PSA: Mount your own fucking skis.

[jacob_dbu]

Thanks for bringing the nut up for cleaning up the thread after shortening screws. I meant to mention that. Indeed, when in doubt buy longer and saw/file to length.

You know the trick of installing the binding while the epoxy is curing? This is to nudge the screws even closer to dead on vertical. I've been hesitant to do this, for fear of there being some epoxy down in the insert and not being able to remove the screws. I finally gave it a go (super careful about keeping epoxy out), and it works. I don't tighten to binding mount torque, so as to not risk stripping the threads in the ski core.

With CAST (toe), I assume you mount the plate and one of the two toe pieces, since that's the most touchy of alignment issues.

I've found that even if you drill a perfectly vertical hole, you can mess it up (tilt) when tapping, so a tapping guide is key to a vertical hole.

... Thom

I’ll add - do not vibra-tite the screw before doing the mount while the epoxy is curing. It has enough friction to move the insert if you drilled the insert a little too deep.

[grinch]

Thanks for bringing the nut up for cleaning up the thread after shortening screws. I meant to mention that. Indeed, when in doubt buy longer and saw/file to length.

You know the trick of installing the binding while the epoxy is curing? This is to nudge the screws even closer to dead on vertical. I've been hesitant to do this, for fear of there being some epoxy down in the insert and not being able to remove the screws. I finally gave it a go (super careful about keeping epoxy out), and it works. I don't tighten to binding mount torque, so as to not risk stripping the threads in the ski core.

With CAST (toe), I assume you mount the plate and one of the two toe pieces, since that's the most touchy of alignment issues.

I've found that even if you drill a perfectly vertical hole, you can mess it up (tilt) when tapping, so a tapping guide is key to a vertical hole.

... Thom

I’ll add - do not vibra-tite the screw before doing the mount while the epoxy is curing. It has enough friction to move the insert if you drilled the insert a little too deep.

Sooo good. Thank you both. I'll definitely mount , using the tech toe, while the epoxy is curing. Thats great and should alleviate any issue, if im careful to not get any epoxy in the insert. Feeling better about doing this now

Sent from my SM-G950W using TGR Forums mobile app

[tgapp]

Sooo good. Thank you both. I'll definitely mount , using the tech toe, while the epoxy is curing. Thats great and should alleviate any issue, if im careful to not get any epoxy in the insert. Feeling better about doing this now

Sent from my SM-G950W using TGR Forums mobile app

on the epoxy on the insert front:

i got a thing of goo gone and a buncha q tips and i'm just anal about go gone'ing the hell out of the inside of every insert

might be a better way to do it but this has worked really well for me. i clean the hell out of them before and after inserting. no issues yet.

i'm just a jong so take that with a grain of salt but it works really well. glue in the insides of the inserts is a nightmare that keeps me up at night.

[grinch]

on the epoxy on the insert front:

i got a thing of goo gone and a buncha q tips and i'm just anal about go gone'ing the hell out of the inside of every insert

might be a better way to do it but this has worked really well for me. i clean the hell out of them before and after inserting. no issues yet.

i'm just a jong so take that with a grain of salt but it works really well. glue in the insides of the inserts is a nightmare that keeps me up at night.

No that makes sense. I'll do that. Can't hurt and i want this to work well. Thanks

Sent from my SM-G950W using TGR Forums mobile app

[tgapp]

No that makes sense. I'll do that. Can't hurt and i want this to work well. Thanks

Sent from my SM-G950W using TGR Forums mobile app

yep my other jong advices:

- tap guides r ur friends, i wouldn't trust me to tap straight
- same goes for drilling
- i found a can of compressed air to be mega helpful in cleaning shit out
- clear your volcanos, i got the silly BF tool to do that and i actually love it, it's super easy to use and worthwhile IMO. obviously there are other ways to do this.
- i like to let the epoxy sit in the holes for a minute. i also tap the skis down to get the epoxy to settle, and then i add more. it bubbles much easier than wood glue, and if you're not careful, you'll get dry spots before putting inserts in.
- inserts go in super easy if you back turn a 1/4 turn first so it seats in the threads properly and then put em in. insert tool to start and then flathead to finish
- let em dry binders on, use your boots to line up pins before (no vibratite like others have said). BUT let the glue cure for like 45 or so minutes, if you try to put binders on right away and you need to tweak the tension across the binding (by loosening and tightening different screws), you can back out an insert with the machine screw if you try to loosen it. you gotta be super careful.
- let em dry upside down (h/t norse for that tip)

good luck mag, lmk if i can help with any other jong advice. this is all super fresh to me because i just did 90 inserts or so in the past two weeks or so. it's not hard just takes time.

[NW_SKIER]

on the epoxy on the insert front:

i got a thing of goo gone and a buncha q tips and i'm just anal about go gone'ing the hell out of the inside of every insert

might be a better way to do it but this has worked really well for me. i clean the hell out of them before and after inserting. no issues yet.

i'm just a jong so take that with a grain of salt but it works really well. glue in the insides of the inserts is a nightmare that keeps me up at night.

Disk brake cleaner.

The main reason to clean inserts thoroughly before install is to remove residual oil left from the machining process. It will prevent the epoxy from bonding the insert properly in place.

[NW_SKIER]

Mounted some replacement Mfree 108's for Kopi_red tonight after I broke his first pair riding them on day one. My bad.

Also mounted shifts on Line Sakanas for him using a template I stenciled real quick. I love this shit. So therapeutic.

[tgapp]

Disk brake cleaner.

The main reason to clean inserts thoroughly before install is to remove residual oil left from the machining process. It will prevent the epoxy from bonding the insert properly in place.

huh cool

i was using goo gone for that step, i hope i'm not gonna die

i would just get a rag wet in goo gone and rub it all over the insert before putting it in

i did like 90 inserts so i sure hope that wasn't a fuckup, but if it was, don't take advice from me

[tgapp]

Mounted some replacement Mfree 108's for Kopi_red tonight after I broke his first pair riding them on day one. My bad.

Also mounted shifts on Line Sakanas for him using a template I stenciled real quick. I love this shit. So therapeutic.

that's a sick setup. i want a pair of sakanas, that's fucking rad

[NW_SKIER]

You're likely fine. Just trying to make your cleaning step more efficient.

[John_B]

I paid for my first insert install and I dont think the shop got rid of the cutting oil on the inserts. Every once in a while I get an insert that backs out when I swap bindings. All I've done is reepoxy and reinstall and I havent had any issues beyond that.

[tgapp]

I paid for my first insert install and I dont think the shop got rid of the cutting oil on the inserts. Every once in a while I get an insert that backs out when I swap bindings. All I've done is reepoxy and reinstall and I havent had any issues beyond that.

yikes man

also when i was doing my QK jobs on already mounted skis i was kinda blown away by how many corners i saw that shops had cut. like HUGE volcanos, poorly trimmed plugs, mounts that weren't on true center, all sorts of shit

these are reputable ski shops who have great reputations & such, not trying to shit talk em, but it does reinforce the old "if you want something done right you should do it yourself" adage

[galibier_numero_un]

- i like to let the epoxy sit in the holes for a minute. i also tap the skis down to get the epoxy to settle, and then i add more. it bubbles much easier than wood glue, and if you're not careful, you'll get dry spots before putting inserts in.
- let em dry binders on, use your boots to line up pins before (no vibratite like others have said). BUT let the glue cure for like 45 or so minutes, if you try to put binders on right away and you need to tweak the tension across the binding (by loosening and tightening different screws), you can back out an insert with the machine screw if you try to loosen .

Good point about bubbles. I cut 6" lengths of guitar strings (wound ones) which I use to move the epoxy around, but yeah ... let it settle, and wiggle it around some more. Good point about inserts backing out - short cure time before screwing in binders to align the inserts.

... Thom

[grinch]

yep my other jong advices:

- tap guides r ur friends, i wouldn't trust me to tap straight
- same goes for drilling
- i found a can of compressed air to be mega helpful in cleaning shit out
- clear your volcanos, i got the silly BF tool to do that and i actually love it, it's super easy to use and worthwhile IMO. obviously there are other ways to do this.
- i like to let the epoxy sit in the holes for a minute. i also tap the skis down to get the epoxy to settle, and then i add more. it bubbles much easier than wood glue, and if you're not careful, you'll get dry spots before putting inserts in.
- inserts go in super easy if you back turn a 1/4 turn first so it seats in the threads properly and then put em in. insert tool to start and then flathead to finish
- let em dry binders on, use your boots to line up pins before (no vibratite like others have said). BUT let the glue cure for like 45 or so minutes, if you try to put binders on right away and you need to tweak the tension across the binding (by loosening and tightening different screws), you can back out an insert with the machine screw if you try to loosen it. you gotta be super careful.
- let em dry upside down (h/t norse for that tip)

good luck mag, lmk if i can help with any other jong advice. this is all super fresh to me because i just did 90 inserts or so in the past two weeks or so. it's not hard just takes time.

Thanks again. I have bf guide block and the volcano tool. I often free hand drill the hole and tap but with the cast set up ill be sure to use the guide and clean out the insert with the recommended solution that ive been using. Good reminder on using my drill bit/tap guide.I havent cleaned out the inner insert threads but this will be the first time i put the toe piece in place while it cures .
Ive ordered a new punch from bf and a drill bit along with a bunch of screws to have. The bf punch and bits fit the jiga rex proper unlike my current bits and punch. Added a heli coil retraction bit too. Hoping with some soldering gun heat i can pull those heli coils and thread some inserts straight in. Sucker for punishment possibly

Sent from my SM-G950W using TGR Forums mobile app

[mr_pretzel]

Mounted some replacement Mfree 108's for Kopi_red tonight after I broke his first pair riding them on day one. My bad.

Also mounted shifts on Line Sakanas for him using a template I stenciled real quick. I love this shit. So therapeutic.

How did you break them?

[NW_SKIER]

How did you break them?

I crashed really hard. Thinking one ski hit the other just right. Not really sure, to be honest. I bounced off a couple snow covered boulders too so it's anyone's guess.

[banzai]

Back when I was foolish enough to buy some Pivots (flame me now ), I noticed that the BF heel screw spec (I think the longer pair) was on the short side. When measuring, I ended up (and this is from memory) with 24mm screws that I shortened to 22mm (the choices in this length were either 20 or 24).

... Thom

Nice guide Thom.
To be exact - BF suggests 20mm for the rear heel pivot holes, you need 18mm


Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

[turnfarmer]

I didn't mount my own fucking bindings but I removed a piston plate on some GS skis to put it in the softer flex position. Damn it's hard to find solid info on piston plates.
After taking all the mounting screws out, there is a little oblong hole near the front that needs an awl inserted and pressed down( to rear of ski) so the plate can be pulled off.

[AZskibum]

What size tap am I looking for at the store for? I have the 4.1 drill bit on order for a mount this week.

[HAB]

What size tap am I looking for at the store for? I have the 4.1 drill bit on order for a mount this week.

For inserts, 5/16-18 bottoming tap.

If you're talking regular binding screws, you're not going to find that at the hardware store. Get one from Slidewright.

[ntblanks]

https://www.slidewright.com/snoli-12...readcutter.php

[Bandit Man]

Finally got around to mounting these...



Thanks to gregorys for his Warden 13 demo template. Now that my son can manage my skis, the “demo fleet” is growing and my kid is digging it!

[AZskibum]

Cool, picked up the tap/handle. Do you guys trust the Xmm printed on the boot (I'm assuming that's what shops do) or do you measure it yourself?

[gregL]

Cool, picked up the tap/handle. Do you guys trust the Xmm printed on the boot (I'm assuming that's what shops do) or do you measure it yourself?

Shops put the actual boot in a jig. If you are using a printed template and chopping off both ends at a given length, I would measure the BSL "just to make sure" . . .

[Kopi_Red]

NW_SKIER doing some dental work.