PSA: Mount your own fucking skis.

[SWskier]

Mounted these guys this weekend. Inserts for STH and Ions.

[Meadow Skipper]

PSA: Make sure your buddy has all the screws for the bindings you are mounting before you start. Else you go to screw in the last toe piece, on your third mount of the night and about 12th beer, and you get pissed that your drunken-mount mastery can not be documented because the one screw he lost (front toe on STH16) is tough to find a replacement for in your kit.

I feel your pain. In fact, I was just yesterday thinking how much I hate it when your bro, or sistah in my case, hands you one of those thin disposable shopping bags you get at Walmart that's full of loose binding parts and screws. Something's always missing. There's never enough beer to counter that frustration. And the blank, confused look on their face when you tell them the bad news isn't any comfort.

Mount your OWN fucking bindings is the answer to that I guess. No good deed goes unpunished.

[DolphinSki]

Mounted these both up last year when I was still just a lurker here. Used the Wildsnow paper-folding method to find center, bought a used drill bit from a local shop and use the Binding Freedom templates. Thanks everyone in this thread, I think I read the whole thing before deciding to go through with the self-mount.

[doebedoe]

Question for SollyFit plate mounters:

BSL on my touring boot is about 10mm shorter than alpine boot. Since both Radicals and STHs have plenty of range, I'm thinking I just split the difference on the binding freedom template?

I've mounted a ~10 other pairs of sticks, but always just binding on ski. Anything else I should particularly think about before mounting the plates?

[flyman683]

If I recall I did that last time around. If possible double check with a 2x4 mount bc I screwed up and ended up at the very end of my dynafit range...

But in general that works fine, although it moves your mount point a bit.

[Dee Hubbs]

Trackers on 167cm.
Attachment 183339

Framed bindings set for a very small BSL on a very short ski always look wrong to me.
As a tech I would always measure twice, and double check my jig placement. After cleaning up and strapping the finished skis together I would look at them leaned up beside other completed skis, at this point I would get that sinking feeling in my stomach that they were mounted wrong, just by the looks of them.

[Andyski]

Question for SollyFit plate mounters:

BSL on my touring boot is about 10mm shorter than alpine boot. Since both Radicals and STHs have plenty of range, I'm thinking I just split the difference on the binding freedom template?

I've mounted a ~10 other pairs of sticks, but always just binding on ski. Anything else I should particularly think about before mounting the plates?

Put the Sollys on one plate, the radical on the other, then place each on a ski at the location you're planning to mount and see if both boots fit. It doesn't automatically work, so check.

[doebedoe]

Put the Sollys on one plate, the radical on the other, then place each on a ski at the location you're planning to mount and see if both boots fit. It doesn't automatically work, so check.

Thought about this but don't have the radicals removeable yet. They're currently mounted to my Yeti's. Guess I just need to hurry the fuck up and insert them so I can have them available for SollyFit testing.

[1000-oaks]

Finally found a source for stainless M5 T-nuts, if any other DIY'ers have been searching for 'em.
M5 x 8mm A2 STAINLESS TEE NUTS, DRIVE IN, FOUR 4 PRONGED, CAPTIVE T NUT (AF9)

[PlayItLeo]

Mounted up my oldest's new whips last night.
Freeball mount with a brake bendy job.

[doebedoe]

Freeball mount with a brake bendy job.

Freeball? Is that like freehanding the mount while doing a speedball?


I've got a backlog of mounts to do now that friends bought skis to match their new $65 hot-pink Axials and I've been gear whoring myself all summer. Wish it would get cold to get my ass in gear.

[PlayItLeo]

Freeball? Is that like freehanding the mount while doing a speedball?

Bingo

[nwslider]

Mounted these up today. It went super smooth with the paper templates from this thread.

[doebedoe]

Mounted some fucking skis today

PB&J's w/ new $66 Hot Pinks


And photographic proof that mags are the fucking best.

[zartagen]

Sweet van, have any candy?

[AyoBeng]

I mounted my own fucking skis this weekend. They're not perfect but I'm pretty pumped since they were my first mount and the skis were free (huge thanks to neufox47 for the hook up, the core shot seems to have filled in great).



Testing them out at sunrise at Stowe.

[detrusor]

Mounted the wife's fucking skis

[Meadow Skipper]

Mounted my co-workers fucking skis on an unseasonably balmy day today. Fucking tele bindings are a PITA. But those skis are pretty fine.

[Iowagriz]

I'm sure that the answer is somewhere within the 44 pages of this thread, but I'm lazy. Almost 30yrs ago, I mounted my own skis, but in a shop. I seem to remember the drill bit having a stopper in place to ensure you didn't drill all the way thru the ski. Besides not being a ham fisted dumbass, any tips for this? Or, just carefully tap thru the topsheet then let the screws take over from there?

[zartagen]

Tape at 9mm up the bit. Be careful and you'll be fine.

[teledad]

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

[Iowagriz]

Thanks gang

[XXX-er]

I'm sure that the answer is somewhere within the 44 pages of this thread, but I'm lazy. Almost 30yrs ago, I mounted my own skis, but in a shop. I seem to remember the drill bit having a stopper in place to ensure you didn't drill all the way thru the ski. Besides not being a ham fisted dumbass, any tips for this? Or, just carefully tap thru the topsheet then let the screws take over from there?

If you don't have the stepped bit or a collar to stop you from drilling thru your ski you can mark the bit with ductape which will move and so will a set screwed collar

SO I suggest the wine cork method, buy a bottle of wine, drink the wine, save the cork and so now ... maybe you want to wait a day ?

drill lengthways thru the middle of the cork, move the bit up/down in the drillchuck until you get the correct amount of bit sticking out from the cork and tighten the chuck down ... a fool proof drill stop

[bigdude2468]

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

Buy the proper bit, it is well worth the little bit of extra money, also removes the mushroom.

[Iowagriz]

If you don't have the stepped bit or a collar to stop you from drilling thru your ski you can mark the bit with ductape which will move and so will a set screwed collar

SO I suggest the wine cork method, buy a bottle of wine, drink the wine, save the cork and so now ... maybe you want to wait a day ?

drill lengthways thru the middle of the cork, move the bit up/down in the drillchuck until you get the correct amount of bit sticking out from the cork and tighten the chuck down ... a fool proof drill stop

Great idea! Thanks!