Tutorial: Molding Intuition Liners

[TWINS]

I have baked both ways at the same temp/240*.The convection cook seemed to be cooler to the touch.Both ways worked great with good prep work.

[Roxtar]

Any thoughts on use of a convection oven...set oven to 220 instead of 240, etc. I think I read this somewhere else I the thread.

That's what I used.
Worked perfectly.

[Horu]

I used this method last night. I used the rubber toecap provided by intuition, which seems to not have been enough. I have a fairly snug shell fit, and my toes are cramped, even leaning forward fairly far into the boot. The fit otherwise seems to be pretty good.

The solution I am considering is to create a larger toecap with an old sock or something, heat the toe of the boot with a hair dryer and try to press it out a little more.

Any better ideas?

[Nasty]

I had the same problem after molding, toe box too snug. I put foam between toes to spread them wider and used the rubber toe cap again. There was enough room with after molding toe area again.

[Wild4umlauts]

The previous two posts reminded me that I've modified the fitting process to help resolve the toe box size problem.

I went down a shell size this season so my shell fit is now down to 5mm. I need to get every last drop of toe wiggle room that I can. So what I've done for my last two liner fittings is after the first 10 minutes of driving my heel down and back to create a solid heel pocket I spend the last 5 minutes driving my toes forward as much as I can stand. Note that I use toe caps made from scuba booties and foam between my toes.

I'm also using the Power Wrap Plug liner so that gives me a little extra toe room due to the reduced thickness of the liner.

[Kim Jong-un]

j/c that foam between the toes thing. Is what you are using those things that chicks use between their toes when they get pedicures, or just pieces of foam you cut from something? I've not tried this yet but I'm wondering if individual pieces could get moved around too much.

[Nasty]

^^^The foam I use has sticky on one side, fold it in half and sticks to both toes. Can add more layers to outside toes.

[Wild4umlauts]

j/c that foam between the toes thing. Is what you are using those things that chicks use between their toes when they get pedicures, or just pieces of foam you cut from something? I've not tried this yet but I'm wondering if individual pieces could get moved around too much.

Yep - you got it. Pedicure foam. After I'm done with the liner fitting I usually go for a nice shade of purple for my nails.

[nickwm21]

Resurrection of this Thread... Quick question.

This is my 3rd season on my full tilts. My liners have never been baked. They have packed out to the point where I need to use thick socks to get the snug fit I like. Can I bake these liners? There are some small abrasions in liner from use.... Do I need to buy new liners?

And any suggestions on making my own toe box?

[Wild4umlauts]

Baking the liners generally will not increase their volume. Although initially the foam does expand a bit more upon heating, baking makes the foam more dense once they're cooled. However, I'm not quite sure what will happen with a liner that's never been baked, but only skied to pack it out. The fact that you were able to ski an unbaked Full Tilt liner pretty much tells me that your shell size is way too big. I can't even get my foot into my shell with an unbaked liner.

[nickwm21]

Baking the liners generally will not increase their volume. Although initially the foam does expand a bit more upon heating, baking makes the foam more dense once they're cooled. However, I'm not quite sure what will happen with a liner that's never been baked, but only skied to pack it out. The fact that you were able to ski an unbaked Full Tilt liner pretty much tells me that your shell size is way too big. I can't even get my foot into my shell with an unbaked liner.

hmm that is interesting... I always thought it was the opposite. I was fitted to the boots and have a standard pencil sized gap behind the heel with the toes touching, a good fit.

[wooley12]

Baking the liners generally will not increase their volume.

Did you mean DECREASE their volume making for a tighter fit? Putting an old, flat sneaker foot bed or two under your own foot bed might help. Called a midsole on cobbler speak. But I'm cheap and WTF do I know.

[nickwm21]

Did you mean DECREASE their volume making for a tighter fit? Putting an old, flat sneaker foot bed or two under your own foot bed might help. Called a midsole on cobbler speak. But I'm cheap and WTF do I know.

The first thing I tried was a foot bed. My foot is skinny but really tall. Footbeds cause the top of my foot to press against the top of the boot and it hurts.....

[austin.hutner]

Hey yooper, what would I use as a boot strecher / how would I get my liners in if I have Dalbello boots? It has a 3 peice design and doesn't open up like a regular salmon boot per say. They open out the front instead of curling around...

Thanks, Austin.

[Wild4umlauts]

hmm that is interesting... I always thought it was the opposite. I was fitted to the boots and have a standard pencil sized gap behind the heel with the toes touching, a good fit.

If you think about it logically you'll realize why that can't possibly be the case. There are only so many bakes in an Intuition liner. Why? Because the foam gets more and more dense with each succeeding bake. As the foam gets more dense it LOSES volume. Everyone thinks they're going to be getting a "refreshed" fit because initially the foam does expand a bit upon re-heating. Unfortunately it doesn't stay that way when it's fully cooled.

I have heated liners up to 6 times and I've never seen it happen any other way.

And if you truly have a "pencil" fit then you're a better man than I being able to ski an unbaked liner until it packed out.

[Kim Jong-un]

If you think about it logically you'll realize why that can't possibly be the case. There are only so many bakes in an Intuition liner. Why? Because the foam gets more and more dense with each succeeding bake. As the foam gets more dense it LOSES volume. Everyone thinks they're going to be getting a "refreshed" fit because initially the foam does expand a bit upon re-heating. Unfortunately it doesn't stay that way when it's fully cooled.

I have heated liners up to 6 times and I've never seen it happen any other way.

And if you truly have a "pencil" fit then you're a better man than I being able to ski an unbaked liner until it packed out.

Straight on. I've used the rebake method to get more room in a set of Med volume liners because I also have a pencil fit (Ticonderoga No. 2 unsharpened) in a 98mm shell. The plug liner which is thinner, mold up just right the first time for me, but I had to bake the Med volume liners 2X. NO WAY could I ski an unbaked liner in my boots either. What's the point of buying Intuitions if you don't bake them?

[nickwm21]

What's the point of buying Intuitions if you don't bake them?

Ignorance. I bought the boots in the early days of Full Tilt, I was unaware that the liners were intuitions, and I am surprised the boot fitter did not mention it or mold them.

I checked my boots last night... The fit is a two pencil fit, rather than one. This is upsetting. My foot fit great for the first 100 days in the boot, but as the liner heats with use, I guess it forms as it normally would, by becoming denser, and my boot has lost the perfect fit. I can still ski them fine, I just wear thicker hiking socks..........

But boot fitters are supposed to know what they are doing........ I guess I will need to start saving for new boots.

[CaliBrit]

Ignorance. I bought the boots in the early days of Full Tilt, I was unaware that the liners were intuitions, and I am surprised the boot fitter did not mention it or mold them.

I checked my boots last night... The fit is a two pencil fit, rather than one. This is upsetting. My foot fit great for the first 100 days in the boot, but as the liner heats with use, I guess it forms as it normally would, by becoming denser, and my boot has lost the perfect fit. I can still ski them fine, I just wear thicker hiking socks..........

But boot fitters are supposed to know what they are doing........ I guess I will need to start saving for new boots.

Two pencils is about a 15mm shell fit. That is not bad. If you went down a size it would be a 5mm shell fit. Now some people may well ski that and be happy, but I would stress that a 5mm shell fit, even a 7.5mm (one pencil) is pretty damn tight.

The length is only one indicator of the fit, if the heel, ankle, and forefoot is held tightly, a little room in the toe really makes no difference.

[Wasatch Ripper]

So I just got some konflicts on Christmas and had them molded that day. I've had two days on them so far and i love them. But my big toe on my right foot feels like it's getting bruised, but it's not bruised. Should I punch the boot or should I shave off a piece of the liner? Any other recommendations would be appreciated! Thanks

[Wild4umlauts]

I wouldn't recommend ever "shaving" Intuition liners. There are some good posts here about spot molding trouble areas of Intuitions (I like the hot water idea best). Check those out.

However, with only 2 days on the boots I would be reluctant to recommend any changes yet. Ski them a bit more and let things settle in. If you're really hurting then at 5 days consider doing something. If you're not dying then I would wait until I had 10 days on the boots.

[Sparwood Dave]

Not enough toe room is a recurrent theme. It makes sense that the stock Intuition toe caps won't fit everybody's feet or toe room preferences so I made my own. Lots of duct tape (gray works best) and some spare very thin, dense foam ski straps you use to keep skis together. Remove the velcro from the straps, wrap toe with foam then duct tape and repeat for a dense, noncompressable custom fit toe cap. Just plain duct tape will do but it takes more tape and you need something on your toes first like the toe of a thin dress sock. Stuck toes are not happy toes.

[Big E]

My third trip out to the shop, I was finally set(or so I thought). I used a utility knife to cut a hole in the side of the box, I inserted a hair dryer, set it to full and let it blast. With the thermometer reinserted, and hair dryer on, the temp quickly hit 235 degrees, then 240 and hovered between 240-250 for around 20 minutes before the thermal switch kicked in. Success, in essence I had a boot heater/former thing with little to no cost.

Based on TyeStick's experiment here, I wonder if keeping the liner in the boot, making a "cap" of some sort for the liner, and then sticking a hair dryer through that cap and running it for 20 minutes or so would do the same job as the "heat stacks" that they are recommending now. Never seen one of these heat stack contraptions so I don't know exactly how it works. Anyone?

[eenser]

Does anyone have a suggestion on liner sizing? I am going to purchase a pair of power wraps and want them for a 29.5/30 Crispi shell. Since the Intuitions only come in full sizes would it be best to go with a 29 or a 30? I am 13 street shoe but usually wear a 29.5 boot.

[Kim Jong-un]

^^^get the larger liner.

[Poop~Ghost]

Bumpin this awesome thread because I'm baking tonight.