PSA: Mount your own fucking skis.

[Skaramanga]

Also, I had the midsole of my boot about 7mm in front of the line using Dynalook plates, pivot 14 bindings and 312mm Dynafit Titans while practicing on a 1x4. I moved the template back 7mm for the real mount. The midsole of my titans is now exactly on the manufacturers line. Anyone else noticed similar discrepancies with the paper templates?

Noticed 7 mm also on the tyrolias. Same problem, but I attributed it to sloppy measuring from my part.

pretty sure its not the template, but rather variations boot-to-boot in where the center line is marked and the geometry of the toe where it interacts with the binding. I've also seen boots marked as much as 5mm wrong on the actual BSL.

But hey, I tried the same template with the other boot and I got a 4 mm discrepancy. I'll measure the boots, but I would have never thought of that!

[Alpinord]

Good point Jon.

Here is a quick and dirty Boot Sole Center Checker. Print, check scale and splice at the boot sole center line.

[spotted dogs]

woohoo I did it. Mounted dukes on Jj's using jongdrums template. Money!
was a bit of a leap of faith and confidence but i have my ticket in rulers, sharpie, masking tape and a drill so i went for it.
didn't even need to stop for a beer.

[Shorty_J]

didn't even need to stop for a beer.

Oh shit... you (didn't) do what?

I can pretty much guarantee you fucked up if you didn't have a beer during the process.

[klikboom]

The beer stop is part of the template, don't skip steps.

[spotted dogs]

I savoured a couple Shaftesbury coastal cream when I was done....

[~mikey b]

don't have power or money to buy power tools?

use this to drill and tap






maybe not for skis with metal...

[pfluffenmeister]

just mounted a pair of SollyFits on my Lotus120 Pures.

badda-boom!


used a solly jig to mark the solly holes (thus assuring a centered mount) and then used those marks to line up the sollyfit plate.

carbon Lhasa up for plates after dinner.



PS center punch, then pilot hole drill, then drill.

[JayPowHound]

^^ what's your setup for teh pilot hole?

[brown9]

I savoured a couple Shaftesbury coastal cream when I was done....

Who is Shaftesbury and why are you sucking sucking his cream

[pfluffenmeister]

... and Lhasas plated as well.

Silverton here I come!

^^ what's your setup for teh pilot hole?

^^^ just a small ~ 3/32" drill bit.
either place tape @ 9mm or cork the bit @ 9mm.

EDIT: and it really pays to buy a couple of clapped out drill bits from your local ski shop (the built in 9mm collars make drilling dreamy).
i bought both 3.6 and 4.1 for $5!

[KoKopeLLi]

Got a pic of those drill bits Pluff?

[pfluffenmeister]

^^^ i'll get some posted (probably after the 20th though (Silvy trip ).

they make drilling really low stress as it's impossible to drill deeper than 9mm when using them.

[liv2ski]

I like to use a drill press so I can't drill to deep. Got one 2nd hand for cheap. Mounted my Guardians yesterday. Thank jeebus I mounted on a 2X4 first, as some how, in trimming down the paper templates, I cut off the front two and rear two holes Go to do the test mount and am WTF did I do. Reprint the templates and am laughing at myself for being such a dope. Guess I should not have skipped the beer step. Anyways, triple measured everything and it looks like I have a dead center mount with no heel slop some guys have mentioned. Only thing of concern is I can see just a sliver of light between the toe binding mount and the ski. I am afraid I will strip the holes if I tighten the screws more. I did put water proof glue in all the holes, so do you think I am ok? This isn't due to volcanoes, as I trimmed the excess around the holes off.

[bern43]

I like to use a drill press so I can't drill to deep. Got one 2nd hand for cheap. Mounted my Guardians yesterday. Thank jeebus I mounted on a 2X4 first, as some how, in trimming down the paper templates, I cut off the front two and rear two holes Go to do the test mount and am WTF did I do. Reprint the templates and am laughing at myself for being such a dope. Guess I should not have skipped the beer step. Anyways, triple measured everything and it looks like I have a dead center mount with no heel slop some guys have mentioned. Only thing of concern is I can see just a sliver of light between the toe binding mount and the ski. I am afraid I will strip the holes if I tighten the screws more. I did put water proof glue in all the holes, so do you think I am ok? This isn't due to volcanoes, as I trimmed the excess around the holes off.

If it makes you feel any better, on my first mount I was so stressed out that I didn't realize we had put the ski back on the bench backwards. Two holes drilled before I realized. Not my brightest moment. Lesson I guess is that if I can do this it's not too hard. If you don't have any volcanoes I wouldn't worry too much about a tiny sliver of light.

[bern43]

Alright, so I need a check on my neurosis. Just got done marking where I'm going to drill for my dynalook plates. I checked that the template was lined up using my calipers, then made tiny pin pricks with a thin center punch. But when I went to measure those marks using the caliper there all off a tiny bit. One whole is a tiny bit over 1/2mm, the rest are under 1/2mm. Toe is off in the opposite direction of the heel, but it should be still less than 1mm off. Because I used such a small center punch I could re-do the marks, but I'm thinking this is close enough. Thoughts?

Edit: I must be going senile as I asked this question last year, and the resounding answer was that 1/2 mm isn't going to really matter.

[SB]

moar beer

[Bird Blaster]

I am pretty sure it is in here, but I can't find it. Either that or it is in another mounting thread.

What's the best way to pull screws out that have been epoxied? They are dynafits with that stupid screw driver Torx-20(?). I fear I am going to strip them.

If I do strip what's best then?

Thanks

[skuff]

I am pretty sure it is in here, but I can't find it. Either that or it is in another mounting thread.

What's the best way to pull screws out that have been epoxied? They are dynafits with that stupid screw driver Torx-20(?). I fear I am going to strip them.

If I do strip what's best then?


Thanks

Read somewhere here some folks use a soldering iron to warm up the screw and soften the epoxy for removal.

Since I don't have a soldering iron I've used a propane torch to heat the tip of an older, beat up #3 phillips. Rest the heated screwdriver tip on the epoxied screw for approximately a minute to soften the epoxy. Then use a #3 posidrive to remove the heated screw. Rinse and repeat.

No suggestions for stripped screws.

[jfost]

Alright, so I need a check on my neurosis. Just got done marking where I'm going to drill for my dynalook plates. I checked that the template was lined up using my calipers, then made tiny pin pricks with a thin center punch. But when I went to measure those marks using the caliper there all off a tiny bit. One whole is a tiny bit over 1/2mm, the rest are under 1/2mm. Toe is off in the opposite direction of the heel, but it should be still less than 1mm off. Because I used such a small center punch I could re-do the marks, but I'm thinking this is close enough. Thoughts?

Edit: I must be going senile as I asked this question last year, and the resounding answer was that 1/2 mm isn't going to really matter.

remeasure and mark them again... since you're doing this yourself, why not do it as close to right as you can? It's the beauty of mounting your own fucking skis - you have no one to blame but yourself!!!

[FrankZappa]

I am pretty sure it is in here, but I can't find it. Either that or it is in another mounting thread.

What's the best way to pull screws out that have been epoxied? They are dynafits with that stupid screw driver Torx-20(?). I fear I am going to strip them.

If I do strip what's best then?

Thanks

Hold that F'in driver upright and pop the shit out of it with one (maybe 2) blows with a mallet/hammer top side. I mean give it a whale that'll 'bout bust your wrist if you miss. It'll break it lose (kinda like an impact wrench) & then push down hard & untwist.

The positive thing about Torx (& what makes it superior IMO) is when something "strips" it's usually the wrench and NOT the screw - so just regrind the tip (lightly so you don't kill the hardness) and go at it again.

***Wait'll you bass-turds try Torx-Plus... Jezuz!! someday american basic tech will catch up to 21 century...

[Bird Blaster]

Well the "hammer-drill" worked except on one. I have a stripped screw head and that thing has to come out. Suggestions?

[Alpinord]

***Wait'll you bass-turds try Torx-Plus... Jezuz!! someday american basic tech will catch up to 21 century...

Will it take as long as adopting the metric system?

[Alpinord]

Well the "hammer-drill" worked except on one. I have a stripped screw head and that thing has to come out. Suggestions?

Have access to Stripped Screw Head repair compound or a reverse thread extractor?

[Alpinord]

Alright, so I need a check on my neurosis. Just got done marking where I'm going to drill for my dynalook plates. I checked that the template was lined up using my calipers, then made tiny pin pricks with a thin center punch. But when I went to measure those marks using the caliper there all off a tiny bit. One whole is a tiny bit over 1/2mm, the rest are under 1/2mm. Toe is off in the opposite direction of the heel, but it should be still less than 1mm off. Because I used such a small center punch I could re-do the marks, but I'm thinking this is close enough. Thoughts?

Edit: I must be going senile as I asked this question last year, and the resounding answer was that 1/2 mm isn't going to really matter.

some 'Deep' Thoughts (apologies to JH):

-how do the plates look when placed over the holes?

-To 'move' a mark, stick an awl at angle into the mark in the direction you want to move. Then raise it to vertical while applying force.

-Alpine screw mounts are more forgiving than insert mounts and there could easily be over a 1/2mm movement when installing the screw in the ski.

-if you are confident that only one is off, you can try installing the binding/plate with the correct screw locations and use the binding to 'right' the off screw.