What help do you need to mount your own skis?

[Alpinord]

Over the years, in the tuning/waxing/base repair side of things, many skiers and boarders simply needed a little show and tell to take up tools and supplies to take care of their own rides. Some clearly should never touch a tool or their boards and many are lazy or think they are too busy. Tons are simply intimidated due to inexperience or paralyzed by sensory overload.

The same seems to be true with marking and drilling holes in a flat board (aka a ski). I do think there are layout and drilling tool options not specific to skis that will work fine to aid with the accurate marking and drilling of tools. A lot of this is woodworking/metal shop 101 stuff and I'll bet there are more than a few craftsmen on this forum that get a chuckle out of the angst some express when they consider drilling holes into their shiny new boards and for the first time in their lives. Many act as if dealing with skis is right up there with brain surgery.

Anyway, like the other aspects of gear maintenance, we are trying to zero in more on providing aid, tools and supplies to assist with DIY binding and insert mounts. We have several options in the wings we are pursuing to add to our current ones and seeking input.

Other than hand holding, what more do you think you need to increase confidence and accuracy regarding drilling and installing inserts and bindings.

[todug27]

whiskey.

[Alpinord]

whiskey.

Some would consider this a hindrance and not helpful....until after you are done with the high stress of drilling a few holes in your skis. Irish for me.

[Smoova]

I'm not the handiest dude around, but I own the basic home repair tools. The mounting videos and templates that jondrums posted were more than enough to get me off and running. Since it appears that most folks are unable to use the search function on TGR, you might consider posing similar videos and templates (licensed from jondrums) on your website along with a list of tools required (perhaps even create a basic mounting tool package deal for the first timer).

EDIT: I haven't searched your site, so if you've already got something like what I posted above, then I've got nothing ... some folks just don't want to do their own tech work.

[Meathelmet]

Never gotten over of doing my own edges. Had a "handy" Swix edge tool with edge bevel adjustments. Did a shitty job but at least it did something. After some Zurich airport worked decide to steal it (good thing?) I bought some files. That were ment for wood or something...

So, buying files (the right coarseness etc) , file angle gizmos (uuh?) getting a few pair of skis to train on, buying some new ligaments after making a +1´/ - 5´bevel rips my crusty legs of...
Nah. Decided that the local shops 10€ tune job once a year will save me a lot. I just want a 1´/2´ sharpening and I can wax my sticks after that.

But yeah, Kit-For-IdiotsTM with right files,edge level stuff (what they are called) & instructions would be nice.

[Kim Jong-un]

Fwiw. I've mounted and tuned skis myself over the years but just came to the conclusion that for me it was more of a zen-like thing to commune with the skis than any real great money saver or otherwise.

For someone who's not re/mounting skis all the time, paying a shop rat $50 to line up his jig and mount a set of bindings every year seems like the way to go for me, and probably not worth the trouble. I think if you cross the 3 mounts per year threshold, then doing it yourself starts to make sense.

So for me, the shop prices have to go up significantly to get me to do my own mounts.

[saxon]

Fwiw. I've mounted and tuned skis myself over the years but just came to the conclusion that for me it was more of a zen-like thing to commune with the skis than any real great money saver or otherwise.

+1. I screwed up one hole on my first pair, but importantly I've not repeated the mistake again. I was only mildly irritated about it (the next day I found out how to fix it on here). If a shop had made the same mistake I'd have been pretty pissed, but I have the satisfaction of knowing things are getting better with each mount.

As said above, Jondrums' videos were excellent. They showed me how simple it was to mound a binding (if he can freehand it, I should be able to do it with a drill press). I also read a few threads where a shop mounted one binding a few millimetres forward than the other, and people said to just ski it: quantifying the effects of mistakes would be excellent, otherwise I decide that no mistakes are acceptable.

I also think some description of why you'd want to change things (mount point, inserts, side edge angle, tip detuning, etc) and what to feel for and expect once you get out on them would get some people more psyched on doing things themselves. If the motivation is to save money then likely the cost of the tools would put them off and they'd just give a shop rat some beer to do it, and tune less frequently.

To host all of this kind of information in a single place (and in your case be able to sell the tools as well) seems like a good idea. For me that single place is Tech Talk. I'd bet you wouldn't be able to sell binding mounting tools to many people that haven't already committed to edge sharpening, and waxing before that. Once you have them going to your site for information they'll likely progress to later stages with you, if you give them the information help they need to make the progression.

The only reason I even look at the slidewright online catalogue is because of the ski centre PDF I found on the site a year or so back. I chose binding freedom inserts over quiver killers because of the paper templates and Jondrums' various postings on here. Those are now the two places I go to look for tools and parts. There have to be others who respond in similar ways.

[GeezerSteve]

I cannot imagine trusting anyone but myself to mount binders. I've earned a few beers, bottles of single malt, etc. mounting buds' binders too. I'm a DIY nerd.

Lauds to Alpinord for making info and products available to we DIYers

[JayPowHound]

Like the others, Jons videos and templates got me up and running with home mounts and I've now done over a dozen with only a couple of spinners to worry about. (Heli coiled 'em, which was easy too..)


What could make it easier? Jigs. Cheap, wide jigs. Maybe a 'universal' type that can do multiple brands /patterns and costs about $50. You can do that, right?

[Alpinord]

(What's up with the editor, no options??? Also, the malware warning yet again??) Great input. Thanks.

What could make it easier? Jigs. Cheap, wide jigs. Maybe a 'universal' type that can do multiple brands /patterns and costs about $50. You can do that, right?

Reading my mind or this thread: http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/s...86#post3094686? I think reliable jigs/guides and layout tools are the biggies. My ole Marples/Record dowel jig isn't available anymore. However, I've got a couple more options that will be available in the very near future. Several ideas in the works as well. We'll see what shakes out. One thing that appears to be a common element on bindings is either there are center holes and/or a pair of holes equidistant from the ski center line. I revised and simplified the Ski Center 'finder' It can be downloaded here: http://www.slidewright.com/resources...nter-ruler.pdf I've been printing this center ruler on adhesive backed paper. Putting it on a true bar/skiver makes for a very handy tool: I absolutely agree with Jon that drilling the holes either by the shop or yourself should ideally be done first before adding the inserts. After test driving the adding inserts step is very straight forward. Vertical accuracy is also more critical than when mounting alpine screws. Drill and tap guides really help.

[oftpiste]

^^^^^ This FTW. Downloading now. While I have a couple of real binding jigs this will be amazing and I'm not smart enough to have ever come up with it myself.

Though I've been mounting and tuning the family quiver (stupid large and constantly in flux with competitive and growing kids) for years I've always struggled with accurately solving the problem you so elegantly have without a mounting jig.

Thanks Terry, again.

[DropCliffsNotBombs]

Tools needed for mounting bindings:
- Drill press.
- Two-ton epoxy.
- Golf tees.
- JB weld.
- Steel wool.
- Chisel.

Oh wait... just kidding!

[Alpinord]

Short of a drill press or binding specific jigs, SVST's offering for alpine and ss/heli insert step drills:

[jondrums]

I've been thinking about redoing that binding mounting video one of these days. Anyone with a nice video-camera need to get a mount done in the bay area?

I've got a really simple method for finding the ski center, but its best shown on video. I take a blank piece of paper and lay it across the ski, wrap it around the sides so it creases over the steel edges. Then if you take that piece of paper and fold it so the two edge-creases match. The fold line is exactly halfway between the edges and you can use that piece of paper to mark center.

[bojangles]

jondrums do you take that folded piece of paper and wrap it back around the ski, this time with the crease going down the middle you can mark center on either side of the paper?

[userA]

i need mofro261 to get over tomy shop tonite with the proper bits. got me an tech in the hood.
bobbyf

[gregL]

i need mofro261 to get over tomy shop tonite with the proper bits. got me an tech in the hood.

yeah, around here the techs carry PhD's . . . but for the rest of the world, working in a busy shop would be enough to persuade you to mount-it-yourself. When I worked as a tech, I never used a countersink, tap or epoxy - show up for work and there would be 15 pair of skis you were supposed to mount in like 4 hours . . .

[userA]

mofro is a little ski shop tech by default in his house of racers.
science stuff is just something he is good at.
gardening is my deal
bobbyf

[Alpinord]

I've been thinking about redoing that binding mounting video one of these days. Anyone with a nice video-camera need to get a mount done in the bay area?

I hope you will include your tap and drill guide and 3 in 1 tool in the new video. Maybe there ought to be a DIY Ski Tech channel a la The Cooking Channel.

[Alpinord]

Another one of our new drill and 'tap' guide options arrived. Not only will the Big Gator V-Drill Guide work well for drilling skis (1/4" & 5/16" holes), but the 21/64" hole is useful for tapping ss inserts. The V-groove allows for drilling in round objects and helps the guide to lay dead flat. They are easy to line up and clamp, plus they are versatile and useful for all kinds of projects aside from ski related.

Left to right: ss insert tap, 5/16" step or straight drill, 1/4" drill. AB tap.

[SB]

^^^ DROOOOOOL

[dcpnz]

Gotta get me either one of those ^^^^ or jondrums guide block thing.
My drill bit always seems to wander ever so slightly on one or two holes depending on how the first cutting edge grabs and it is just enough to pull a dynafit out of alignment when screwed down.

[Alpinord]

We finally received another good drill & tap guide option:

Wall Lenk Drill Guide Kit:

It can be used for drilling spheres and tubes as well.

For redrilling holes to larger diameter, you can also set the drill guide location using the a drill bit in a bushing. IE, a alpine stepped drill can be used in a 5/16" bushing, clamp and then use the 1/4" bushing to drill for stainless steel inserts or heli coils....or a 5/16" drill for tap in inserts.

[~mikey b]

good stuff Terry

when I saw the thread title, I immediately thought of 2 things: a centering tool and a drill/tap guide - those seem to be what folks need most

[toast2266]

It seems there would be a market for a "poor man's jig." Basically just a piece of thick plastic that has pre-drilled holes in the correct configurations for common binders. Probably use a separate block of plastic for toes and heels.

The user would obviously still have to center the jig on the ski, get the toe holes lined up correctly for whatever bsl they're drilling for, and space the heel jig from the toe. Basically it would just be a reusable version of the paper templates that would also double as a drill guide.

Plenty of people have made their own versions of this, which is easy enough to do with the paper templates, but I'm thinking of one that has holes for all common binders in one piece of plastic (with the holes labelled or color coded so you know which ones correspond to the binding you're mounting).