PSA: Mount your own fucking skis.

[skier666]

Mounted the 8 year old's 136cm Moment Carson with Salomon L7 clamps...

What is up with the L7 top screw & clip? You have to try and keep it straight so you can slide the toe piece over it, then screw in the two other holes...I did it, just seemed a bit odd.

[detrusor]

Got the 5 year old on the same setup but the 115's. Skied them at Alta Sunday and loved them.

[sethschmautz]

- Punch holes well so the drill bit doesn't drift. I had one drift about .5mm on the toe but I was able to recover because the other holes were spot on.

- Drill first with a small starter bit, lay binding on top to verify center, then drill with the larger bit.

Good tips, although I would suggest a small change. I would do the visual test (which I think is as important as many other of these steps - your eye will pick up small deviations down to 2mm or less) after you punch holes. Once you've drilled pilot holes, you're (more) stuck.

Seth

[N1CK.]

this could be a dumb question, and yes, I searched

anything noteworthy about plugging old holes? glue and a plug, that's it? glue vs epoxy? plastic vs wood vs ???
just hammer them in, or are there threaded plugs?

thanks...

[DJSapp]

I just got a box full of stuff from tognar, so I'm about to embark upon mounting a fuckload of skis for the first time. I think I'm gonna practice on a 2x4 first.

Does it make any sense to make a template from a piece of wood, or just stick with paper templates?

[Norseman]

this could be a dumb question, and yes, I searched

anything noteworthy about plugging old holes? glue and a plug, that's it? glue vs epoxy? plastic vs wood vs ???
just hammer them in, or are there threaded plugs?

thanks...

Some folks dig the plastic plugs cause they're easy. No need for threaded plugs as you'd need to drill out anything that's glued in, if you ever need the holes again.

Re epoxy... other waterproof adhesives (and cheap fast-setting epoxies) can become brittle in cold temps and chip out, allowing water into the core. Long set stuff has better mechanical toughness and will behave with repeated stressing.

I just got a box full of stuff from tognar, so I'm about to embark upon mounting a fuckload of skis for the first time. I think I'm gonna practice on a 2x4 first.

Does it make any sense to make a template from a piece of wood, or just stick with paper templates?

Whatever works for you, as long as the material is dimensionally stable and won't warp over time. Nice thing about paper is the ability to lift a corner to check alignment, etc. I like thin transparent plastic with gradations on the fore and aft edges, as it's easy to center the template by looking through it.

[skiSilent_skiDeep]

So these are inserts?

Inserts don't tolerate much off-centeredness. But one way to correct this is to tap the hole at a bit of an angle and install the insert at a bit of an angle. The other is to use a slow setting epoxy and try to get the screw/insert to align with a bit of force.
You don't want to force the machine screw into an off center insert--you will just strip the threads on the screw and eventually the insert.

Some ski top sheets are slippery and to prevent the bit wandering on the next set of holes:
1. Use a binding specific bit and a real punch, not a nail or,
2. Drill a pilot hole with a 1/16" bit--if that wanders you can correct it.

Good luck.

this also applies to swap plate mounts. found that out last night. thought I just could go freestyle through the paper template for the last hole of the mount, the one I apparently forgot to prep punch and pilot. ended up drifting it. the aluminum plate had zero tolerance for my error. lesson learned. favorite beater ski now retired.

[nyskirat]

Those who use the Jigarex, is it really that beneficial vs. a paper template?

[skiSilent_skiDeep]

this could be a dumb question, and yes, I searched

anything noteworthy about plugging old holes? glue and a plug, that's it? glue vs epoxy? plastic vs wood vs ???
just hammer them in, or are there threaded plugs?

thanks...

Hot glue gun. generic glue stick.

cover hole with glue gun tip. pull trigger, fill hole. slight rock with the gun to let the air bubble out. repeat for other holes. second round to top off any depressions. rasp, cut, or sand down to surface grade.

been using this method for a while. holds up to all temps you'd find yourself skiing in. holds up to all the applied forces the ski undergoes. I haven't witnessed any cracking or separation.

for remount using the glued up holes. tap with 5/32 bit at slow speed. the glue easily peels out of the hole and its threads (90% of the time IME). the couple of times I have remounted, I did not observe any water or existing thread mold damage. YMMV

[::: :::]

Some folks dig the plastic plugs cause they're easy. No need for threaded plugs as you'd need to drill out anything that's glued in, if you ever need the holes again.

Re epoxy... other waterproof adhesives (and cheap fast-setting epoxies) can become brittle in cold temps and chip out, allowing water into the core. Long set stuff has better mechanical toughness and will behave with repeated stressing.



Whatever works for you, as long as the material is dimensionally stable and won't warp over time. Nice thing about paper is the ability to lift a corner to check alignment, etc. I like thin transparent plastic with gradations on the fore and aft edges, as it's easy to center the template by looking through it.

waterproof wood glue - titebond III
plastic plugs are cheap too...add some to your next order when you get wax or tools from slidewright

[PlayItLeo]

I just got a box full of stuff from tognar, so I'm about to embark upon mounting a fuckload of skis for the first time. I think I'm gonna practice on a 2x4 first.

Does it make any sense to make a template from a piece of wood, or just stick with paper templates?

I like using a piece of 1/8 plexi as a template and I've also used a scrap of luan (1/4 ply - but you're in the trades so you know that...). If you plan on mounting more than one set of skis, it saves a bunch of time over paper templates. Just make your "jig" a bit narrower than you skinniest pair of skis, mark center, line up with center marks on skis, clamp with some hand springs, and go to town.

[carey]

Who's got a take on this?
Not mounting pins or inserts on these, so no biggie, but can anyone else make sense of what is meant?
Black Crows Atris Birdie ...

[2FUNKY]

Don't ski with toes locked and we don't warranty them or insets in our skis.

[PlayItLeo]

Wild speculation, but IMO, it's not talking about threaded, jondrums style inserts. I think "insets" refers pin (aka tech, dynafit, etc) type bindings with the "insert"being the toe/boot interface. Could be totally wrong though...

[teledad]

Yeah I think it's short for "tech inserts" and they're talking about ripping off the binding in a fall with a locked toe.

Kind of surprising they won't warranty skis with tech bindings given that they have a whole line of touring skis and have lots of pics on their website showing tech bindings on their skis. What do they expect people to put on their 1 kg/ski rando skis, Marker Dukes?

[carey]

That is what I inferred.

To paraphrase/translate:
"No warranty if tech bindings are mounted"
Since there is no way to monitor if someone is skiing them locked.....
Never heard them referred to as insert bindings either.

Honestly, I could understand voiding a warranty for installing BF inserts.... it's minor surgery. a lot of companies void warranties for less...
With this type it of warning I would be even more hesitant to put a tele binding on there than a tech.

[bigdude2468]

Those who use the Jigarex, is it really that beneficial vs. a paper template?

Jiga-Rex works great, I enjoy the convenience. IMO it only makes sense if you are going to use a specific set of plates enough to justify the cost. I have my family standardized on the Salomon STH 10 for the women and the STH2 WTR 13 for us big boys. That covers 12 pair of skis. My wife and I both have the Fritschi Vipec so I bought that set also.

Another thing, I am pretty sure my dick gets bigger every time I do a successful mount.

[Timberridge]

Who's got a take on this?
Not mounting pins or inserts on these, so no biggie, but can anyone else make sense of what is meant?

Perhaps its their way to say they make their cores out of the cheapest poplar wood and it can't retain a screw properly?

[gregL]

Perhaps its their way to say they make their cores out of the cheapest poplar wood and it can't retain a screw properly?

I am guessing they use exactly the same poplar that Atomic (or sometimes Elan) uses . . .

[doebedoe]

Finally started snowing in Colorado.

So crew go drunk and mounted some fucking skis.

The $100 Deathwish setup w/ clamps from a friendly mag. Because who can say no to cheap skis that you don't need.


Homebrewd mounting the hot pink clamps (sounds like a nasty std) on Seth's


Someone who should be known as FreeSki Whitey detuning his freshly mounted gigawatts. A ski you really don't need to own in the front range. But fuck it. Skis.

[2clue]

Anybody try this little tool by BF? How is it? Self centering, looks good for use with paper.

[doebedoe]

Looks okay. Just a basic drill guide. I got a drill guide from slidewright that does a similar thing of holding it in place.

Frankly, a center punch or a nail on the paper template and a drill guide seems sufficient for me. I don't even clamp the thing down sometimes.

Only place where a bit more "self-centering" seems like it would be useful to me is if I were doing inserts or a tech mount which are more exacting.

[::: :::]

When doing inserts, I'd suggest a proper center punch over a nail. It just has the right shape to keep the drill bit from wandering.

Or, at least grind it into a proper point if you must use a nail. And make a few, even the heavier nails will bend after a few shots.

[Muggydude]

Anybody try this little tool by BF? How is it? Self centering, looks good for use with paper.

This is a must have for inserts imo. Makes the job a whole lot easier. I use a collar on the drill bit so I get the perfect depth using the guide.

When I do normal skis I just use a center punch and drill press

[sb]

Another thing, I am pretty sure my dick gets bigger every time I do a successful mount.

THIS