epoxy and I've never had a single issue.

I don't know if the "problem" is way over-stated, I'm just lucky, there's some "special epoxy" that's has way more adhesive properties to the screws that everyone else uses or what. But yeah, zero issues here.

If I were to use my N of 1 results, I'd say just toss epoxy in and you'll be totally fine.