steamboat1
New member
I buy most of my equipment & ski wear from the same brick & mortar store. I receive excellent service & substantial discounts because of it. That in itself is worth it to me. The store also sells online.
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How much to mount binding?
- Thread starter abc
- Start date
Scruffy
Active member
I understand and agree. I purchase at both B&M and internet. My friend owns a ski shop, but he doesn't always carry the ski I want. Sometimes he can't even get it for as low as I can on an internet buy, so I don't always buy skis from him. If I have him mount my bindings, which is rare because I usually mount my own, I tell him to charge me the full price he'd charge anyone else, which he doesn't, so I have to force the money on him. I buy all my boots, and a lot of my ski clothes from him and if I need a liner rebake, or boot tweak or something later, I always pay for his time, even though he doesn't charge customers for post boot purchase fitting tweaks, I force the money on him. His time is worth something, let alone the other expenses he's carrying to run a business.
Most B&M ski shops are hanging on by the skin of their teeth these days, use them or lose them is what I say.
Don't need a drill press. It's easy enough to freehand. I've done it with tape on the drill bit, but you can pick up a stop-collar set for like $10 & it's well worth the $.
FWIW, the going rate in the Stowe area now is $40-50 for a standard mount.
Scruffy
Active member
These are worth getting if you're mounting your own. They self stop and cut through the metal sheet like butter.
http://www.slidewright.com/alpine-binding-mounting-drill-bits.php
Not Sure
Well-known member
For as anal as I was mounting my first tech binding this year I found that the toe piece has no room for error ,would have been nice to have a jig as the boot interface is pretty much fixed the heel was off slightly and I had to remount the toe on the first ski. Downhill bindings are more forgiving but having the press helped for insert hole drilling.
abc
Well-known member
How do you ensure the drill bit goes in vertical?
KevinF
Member
abc
Well-known member
On a standard drill press, that's dead easy to do.
Free hand? It's a totally different matter.
Free hand? It's a totally different matter.
Whitey
Member
Thank you farlep, that's what I was thinking.
Not that hard to do it "free-hand". I've actually never used a drill press to mount bindings (and I own a drill press, it sits in the corner when I mount bindings). Just do it with a regular old cordless drill. Probably helps that I worked for about 20+ yrs in trades where I was using a drill for something every day.
abc
Well-known member
Probably helps.
That "probably" explains why I won't hesitate to open up any cell phone or laptop to check or replace anything that's not working. I would also happily edit the registry of a pc.
mishka
New member
I had and used stop collar.....not reliable. One day sooner or later you will drill through the bases.
Buy ski specific drill bit they're not expensive 3.5 mm if no metal in the skis and 4.1 mm if skis with metal. also if metal you need tap. I done it on drill press and freehand make no difference.
What most important properly position templates on the ski center and find center line without jig.
everything else matter practice. Install couple times on 2 x 4 than on old skis than you good to go
Buy ski specific drill bit they're not expensive 3.5 mm if no metal in the skis and 4.1 mm if skis with metal. also if metal you need tap. I done it on drill press and freehand make no difference.
What most important properly position templates on the ski center and find center line without jig.
everything else matter practice. Install couple times on 2 x 4 than on old skis than you good to go
Cannonball
New member
I mount my own. Reason 1,328 to SNOWBOARD! :beer:
Seriously though, ski binding mounts aren't rocket science. I've done many. But it's like most things, if you're not comfortable with it then having an expert do it is priceless from a confidence standpoint. Bring it in to your local shop, be cool, buy some other gear you want anyway, and see what they'll give you for a deal. And don't make them rush!
Seriously though, ski binding mounts aren't rocket science. I've done many. But it's like most things, if you're not comfortable with it then having an expert do it is priceless from a confidence standpoint. Bring it in to your local shop, be cool, buy some other gear you want anyway, and see what they'll give you for a deal. And don't make them rush!
Not Sure
Well-known member
Ha Ha ,New MR model 2x4 rock skis? That would be funny sand up the tips? I bet it would work. 2x6's for powder?
mishka
New member
:beer: not exactly lol
installing binding is skill and I described how to gain it. This task require minimal of tools and a lot of precision that's all.
Cannonball put it well if someone comfortable doing it more power to you.... If not it's always alternative
But it's slippery slope in a certain way lol I started installing my own binding and shortly after...................... started making my own skis
installing binding is skill and I described how to gain it. This task require minimal of tools and a lot of precision that's all.
Cannonball put it well if someone comfortable doing it more power to you.... If not it's always alternative
But it's slippery slope in a certain way lol I started installing my own binding and shortly after...................... started making my own skis
KD7000
New member
I once drilled straight through the bottom of a kid's ski while "experimenting" with DIY binding mounting. Probably should not have attempted it after a tuning/beverage session, guess I was feeling brave. Luckily, they were cheapo used skis, so no great financial loss. I then successfully did the next ski, just for practice.
In the end, I bought a slightly nicer set of skis and paid a shop to do it. I've mounted a bunch of XC bindings without issue, but those are way, way easier.
In the end, I bought a slightly nicer set of skis and paid a shop to do it. I've mounted a bunch of XC bindings without issue, but those are way, way easier.
Yeah, that isn't me. I'll leave it for the pros.
Most say measure twice, cut once. I measure three times and cut five times.
I've got no problem with my lack of skills when my wife wants me to hang some curtains. Spackle and paint is cheap.
When it comes to a few hundred dollar investment in my skis? The pros can have at it!
abc
Well-known member
in the end, there're shops that will mount AND ADJUST them for $25-35. It just took a bit of hunting to find them.
So, except for those of you who have a lot of binding needs doing, the risk of ruining a $500-1000 brand new skis is not worth saving that $25 for the majority of us!
Next, can we talk about the heat molding of liners? Same story... ;-)
So, except for those of you who have a lot of binding needs doing, the risk of ruining a $500-1000 brand new skis is not worth saving that $25 for the majority of us!
Next, can we talk about the heat molding of liners? Same story... ;-)
Not Sure
Well-known member
All shops are not equal ,I had basic mechanical skills when I got hired in high school . Traveled to a Tyrolia and Salomon certification classes . Two of the veterans got fed up and left so it was me another high school kid and a green older gentleman. His first mount was a pair of cross country skis , I saw him finish the mount and noticed the toe was cocked . I noticed he used a combination square on the one side of the ski never accounting for the side cut.
I saw a lot of mistakes get fixed and out the door, worst one was a botched helicoil install ,kid literally drilled through the base to remove the coil P texed it up and sent it out "Yikes" . We were on piece rate so rock ski tune ups sat till we were told to do them .
Moral of the story , If they're cheap there mechanics might be too.
ss20
Well-known member
Oh dear... I was wondering why this page went to 6 pages....
How do you "practice" drilling skis? lol. Rip a hole through next year's model that you saved up for months because you couldn't give the shop tech $50?
I look at ski maintenance (above sharpening, waxing, some DIN work) like I look at people with nice phone plans and shitty phones. If you spend $80 a month on a phone plan, you can afford a nice, $300 phone. If you can afford $800 in skis and bindings, you can afford to pay the shop guy $50 to mount. Not worth the time, aggravation, learning curve, stress, risk, and research to mount bindings... something you'll do just once or twice in the life of the ski.
Call me a sucker if you must...
How do you "practice" drilling skis? lol. Rip a hole through next year's model that you saved up for months because you couldn't give the shop tech $50?
I look at ski maintenance (above sharpening, waxing, some DIN work) like I look at people with nice phone plans and shitty phones. If you spend $80 a month on a phone plan, you can afford a nice, $300 phone. If you can afford $800 in skis and bindings, you can afford to pay the shop guy $50 to mount. Not worth the time, aggravation, learning curve, stress, risk, and research to mount bindings... something you'll do just once or twice in the life of the ski.
Call me a sucker if you must...
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