Installing t-nuts

I won a pair of Voile Insanes at SnowBash this year.  They're light, turny, and super fun.  Also, the wood core's not strong enough to keep my bindings attached to the deck -- I ripped out the back half, had all 8 mount holes helicoiled and ripped out the back of the same ski this past weekend.  Alas.

I'm on the fence between getting rid of them and doing a t-nut installation on them.  I've got the basic idea for the t-nut installation, to wit:

• mark screw centers on ski base
• cut/drill through ptex
• countersink core for t-nut flange
• install nut with marine epoxy
• patch, then party

Is there more to it than that?  I'm fairly handy, but haven't put t-nuts on anything but a climbing wall.  I assume I'll have to remove the helicoils from any of the mount points that I'm t-nutting... (two are "pre-removed")

I really WANT these skis to work, but they don't seem to want to work for me.

Also, any good sources for t-nuts? Tognar doesn't seem to have them. Should I just go to Tacoma Screw?

Don't know anything about t-nuts, but have you also thought about the old method of attaching a shim plate, then mounting the binding to the shim.  BITD, I did this successfully with some foam core skis.

I'm thinking that's step 4, if t-nuts either don't work or prove to complicated -- one of the big perks for the Insanes for me is their light weight (not that a shim would be all that heavy). Good idea though, I hadn't thought of that. Thanks.

the place I think I've screwed up w/ T-nuts is countersinking them too deep.  I've found that if countersunk too deep nothing will adhere well enough to fill the holes.

I've had better results only drilling out the ptex and not through the fiberglass layer underneath when countersinking.  This leaves some metal just below the running surface.  I coat it with wax and haven't noticed any ill effects.

On the otherhand maybe I'm setting myself up for a rude fall if one of them hangs up somehow because they are only a little bit recessed.

Another thing to think about is using just a few t-nuts in tandem w/ mostly epoxied wood screws, like maybe one t-nut at each end of  each mount; that way you aren't making your new baords into swiss cheese.

as for sources the shop tech at Pro-Ski can probably fish some out of a box of random bolts. If you draw the right shift she's not just competent but cute too. Just sayin' ...

I have a similar challenge... my favorite skis are a pair of 175 CM Atomic M:EX's but they came with an incredibly heavy integrated binding system.  I joined the Dyanfit revolution a couple years back and haven't skied in anything but my Scarpa Spirit 3's since and I have no plans on changing anytime soon.  But I wanted a better all around ski than my Tacora and BlueHouse MR's provided.

I removed the system bindings without much forethought and realized my extra Dyanfit bindings wouldn't work due to the center screw needed on the front plate (there's a deep trough right down the center of the M:EX).  After hauling now naked lightweight skis and a bag full of Dyanfit parts to both Marmot and Pro Ski, I was told "No way" in no uncertain terms, just buy new skis. 

So I wrote to Lou Dawson and he said he hadn't heard of successful transformation of M:EX's to Dynafit, but to write back and send pic's if successful. A good friend sent a link to Voile's $29.00 aluminum Dyanfit binding plate adapter, the "Voile TLT adapter plate" with pre-drilled holes for Dyanfit bindings. Problem solved (I hope). The plate is pre dilled on the ski side to fit a K2 ski, and pre drilled on the topside for Dyanfit.  So I'll not use the ski side pre drilled holes on the plate and instead drill the exact diameter of the attachment screws (conveniently sold by Voile also ).

I'm confident my new system will work as the biggest challenge to both Marmot and Pro Ski was the top side Dyanfit mounting, and not the ski side attachment.  If anyone has a similar mounting story, I'd be interested in hearing more.  I do have some industrial strength epoxy designed for aircraft to fill the ski-side mounting screws if that would help?  Everyone loves a challenge and this is what innovation is all about.