PSA: Mount your own fucking skis.

[Spyderjon]

Had a total failure tonight trying to drill new skis for inserts. I used the BF drill guide block, which i had used last season to successfully install inserts into 2 pairs of skis. I think the metal in that guide block is too soft; it ended up getting slightly reamed out wider with each use. So all my holes came out misaligned tonight. Bleh, what a fiasco. Feel really stupid now.

Been reading previous posts in this thread about repairs with epoxy and wood dowels. Anybody ever try filling in holes with dowels and epoxy and then redrilling and mounting in basically the same locations? (+/- 1 to 2 mm)

Yep, you needed to have pilot drilled first, preferably with a proper binding drill for which you could have used the BF guide. Did you centre punch the locations as that would've started the drill on line (although hitting an internal metal layer could still deflect it)?

What make/model of binding are you installing as there might be enough jiggle room in the mounting holes in the binding, especially if you opened them up slightly?

Redrilling plugged holes carries the risk of the drill bit wandering back to the old 'centre' (or center) so you need a really rigid set-up (drill press/mill/stubby bits etc) and you need to start with small diameter bits and work up in size slowly, ie in mm increments. And if you have access to a good drill press/mill you could skip all the plugging work and use the larger diameter Quiver Killer 'Rescue' inserts which will completely encapsulate the original dodgy locations. It's going to cost though as you'll need the to buy the Rescue inserts and you'll need to borrow/buy a 25/64" stub bit and a 7/16-20 tap, but it'll be a lot less work.

[caulfield]

I drilled directly with the insert bit size.

Maybe for my next attempt i should first go smaller diameter and then work up to the insert bit?

My previous 2 successful insert installations were converting normally drilled skis to inserts.

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If Jon's idea of using jiggle room doesn't work, you might be able to salvage by remounting the heel 1cm fore or aft and using a combo of regular inserts and rescue inserts--I'm assuming that you can make 1-2 of the current holes work in both the toes, just make sure the toe is very straight if it's a tech binding. Obviously my idea falls apart if you're mounting a binding that doesn't have 1cm adjustment in either direction.

[SoVT Joey]

Picked up some mini bent chetlers and it says to use 7.0 x 3.5 bit. Never seen that before...I’ve got the standard 7.5 bit...am I gonna die? Is .5 mm really going to go through the base??


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Iv never seen a 3,5x7,5. I think you mean. 3,5x9,5. And in that case. Yes. It probably will go through or you will be able to see them. The 7 is the depth of the hole. 3,5 is the diameter. 3,5 is used when there is no metal in the ski. 4,1 is used when there is metal. 9,0 and 9,5 is for adult skis due to a thicker ski and core. 7,0 is for juniors. Hence your mini Chetlers.

Oh and 7,0 is used for a bunch of shitty foam core stuff too.


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[detrusor]

My junior bit is 7.5x3.6


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[BC.]

In my shop (SVST drill bits):

3.5/7.0 (junior stuff)
4.1/7.5 (wood cores)
4.1/9.0 (any metal/higher end product)

Most skis have the recommended drill bit size printed on ski.....(Just default to that when available...they do sell a 3.5/7.0 on SVST)

[sierra_cement]

If Jon's idea of using jiggle room doesn't work, you might be able to salvage by remounting the heel 1cm fore or aft and using a combo of regular inserts and rescue inserts--I'm assuming that you can make 1-2 of the current holes work in both the toes, just make sure the toe is very straight if it's a tech binding. Obviously my idea falls apart if you're mounting a binding that doesn't have 1cm adjustment in either direction.

Thanks for everyone's comments. I'm going to try first to plug the holes with oak dowels and 72hr set epoxy, and then try redrilling. But this time starting with small diameter bit and working my way up. My friend has a man-cave shop with a drill press, so going to enlist his services.

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[ctsmith]

In my experience with this I’ve made a jig / drilling guide out of 3/4” baltic birch plywood (or other hard material) on the drill press. Then clamp the plywood to the ski and hand drill (normal bit with wood stop block) regardless of the previous plugged holes. And G Flex with the plugs, not a more brittle epoxy.

[sierra_cement]

In my experience with this I’ve made a jig / drilling guide out of 3/4” baltic birch plywood (or other hard material) on the drill press. Then clamp the plywood to the ski and hand drill (normal bit with wood stop block) regardless of the previous plugged holes. And G Flex with the plugs, not a more brittle epoxy.

GFlex works better than the 72hr epoxy on the BF website?

https://www.bindingfreedom.com/epoxy/

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[1000-oaks]

Where are you located?

[sierra_cement]

Where are you located?

Sf bay

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[XXX-er]

GFlex works better than the 72hr epoxy on the BF website?

https://www.bindingfreedom.com/epoxy/

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i think either/or is pretty good stuff

> 5 minute epoxy for holding power - i put some 5 min on the end of a WW paddle just for kicks being exposed to the H20 it got all flacid & fell off fairly quick
> than JB weld for workability - that shit does not wana go down a drill hole it might be good for filling large voids in the base but then ever one can see you put that ugly shit on your ski after skiing over a rock like some cheese eating school boy, JB weld just screams gaper or maybe 1 step removed

[sierra_cement]

This is awesome. Got some oak dowels today. Friend has the 5/16-18 die. Going to order the G-Flex. Feeling cautiously optimistic I might be able to recover from my insert installation f-up.

In my opinion, these are the real tools of the trade — dies. When I plug a hole I use hardwood dowels and a die. I recut the hole w/ a sharp tap, then I inject epoxy into the bottom w/ a syringe (the syringes for dogs are good. Next just screw the wooden plug in. As far as I can tell, it is literally just like new. The pics below are plugged normal and insert holes. I view that ski as brand new for mounting purposes.

I messed up an insert mount by 2mm last year and chose to plug and mount on top of the dowel. Several DIN12 ejects later, everything is rock solid.

I also highly recommend G-Flex. Pricey stuff but you get a ton of it actually and it is just unmatched. I also like gorilla glue brand epoxy better than JB weld for some reason.

[1000-oaks]

Sf bay

Bummer, if you were in L.A. I could probably help you out.

[Vitamin I]

Next question.

I might have eff'ed up in thinking I could re-use holes. Tell me what you think...

Old bindings =marker squire. Rectangular hole pattern with holes spaced 32mm apart x irrelevant distancing.

New bindings : marker tours. Rectangular hole pattern with holes 36 mm apart x irrelevant...

So each hole is 1mm off of the existing hole. Is that out of tolerance? Ski cores are fiberglass +metal sandwich.

I can't make sense of your words. I thought the 2 heel patterns are WAY different, and I thought the 2 toe patterns have same 36mm lateral distance between holes.

If it's really 32mm vs 36mm, as you say, then that difference is too big for my tastes. I would not even consider that if it's for Shaq, but I guess I might consider it for a tiny kid (although I would likely reject the idea after consideration).

.

[Vitamin I]

I mounted more classics for more fun on more WROD's.

2003 Kniessel Flexon Tanker 190cm - (900S DIN=14: metal heel, plastic toe)
2005 Dynastar Legend Pro 186cm - (900S DIN=14: metal heel, plastic toe)
2009 Kastle MX108 195cm - (Marker Jester demos)




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[Jimi_Lee]

VI: Thanks for the reply. I already filled the holes and am going to try redrilling. The holes I want to redrill are offset from the old ones by 2 mm. Wish me luck.

Only for clarification: I am trying to replace marker squire bindings with marker tours. To keep the boot centered, there is a hole conflict between the forward-most holes for the heal plates. Both sets of heal plates have a rectangular hole pattern. The cross-ski distance between these holes are 32 mm for the squires and 36 mm for the tours --> the new holes are 2 mm offset from the old holes. That was too far offset to reuse the existing holes.

[teledad]

Unless you did a really good job of filling the holes, I'd move forward or back 1cm to avoid the overlap. Or install a different binding.

[retirwntm]

Those Kneissel’s = $


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[XXX-er]

yup ^^ you are unlikely to notice the difference 1cm is going to make, especially if its a powski

I remounted a Vert toe 1/2 inch back for a buddy and we didnt bother to move the other toe

it will be interesting to see if he can notice the difference

the Tech toe piece ripped out about a year ago at low tide when buddy hit a stump, we looked hard but couldn't find it so he marked the spot with a ribbon and found it in the spring

The ski top had delamed a bit when the toe ripped out so I suggested it might be best to get a bunch of slow set in there/ clamp & re-mount 1cm back, the heel had enough adj left to accomadate moving just the toe so all I had to do was remount the toe on the one ski back 1 cm ... I didnt move anything else

buddy skied them today in new pow, good skier, a well used K2 apache/ verts/ Dynbafit ONE ... sez there is no diffrence

[YaBoyBlue]

Anyone mounting with Jigarex for shifts: I measured my plates and they are off. The toe and heel post measure short compared to the paper template, the posts are place on center instead of end so if you just whack your boots in the jig and drill you are actually mounting for +8mm bsl size.

[tuco]

My shifts came out fine w/ jigarex, but we have wonky Axl plates and I had a Soli Mtn mount that was all fucked(plates agaun)

[prsboogie]

My tyrolia heel plate off. I need to try mounting again to a 2x4 and try to figure out what is off

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[tuco]

For sure. That's per normal with these I believe. Unfortunately, I was in a hurry when I drilled for Mtn's and paid the price for it!

[skifishbum]

i have all those in real deal pro bro jigs in the mancave
and they could be left in the driveway drifty sanitized and ready for you or any other satch maggot myofs use
as were being selective in access to the cave during global pandemics
and i base nippled my pure 1 20's with gorilla glues cause i got sidetracked and let it expand and set up
skied the shit outta them and did a tune after a few seasons and theyre gone
other than that ive never had a gg problem

[tuco]

Fuck yeah brother!
I need inserts to fix mine, but I'll take you up on that. The skis are more for spring touring so I'm in no hurry.
If I mounted more than my personal shit, I'd probably use GG for simplicity. I had a binding come off on Desert Peak years ago and had to slog the fuck out of there. Used epoxy ever since.
I don't blame you on man cave access, this shit sucks! Fearless Leader has said we've roundid the corner tho!