PSA: Mount your own fucking skis.

[1000-oaks]

how many times can you rip and remount bindings into the existing holes without totally fucking them up?

If the skis have metal layers, you're careful to not cross-thread the screws reinstalling them, and you don't over-torque the screws, you could swap bindings on and off an infinite number of times with virtually zero loss of attachment strength. (You can also do this on skis without metal, but you have to be a LOT more careful to not cross-thread or over-torque.) If the binding-free skis will be stored in a humid area, cover the holes with tape to prevent the wood core from absorbing moisture.

Tip: to help prevent cross threading the screws, drill / cut / file out the little plastic tabs in your binding baseplate holes, so the screws can freely drop into the baseplate holes and spin with zero resistance. These tabs hold the screws in the bindings during shipment, but they made it hard to feel the start of existing threads in your ski and could cause cross-threading. To feel for the start of the threads, slowly turn the screws counter-clockwise with very light downward pressure until you feel the screw drop down into the start of the threads. Then increase downward pressure, and turn clockwise.

[californiagrown]

Mounted my first two skis this past week- mine first with Adrenaline 16s and my girlfriends with F12s.

I kind fucked up the first adrenaline 16 toe piece so that it is slightly twisted and doesnt track into the heelpiece perfectly when touring leading to a ker-chunk with every step. Functionally, it still tours (although any kind of sidehilling exacerbates the problem), and it locks down and skis with no problems. Anyone have any ideas on how to fix this? Redrilling the poplar ski seems dumb because I would be mounting 3/4s of the way in existing holes...

Maybe i just use this as a learning experience and remind myself with each step to be much more careful and precise when drilling skis? I feel like normal alpine bindings will be cake.

[GeezerSteve]

Mounted my first two skis this past week- mine first with Adrenaline 16s and my girlfriends with F12s.

I kind fucked up the first adrenaline 16 toe piece so that it is slightly twisted and doesnt track into the heelpiece perfectly when touring leading to a ker-chunk with every step. Functionally, it still tours (although any kind of sidehilling exacerbates the problem), and it locks down and skis with no problems. Anyone have any ideas on how to fix this?

Depends on how far out of whack it is. If it's no more than 2-3mm, I would install a ski helicoil, carefully and slowly drilling the new (larger) hole in the proper place with a drill press (or in my case a mill). I've cured several bad mounts this way, including a couple pairs of brand new skis royally screwed up by a shop that they sold for cheap. To the shops' (2 of them) credit, they disclosed the bad mounts. A hand drill won't work because the drill bit will follow the incorrectly positioned hole.

[gregorys]

@DIYSteve's advice sounds good.

One other tip that might help keep the drill from following the initially wrongly drilled hole - is to drill again with a very small bit and step up with one or two more intermediate sizes to the final correct size. [It's, *perhaps*, possible you could do that with a hand-drill, depending on how close it is, IMO. However, a press is, BY FAR, the best option. Vastly better.]

I'd probably fill the old hole with slow-set epoxy and let it fully harden before doing the new placement. [that will also help, some, in keeping the new placement where it should be, instead of wandering into the old one.] You can include some wood-flour [sawdust essentially] in the epoxy. I use a large gauge [12ga] needle and a syringe to get the epoxy all the way to the bottom of the hole - it's hard to do that with a toothpick. Heat will help. [Like a blow-dryer - or heatgun if you're *careful* not to scorch things.]

It would look odd, but you could also do a single binding-freedom insert instead of HC, if you had BF stuff handy and not a HC. Even suggesting it bothers me - not sure why.

[jackattack]

You could probably get away with just a plastic plug in lieu of epoxy, if following up with a helicoil or insert. Without a drill press, a drill block clamped to the ski should solve the walking issue.

[jacob_dbu]

Some proof-of-concept mounts put on today. Planning on making some Vipec-Warden plates a la jondrums original designs. Purely for personal use (for now) because I don't know if that falls under IP problems with (Slidewright?). Threw MTN bindings on the design too because I have some, but the heels have to spaced far back to prevent conflict - good thing they adjust +/-15mm.

I tried to fit Dynafit Rads on there...yeah no chance with the heel pattern.






Now that I know the holes work, gotta finish up the CAD and get manufacturing.

[XXX-er]

Mounted my first two skis this past week- mine first with Adrenaline 16s and my girlfriends with F12s.

I kind fucked up the first adrenaline 16 toe piece so that it is slightly twisted and doesnt track into the heelpiece perfectly when touring leading to a ker-chunk with every step. Functionally, it still tours (although any kind of sidehilling exacerbates the problem), and it locks down and skis with no problems. Anyone have any ideas on how to fix this? Redrilling the poplar ski seems dumb because I would be mounting 3/4s of the way in existing holes...
.

this^^ is why I suggest on AT bindings mounting the heel dead center, then mount the toes of AT bindings by ONE screw so the toe piece can pivot to its happy place when you clip the boot on a tech or the frame on a frame binding into the heelpiece of the binding in DH skiing mode

then you drill or at least mark another hole to drill and now your boot heel or heel piece in the case of a frame binding should be exactly in the middle of where it needs to be because the boot was latched into ski mode when you drilled the second toe piece screw and if you fucked that up you got 2 more screws to instal where you can maybe fix it

but people don't really get the concept so they just repeat the " OM I wana template" mantra

drill the holes all at once and wonder why things don't line up ?

[Island Bay]

You could probably get away with just a plastic plug in lieu of epoxy, if following up with a helicoil or insert. Without a drill press, a drill block clamped to the ski should solve the walking issue.

I can second the drill block idea. I made one out of a piece of bamboo flooring, adding some strips of electrical tape to keep it from sliding when clamping.

[AlpiNord]

Some proof-of-concept mounts put on today. Planning on making some Vipec-Warden plates a la jondrums original designs. Purely for personal use (for now) because I don't know if that falls under IP problems with (Slidewright?).

I'm not sure what you are questioning.

[John_B]

Mounted my first two skis this past week- mine first with Adrenaline 16s and my girlfriends with F12s.

I kind fucked up the first adrenaline 16 toe piece so that it is slightly twisted and doesnt track into the heelpiece perfectly when touring leading to a ker-chunk with every step. Functionally, it still tours (although any kind of sidehilling exacerbates the problem), and it locks down and skis with no problems. Anyone have any ideas on how to fix this? Redrilling the poplar ski seems dumb because I would be mounting 3/4s of the way in existing holes...

Maybe i just use this as a learning experience and remind myself with each step to be much more careful and precise when drilling skis? I feel like normal alpine bindings will be cake.

I'm not familiar with the Adrenaline but potentially it would work to loosen the toepiece screws and then align the binding in the correct position then tighten visible screws and follow up tightening hidden ones. Alternatively if screws aren't easily accessible try tightening one 99% of the way, then aligning toepiece and tightening the rest w/o changing alignment. Shoot me a pm if you want a better description .

[jacob_dbu]

I'm not sure what you are questioning.

I believe you guys own the rights to the sollyfit, etc plates now. Not sure if there's any intellectual property that would prevent me from selling the same idea with mounts for different bindings?

[AlpiNord]

SVST owns the rights for both Binding Freedom and Jigarex plates.


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[slowroastin]

My local hill is opening soon and I want to go ski before my Binding Freedom inserts will arrive. Can I mount my skis traditionally and then come back and install the inserts into the same holes?


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[AlpiNord]

Of course. It is a good idea to test drive the mount in the event you find out a different location would be better....plus it’s good practice.


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[doebedoe]

My local hill is opening soon and I want to go ski before my Binding Freedom inserts will arrive. Can I mount my skis traditionally and then come back and install the inserts into the same holes?


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Maybe I'm fucking wrong, but I don't see why not. Inserts will require re-drilling for the larger size hole. Double check that the drill size of inserts is larger than the max diameter of your traditional screws external threads. If it is it "should" work.

My concern would be how to ensure you expand the holes evenly when you re-drill for inserts. Inserts are not tolerant of misalignment.

Why da fuck is mounting their own inserts and doesn't have another set of skis for opening day on hand?

[slowroastin]

Maybe I'm fucking wrong, but I don't see why not. Inserts will require re-drilling for the larger size hole. Double check that the drill size of inserts is larger than the max diameter of your traditional screws external threads. If it is it "should" work.

My concern would be how to ensure you expand the holes evenly when you re-drill for inserts. Inserts are not tolerant of misalignment.

Why da fuck is mounting their own inserts and doesn't have another set of skis for opening day on hand?

Not expanding the holes evenly is my concern.

My only mounted skis are 194 devastators and jeff122’s. Not ideal for man made ice but but I put myself in this situation.


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[NW_SKIER]

I do it all the time. If the original mount is accurate, you won't have any issues.

[sethschmautz]

Same here. Just finished redrilling existing holes for inserts with my RPCs and BMTs are next. My experience is that inserts can be forgiving if installed correctly.

Seth

[Reformed]

Any Canadian mags have a line on mounting supplies that doesn't involve paying U.S. dollars with our pathetic dollar and paying customs fees? I have no problem ordering specific tools and such from the fine folks at Tognar, Binding Freedom and Slidewright, but it sucks to have to place an order for binding hole plugs, a single step bit etc.
I have searched and not found any options. Thanks in advance if you can provide a source.

[XXX-er]

no^^ , thats why I use an old drill, a T-square, masking tape, a non stepped bit, some 2 part epoxy and a wine bottle cork

[NorCalNomad]

Not expanding the holes evenly is my concern.

Get this guy and there is no problems. Helps keep all your holes and threading nice and square. $25 well spend.
http://www.bindingfreedom.com/drill-...elf-centering/

[mtaylor]

Any Canadian mags have a line on mounting supplies that doesn't involve paying U.S. dollars with our pathetic dollar and paying customs fees? I have no problem ordering specific tools and such from the fine folks at Tognar, Binding Freedom and Slidewright, but it sucks to have to place an order for binding hole plugs, a single step bit etc.
I have searched and not found any options. Thanks in advance if you can provide a source.

Go to your favorite local shop and ask really nicely. Honestly though, you don't really need the legit gear to get it done. I did my first few mounts with a regular drill bit using a golf ball I had drilled through as a stop, and I just filled old holes with epoxy.

[GeezerSteve]

Golf tees & glue works fine for plugging old screw holes

[jackattack]

Get this guy and there is no problems. Helps keep all your holes and threading nice and square. $25 well spend.
http://www.bindingfreedom.com/drill-...elf-centering/

$25 is highway robbery if you ask me.

[Reformed]

^^^Yup, I've used most of those methods and have a bunch of legit tools that I've acquired over the years, so I'm good for the most part. I was just hoping there was a way to get the odd $5 item without getting screwed. Ah well. Necessity and invention and all that I guess.