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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
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    DIY tech insert boot mod for uphill only

    I really want to mod a pair of Dobermans that I own to have tech toe capability for uphill travel, a la CAST boot mod. However I’d prefer not to spend the money and time to send them to CAST. I only want to have pin tech function for uphill, so I’m imagining I can get away with lower tolerances than trying to install an actual tech fitting. Also have old shells that I can practice on. Anyone have any ideas on how to make this mod at home for cheap?


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  2. #2
    Join Date
    Dec 2005
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    Kootenays
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    I'm not sure if you've seen it, but there is a lot of good info on CAST's site about how they do it.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    California
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    I've debated the same concept - my thoughts were drilling two holes in the sides of the toe where the pins would seat and installing metal cups for tech pins to seat into. Something like a small steel washer bored out to address the pivot friction and jb weld behind it to hold it in place to provide rigidity.
    Three fundamentals of every extreme skier, total disregard for personal saftey, amphetamines, and lots and lots of malt liquor......-jack handy

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
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    northern BC
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    https://www.wildsnow.com/16473/retro...-install-boot/

    I knew somebody had tried it but whom and where did I see it ... sometimes wanking about on the WWW pays off
    Last edited by XXX-er; 05-27-2022 at 11:11 AM.
    Lee Lau - xxx-er is the laziest Asian canuck I know

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
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    Alta
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    Contemplating sinking a #2 square tip fastener into an old pair of boots and using a dremel to ream it out round. Am I crazy to think that might work?


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  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
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    I think the huge amount of lateral force on the toe while side hilling would make this a pretty tough DIY. I would think at the least the sides need to be connected and stiff AF


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    I rip the groomed on tele gear

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Nov 2008
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    between campus and church
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    Here’s what the inside of your tech toe boot looks like. It’s not 2 cups.

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  8. #8
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Posts
    665
    Original cast setup IIRC was Allen(hex head) set screws
    I imagine they moved on for a reason.
    I tried to put a Dynafit inert in a boot once.
    I think I’m pretty handy but it was a fail.
    If I were to attempt what you are doing,
    I’d drill a hole thru the lug, screw in a threaded rod, cut it off flush and drill sockets into it. The spec is supposedly 70* so you need to recut a drill bit to that angle.

  9. #9
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    Jan 2009
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    Park City
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    DIY tech insert boot mod for uphill only

    Connected and stiff AF


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    I rip the groomed on tele gear

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
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    Alta
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    Quote Originally Posted by turnfarmer View Post
    Original cast setup IIRC was Allen(hex head) set screws
    I imagine they moved on for a reason.
    I tried to put a Dynafit inert in a boot once.
    I think I’m pretty handy but it was a fail.
    If I were to attempt what you are doing,
    I’d drill a hole thru the lug, screw in a threaded rod, cut it off flush and drill sockets into it. The spec is supposedly 70* so you need to recut a drill bit to that angle.
    I like this idea. But maybe instead of threaded rod I might try just drilling through the toe lug and installing metal tubing with epoxy. Find metal tubing with an appropriate ID for tech toes and see how it goes. I have other touring boots but I’d love to try touring in Dobermans without spending $300 to find out a race boot with no walk mode sucks for uphilling.


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  11. #11
    Join Date
    Aug 2014
    Posts
    334
    Quote Originally Posted by altacoup View Post
    …but I’d love to try touring in Dobermans without spending $300 to find out a race boot with no walk mode sucks for uphilling.

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    Race boots with no walk mode will be absolutely awful for uphilling, are you kidding? I’ll take $150


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  12. #12
    Join Date
    Aug 2014
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    334
    Have you tried out some of the newer stiff touring boots out there?


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  13. #13
    Join Date
    Aug 2020
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    SLC
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    I'm curious what kind of tour/conditions you have in mind when thinking about creating this kind of setup

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Posts
    665
    Of course skinning in a Dobermann is not going to be fun. Especially if you are using a short shell length, the lack of cuff rearward movement will make your toes hate you.I do get where you are coming from though. If the dobie stance and fit work for you, there’s not really a tour boot anything like it.
    Scott/Garmont made a walk mode version of the Shaman that was probably close.
    I went from a Dobie to the Shaman pretty seamlessly.
    I can’t find it but I think it was a dog lotion article where someone cut the top of the spine and then screwed it to the cuff so it made a boot like this a little less miserable to walk in.

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
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    665
    Above boot-

  16. #16
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    Jan 2009
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    Park City
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    I have the Lange free tour with a zip fit tour liner. Skis pretty ducking great, super heavy to walk uphill but the ergonomics are ok.


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    I rip the groomed on tele gear

  17. #17
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    Alta
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    Quote Originally Posted by turnfarmer View Post
    Of course skinning in a Dobermann is not going to be fun. Especially if you are using a short shell length, the lack of cuff rearward movement will make your toes hate you.I do get where you are coming from though. If the dobie stance and fit work for you, there’s not really a tour boot anything like it.
    Scott/Garmont made a walk mode version of the Shaman that was probably close.
    I went from a Dobie to the Shaman pretty seamlessly.
    I can’t find it but I think it was a dog lotion article where someone cut the top of the spine and then screwed it to the cuff so it made a boot like this a little less miserable to walk in.
    The fit of a Doberman is prefect for me. When you get used to skiing a plug boot and need very minimal work to ski it, there’s no touring boot on the market that even comes close to fitting well. Narrowest boot out there is 98 last. I’m skiing 92 last. For longer tours I can ski my heavily modified touring boots, but they still ski like shit. I’ve tried on every boot on the market and they all have crappy ankle/heel retention and are too wide in the forefoot.


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  18. #18
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    Oct 2006
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    Bellevue
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    7,431
    Quote Originally Posted by turnfarmer View Post
    I can’t find it but I think it was a dog lotion article where someone cut the top of the spine and then screwed it to the cuff so it made a boot like this a little less miserable to walk in.
    I thought of that too. https://www.tetongravity.com/forums/...d.php?t=263189

    Weren't there issues with not having tough enough cups on the early hex screw cast setups?

  19. #19
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    Mar 2008
    Location
    northern BC
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    consider if you build something chickenshit that breaks in the front country its pretty easy to just slid it out, go have a beer and a laugh but in the BC not at all

    I think I would be contemplating routering out the toe and screwin/ gluein a real toe fitting
    Lee Lau - xxx-er is the laziest Asian canuck I know

  20. #20
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    I’d bite the bullet on the CASTs. I love my ZBs for anything under 2 hours. It’s not that bad.

  21. #21
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    Feb 2005
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  22. #22
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    Dec 2010
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    西 雅 圖
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    Quote Originally Posted by mr_pretzel View Post
    I’d bite the bullet on the CASTs. I love my ZBs for anything under 2 hours. It’s not that bad.
    Me too. I can't believe people are still thinking about doing this themselves to "save money" when CAST will do a superior job with real tech fittings for $220.

  23. #23
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    Quote Originally Posted by gregL View Post
    Me too. I can't believe people are still thinking about doing this themselves to "save money" when CAST will do a superior job with real tech fittings for $220.
    I was thinking this exaclty,
    Lee Lau - xxx-er is the laziest Asian canuck I know

  24. #24
    Join Date
    Mar 2012
    Location
    SW, CO
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    I understand the desire to DIY this, but you're asking for a catastrophic failure if you don't use a connected Dynafit insert, even for uphill. The pressure you put on an insert doing even an icy side hill is significant.

    I toured with a guy who had done some sort of DIY tech toe insert for his plug boots for the OG CAST system. They blew up just skinning on a groomer a few months later.

    $220 to have CAST do it is more than worth the money.

  25. #25
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Location
    siberia.ru
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    143

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