Poll: Bench or vise mount bindings?

[Alpinord]

Do you layout, drill and mount your bindings with the skis on a bench, vise or something else? Why? What do you use to protect the bases if on a bench or other surface?

[Alpinord]

I use a vise because I can put a pair on at once, access all around the ski, the height is better and the bases are inherently protected. With access all around, I can use a wider variety of tools and techniques to establish center line measurements and also keep tools handy under the skis:

[Bosco]

Just mounted 2 pairs on a bench topped with a clean sheet of cardboard. Why, it's what I got and it seems easy enough.

[Flotsam]

I use a couple of low bar-stools with seats covered with epoxy and ski wax (incidental). They are not hard enough to damage the ski bases, and I can get around them and over them easily. I call it a bench. When I need to clamp them down I pad with rags or thick paper. Also small enough that I can't put anything else on them so I don't have to worry about stray tools etc as you might on a work bench.

[wooley12]

Bench and drill press if I have a a choice. Otherwise, whatever is handy. In the shop, I put a strip of old carpet on the bench and use a C-clamp or 2 with a piece of wood to protect the top sheet to hold the ski down.

[Meadow Skipper]

For layout and mounting I use what's basically a tall sawhorse that I put together with 2x6 and put down climbing skin scraps for padding/protection (<-work great). Spring clamps to secure. I use a drill press with ski bits (3.5 & 4.1) for drilling.

Kind of ghetto but I've probably done 15 pairs this winter, and I'm going to do another set as soon as I'm done typing this.

[I've seen black diamonds!]

I do it on the floor, because I have a floor.

[Sphinx15]

I use a bench with skis clipped flat to it with those heavy-duty spring loaded clips, then i clip on the template and measure 10 times before I punch and drill anything.

[Alpinord]

For those who commented and didn't poll and those who polled and didn't comment, please do so. Good input so far. Thanks!

[skifishbum]

i use a vice mounted on a bench
and unicorn fur to protect my bases
before i go ski on snow covered rocks

[PNWbrit]

Because you just can't be too careful.

[saxon]

I use a bench & two clamps with a teacloth on the bench where the clamps go. I remove my vise in order to access the bench as I don't find it stable enough. Paper templates are taped onto the skis.

[LC]

The home-made wooden blocks shown below, but placed about 3ft apart. Ski positioned so that the spot I'm drilling is directly over one of the blocks. They don't move, it works. I wouldn't drill a ski placed directly on a bench; the ski will flex as you press down on it.

[bern43]

Kitchen counter seems to be working for me so far. Not ideal but it's what I have. I'm not really worried about bases. Is there something I'm missing with that?

[curtf]

I just brush off the bench and put the skis right down on the plywood. I tape templates to the ski for marking and use a drill press to drill. Same whether screwing directly into ski or installing inserts. I've never noticed any damage to my bases but then, I'm not on the WC downhill circuit, either.

[I've seen black diamonds!]

Kitchen counter seems to be working for me so far. Not ideal but it's what I have. I'm not really worried about bases. Is there something I'm missing with that?

You need to spend, like, way more time thinking about base structure!









How do you even ski? You could totally be going 2-3% faster!

[wooley12]

Hah!! You brought back a memory. Every year at the beginning of the season we would drag our skis to the hill, base down, on the bare street to clear off the old wax, dirt, dust and to clean the rust from the edges. DIY base structuring.

[wwwllw]

Kitchen table for me.

[dcpnz]

Dining room table, usually with a sheet of cardboard on it.
Bench and vises are out in the unheated workshop and I ain't standing out there for as long as it takes me to mount skis when I've got a nice long, clean, flat table inside.

[dcpnz]

And if you're worried about base structure from crap on your bench how do you actually get around to skiing?
Must be so fricken nerve wracking like you might possible hit a tree or a rock or heaven forbid an icy patch that'll hurt those precious bases.

[spudbumkin]

The ski is too bouncy in the vise. I like the stability of my benchtop when drilling. I think this whole base structure drama is for all you closet Epicski fags.

[DropCliffsNotBombs]

Whatever method you use, just don't let the ski flex when drilling!
I love my Vermont Torque Testing bench. It allows the skis to be secured in their natural camber for drilling.

[Alpinord]

By placing the vise supports under the binding locations, the camber is retained for solid drilling and mounting.

[XXX-er]

http://www.blackanddecker.com/power-tools/WM225.aspx

BD shopmate is really good for me cuz I can use it freestanding anywhere and I have used it in 3 houses including a rental ,it also folds up and hangs on the wall but right now its cold out so I bring it inside, I can sit down with my legs under the unit and work on laying out the ski or it will hold a big ski or XC wax form for waxing, I protect the nice floor in a bedroom with a 7$ sheet of OSB

in summer i bolt a Park proffesional grade bike vise to the deck and it goes out in an unheated shop, it will hold a DH bike and you got somewhere to hold tools and parts

since its a bench/vise I voted other

[JayPowHound]

I clamp skis directly to the bench as I don't trust the stability of my vice enough to drill on it. I don't really worry about the bases, but I suppose if I did I would just layer on a thick coat of cheap wax first?

The thing this discussion really has me wondering about is the flex issue... generally when I clamp the skis down I'm virtually decambering them, making the bases sit flat on the surface of the bench before I drill, but it sounds like this is a bad idea. Why?