Thread: Possibly another Swiss cheese experiment

The last few weeks have been pretty exciting with new gear coming in for the winter season! So stoked! Unfortunately I'm faced with a big dilemma. I want to be able to use both my dukes and my dynafit radical ft's on these skis. This whole idea is very scary to me especially with 2 inserts touching. This is the only way I can figure this setup will work. Only the holes with inserts will be used, the others were some trial and error. Can anyone offer me advice, I think I'll spend a couple more weeks deciding exactly what to do so I don't make a permanent decision. Oh ya, forgot to mention, I've never mounted a pair of skis in my life. That being said, I'm very mechanically inclined and this doesn't seem like rocket science. Advice on this would be appreciated

How about dynaduke plates?

apparently the dynaduke does not work with the radical series. Can anyone confirm?

Originally Posted by ferniebiker

apparently the dynaduke does not work with the radical series. Can anyone confirm?

Huh, yep that's what the product page says. I hadn't read it as I don't own radicals. Or Dukes. Or sexy DPSs...

I can tell you I wouldn't guinea pig it on a new pair of DPSs.

I personally wouldn't have inserts touching in my skis. If you can't give a little ski between the inserts, I would punt and trade something out whether it's a different pair of Dynafits so a plate would work or a second pair of skis. Another option if your BSL will allow it is to switch sizes in Dukes. Maybe someone would trade you and that would give a different hole pattern to work with.

Don't take offense but when you are on your first ski mount and you are using the gear you are, you might be setting yourself up for an expensive lesson if you "try to make things work".

Use a drill press so the holes are 200% straight! crooked inserts don't work...

If you're feeling industrious, you could get some aluminum stock and make your own dyna-duke plates that will fit the radicals. Drilling / tapping the aluminum is reasonably straight forward, especially if you have access to a drill press. You could probably take the plates to a machine shop to have them trim off the excess and machine out some voids in non-critical areas, which shouldn't cost too much. They won't be as pretty as Jondrum's, but they'll probably get the job done.

Originally Posted by Conundrum

I can tell you I wouldn't guinea pig it on a new pair of DPSs.

I personally wouldn't have inserts touching in my skis. If you can't give a little ski between the inserts, I would punt and trade something out whether it's a different pair of Dynafits so a plate would work or a second pair of skis. Another option if your BSL will allow it is to switch sizes in Dukes. Maybe someone would trade you and that would give a different hole pattern to work with.

Don't take offense but when you are on your first ski mount and you are using the gear you are, you might be setting yourself up for an expensive lesson if you "try to make things work".

None taken, I need input like this so I don't make an expensive mistake

I took at look at the templates again and the small duke would make for a mint mounting setup--> Great advice! Edit: My BSL is 328 so I'm a little too big for the small

Originally Posted by toast2266

If you're feeling industrious, you could get some aluminum stock and make your own dyna-duke plates that will fit the radicals. Drilling / tapping the aluminum is reasonably straight forward, especially if you have access to a drill press. You could probably take the plates to a machine shop to have them trim off the excess and machine out some voids in non-critical areas, which shouldn't cost too much. They won't be as pretty as Jondrum's, but they'll probably get the job done.

This is also an interesting option as I know a very talented machinist who could probably do the whole thing. This may turn into a fun project!

The best idea is to get ahold of an old pair of skis and do it once on one of those skis. It'll only cost you the extra 17 inserts and an extra few days. If you're mechanically inclined like you say, you should have no problem at all. But yes, practice once before you drill your brand new DPS.

I would be very scared of a setup where inserts are touching as they are on the toe pieces there... Is there any possibility of running the heelpiece of your radicals all the way in(forward) to get a couple extra mm for the toe piece? Can't remember what the adjustment range is on the radical heel... the toe pieces will see a decent amount of stress from skinning.

^^^ agreed. the toe pieces make me nervous.

Originally Posted by nickel

I would be very scared of a setup where inserts are touching as they are on the toe pieces there... Is there any possibility of running the heelpiece of your radicals all the way in(forward) to get a couple extra mm for the toe piece? Can't remember what the adjustment range is on the radical heel... the toe pieces will see a decent amount of stress from skinning.

Sorry, I didn't make it very clear, the bottom of the picture is the toe piece, my camera on my phone oriented it that way. I'm thinking of another solution and would like some input. I'm thinking of making the 2 inserts that are touching to use one hole. Game plan is to move the radical heel back (top of the picture) and make new rear plates for the dukes that would have holes closer to the center of the ski to match up with the 2 front (bottom) radical bolt spots. Basicall the 2 front bolts of duke/ radical would share the same insert by making a modified heel plate for duke. Thinking machined aluminum, thoughts?

Originally Posted by ferniebiker

None taken, I need input like this so I don't make an expensive mistake

I took at look at the templates again and the small duke would make for a mint mounting setup--> Great advice! Edit: My BSL is 328 so I'm a little too big for the small

328 used to fit it a size small duke no problem. Not sure if the recent redesign has changed this, but its worth investigating. A smalled duke will also tour much nicer, as you wouldn't have extra weight of the longer bar behind your foot.

What I would do:

1. Mount Dukes to ski.
2. Put inserts in for Dukes
3. Make an adapter plate (either HDPE stock or anodized AL) that screws into Duke inserts, and has either t-nuts or tapped holes for the radicals. This lets you mess up on a plate, not a $1200 ski.

Just my $.02.

Edit: What I would actually do -- drop the dukes, buy some FKS for inbounds and use my dynafiddles for the bc.

Originally Posted by ferniebiker

Sorry, I didn't make it very clear, the bottom of the picture is the toe piece, my camera on my phone oriented it that way. I'm thinking of another solution and would like some input. I'm thinking of making the 2 inserts that are touching to use one hole. Game plan is to move the radical heel back (top of the picture) and make new rear plates for the dukes that would have holes closer to the center of the ski to match up with the 2 front (bottom) radical bolt spots. Basicall the 2 front bolts of duke/ radical would share the same insert by making a modified heel plate for duke. Thinking machined aluminum, thoughts?

I think machining a modified heel plate for the duke is going to be a pretty involved process. Probably not going to happen without some CAD time and a CNC.

I think auvgeek's solution sounds like a good bet. Machining a plate for dynafit seems much easier than machining a plate that'll work for dukes.

Originally Posted by SpinalTap

328 used to fit it a size small duke no problem. Not sure if the recent redesign has changed this, but its worth investigating. A smalled duke will also tour much nicer, as you wouldn't have extra weight of the longer bar behind your foot.

Ok because it says max 325. What are the tolerances like?

Originally Posted by toast2266

I think auvgeek's solution sounds like a good bet. Machining a plate for dynafit seems much easier than machining a plate that'll work for dukes.

There's a TR thread floating around in Tech Talk that shows how to do this with HDPE stock, drill press, and t-nuts. Made one for FKS/Dynafit toepiece using jon's paper templates, a drill press, and that thread as a tutorial. No CAD or CNC necessary, though I've been thinking about drafting up a metal plate and taking it to a machinist. Probably would be worth the $50-$100 to have it made out of metal. Not sure I can work a drill press to the precision necessary for screwing a binding into the tapped holes.

Originally Posted by auvgeek

There's a TR thread floating around in Tech Talk that shows how to do this with HDPE stock, drill press, and t-nuts. Made one for FKS/Dynafit toepiece using jon's paper templates, a drill press, and that thread as a tutorial. No CAD or CNC necessary, though I've been thinking about drafting up a metal plate and taking it to a machinist. Probably would be worth the $50-$100 to have it made out of metal. Not sure I can work a drill press to the precision necessary for screwing a binding into the tapped holes.

I meant the CAD / CNC was needed to make a new heel plate for dukes. Not a riser plate, but an actual new heel plate that the binding engages to. That has lots of ridges and grooves and shit. Agreed that no fancy machinery is needed for a "race plate" type of thing.

^^ Knew what you were saying, just clarifying to the OP what's necessary for an HDPE plate, and maybe the additional work associated with going to Al, depending on his skill with a drill press (mine is next to zero). Really wouldn't want to make a new heel plate for a duke if I could avoid it.

gotcha. And agreed; making a new heel plate for the duke seems like an enormous pain in the ass.

Thanks everyone for the info, for reference the DIY plate thread is here: http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/s...-to-Dynafit-to

I'm leaning towards this idea because it seems to be the most simple, cheapest and easiest fix. I'm going to give it some more time and thought before I rush out and make a decision but so far this one looks great! Does anyone know if the TeeNuts can just be purchased at a regular hardware store and if not where I can get them in Canada? I looked at some of the ski material suppliers but shipping prices were insane (like $25 shipping for 20 nuts).

^^ Bought mine at a local hardware shop. But the bad news is that you have to switch to a non-metric screw (10-32 or 10-24 instead of the M5 Jon's inserts use), or order them special made. They make ss ones here: http://www.boltdepot.com/Product-Det...?product=10483 if your local hardware store doesn't carry them (edit, don't ship to canada, sorry dude)

EDIT: This post was full of speculation. I was wrong. (Unsurprisingly) Jondrums was correct.

In any case, let the record show that both the 2011/2012 Dynaduke plate, and the model sold today, are NOT compatible with the Radical series bindings.

Also, the post below makes no sense now because I edited this one. Excuse the OP.

Can anyone confirm this?^^^

in your pic of the inserts, the top is the heel, and those are the ones touching, correct?

if so, then just mount the dynafit heel forward 5mm (leaving the toe-piece in the same place relative to the duke's), so that there is still plenty of space to adjust your binding in the tack, but the holes will be spread apart.