Obsessive compulsive ski mounting

I'm curious if anyone else mounts bindings in a non-standard way.

Thanks, Larry. I'm also a DIY mounter, I figure I trust myself as much as anyone.<br><br>Good tip on filing a binding screw to tap holes; I've been using an unmodified screw for said purpose but a notched one would definitely work better! I think it's a good idea to tap the holes even without a metal topsheet simply for ease of assembly.<br><br>To prevent dimpling of the top sheet plastic around the screw (which can lift your binding up off the ski) I also countersink the holes slightly with a 45 degree countersink . . .<br><br>I like to use epoxy as I think it adds strength to the mount - Lou Dawson has done tests with epoxy on Black Diamond foam core material (probably the same as Atomic) and found no basis for the rumors about the glue dissolving the foam. At any rate, the foam adds little if any retention strength - I put a liberal amount of epoxy in holes, then turn the ski upside down to cure. <br><br>To remove the epoxied screws, I insert Posidrive screwdriver and press down hard on the screw head, then heat the shaft of the screwdriver with a heat gun until the screw moves. It doesn't need to be red hot, just hot.<br><br>I also have been using non-metric bits for years without incident, but "real" 3.7mm and 4.1mm ones are available from www.tognar.com and I will probably get some this year.

For those mounting popular AT bindings, I find that the factory-supplied clear plastic template Fritschi supplies works fine. The Dynafit one works OK for the toes, but the heel is a little off; there is a downloadable PDF one that is accurate on Lou Dawson's site www.wildsnow.com , as well as detailed instructions for dealing with almost any conceivable Dynafit problem.

If you are planning on buying the new Dynafit Race Ti binding, the heel pattern is considerably smaller and won't fit the TLT/Comfort template - I assume Dynafit will include a template of some sort, but my non-releasing TLT's came from Europe with no documentation at all, I ended up winging it by setting the actual heels on the ski and carefully marking the holes with an ice pick.

Larry, I use Gorillia (sp?) Glue. It's not as "permanent" as epoxy, yet does a better job than wood glues....I tend to use the same bit for almost every mount (1/8" I think?) Adjust slightly when comparing the screws to the bit....Many bindings (you may know) now come with templates (paper) for mounting. These are nice because they give a 3-pin line or boot toe line, but care is needed, and I must recheck for creases/alignment, then use a nail set to "punch" holes, and recheck....When mounting tele bindings, I always compare them to my Karhu Jak's factory 3-pin line, which in my opinion, is the best location. This is forward from "standard" chord center. I know all skis are different, but I use a general rule; the fatter the ski, the farther forward the binding.(teles)..... With my AT skis, I just mount them boot center to factory provided lines....I've never bothered with tapping....

Another big vote for the www.tognar.com drill bits and taps. I've mounted my own skis for decades using the "rubber band on drill bit" depth gauge approach. But the tognar drill bits with built-in depth stop and counter sink make drilling much more worry free. The taps from tognar work perfectly for tapping skis with a metal topsheet.

One other thing -- in terms of mounting position I've found the CB/CRS method to work great for tele skiing. This method is described in detail On Telemark Tips.COM

A manufactured tap is more complex.  It is made from tool steel and has waste channels to allow it to actually cut threads without deforming any metal layers in the ski.  This is the reason for tapping -- the bond between metal sheets and other layers is weaker than with other materials and the deformation that happens from forcing a screw into the structure of the ski can be a starting point for delamination of the metal layer.<br><br> <br><br>