UKC

I have a few sets of skis and I’m curious to see how a Ski is mounted.   It’s more of a learning experience than anything so constructive advice is welcome. As far as I can tell it won’t be too hard it’s just the depth of the holes, where the holes go, and getting the right fit that I am concerned about.  . 

The skis are B3 Bandits and the bindings are Fritschi Titanal II. 

I downloaded and printed a paper jig, centred the skis and I’ve placed the jig at equal distance from the line so helpfully put on the skis by Rossignol .

The bindings seem to locate perfectly with the screw marks on the jig.

Can i use the same screws again?   

Does my ski have a titanium sheet?  

Does my ski have an aluminium sheet?

How deep do I drill the holes? 

What size drill bit should i use?

Can anyone with knowledge on the subject please post in the thread with any tips and advice before I start drilling?

One thing that I do (for skis that I really care about) is to buy a length of aluminium bar to transfer the paper jig to.  That way you can check alignment (and centre) prior to clamping it to the ski and drilling.  It also makes it easy to transfer the same binding to another ski.

I generally reuse the screws, but make sure you clean any old glue off them.

Put the screws though the binding, check the clearance, and then drill a fraction deeper than that.  A wrap of insulating tape round the drill bit at the correct depth is useful if you are using a hand drill  I've always just eyeballed the bit size, but err on the small side if you are unsure. Once you have checked fit, add a small smear of 2-part epoxy glue to the screw and screw in.  Use the same glue to fill in the old holes (if there are any).

If you're reusing the old screws just measure them to find which drill bit and how deep to go. put locktite down the hole before you screw the bindings down. 

Thanks.  I'm off to screwfix!!  I think I'll err on the side of caution and go for a 3.5. Drill bit.

Buy a drill depth collar so the drill doesn't grab and blast through your ski.....

Google suggests that your skis have an aluminium plate in the binding area. If they are the regular Fritschi screws you'll struggle to get them through the plate with a 3.5mm drill. I think 4.1mm would be the recommended size for a ski with a metal sheet, or at least 3.9mm. And even then its best to tap the hole with a binding screw tap. Those can be obtained from the Piste Office I recall. You can force the screw through but its much better to tap. And as suggested get a drill collar and drill about 9mm deep.

And whatever you do, don't put Loctite in the hole - at least the sort meant for mechanical fasteners. Thats a really bad idea as well as probably ineffective. A regular, slowish curing, 2 part epoxy works well. If you need to remove the screw after the epoxy has set you can heat the head a bit with a soldering tool or a hot air gun.

If no metal, 3.5mm drill is good. If metal, 4.1 or 4 works well. And always tap the hole. You can buy a specializes screwtap, but I just often end up using and old discarded screw. After ’tapping’, use a carpet knife to cut off the ’crater’. Ie. Make the skitop flush. 

This is thorough...not the same binding but some good tips...

https://www.wildsnow.com/16524/do-it-yourself-mount-dynafit-tech-ski-bindin...

I spent last season working as a ski technician and my advice is get it done in a shop. If they mess it up, they have to replace the ski whereas if you mess it up, you'll be paying for the replacement. Shops use metal jigs that are far easier to use than paper ones and most ski techs drill dozens of skis a month so its an easy job for them. 

If you do decide to drill them yourself...

1. Check the number on the ski usually printed on the sidewall (usually 4.1x9 or 3.6 x 9) as this will tell you what size drill bit to use. Contrary to popular belief its the ski construction, not the screw size that determines the drill bit size. 

2. Make sure you double check you boot sole length before drilling, hold the drill nice and steady then drill straight down (v. easy to drill at an angle). If there's a metal top sheet, tap the holes but only by a coupe of turns of the tap. 

3. Turn the ski upside down, shake the dust out of the holes, then pop a bit of wood glue in each hole.

4. Screw the plates onto the ski a bit at a time. If you're not careful you can end up pulling up the top sheet. Don't over tighten or screw in with a drill. If the screws continually turn you've rounded out the hole and you'll have to get it helicoiled.

5. Check the forward pressure and din with the boot clicked in.

Hope this helps but in all seriousness you're better of paying to get it done. 

Except don’t use wood glue. The proper way is to think What is the function of the glue. Also think What glue was used when the ski was made. 

So use slow cure epoxy. 

Except the binding are old - are they still indemnified, would a shop tech touch them? Skis not new either, so questionable whether shop would be that bothered about replacing them if any mistakes made. 

A shop tech mis-mounted bindings on a chum’s brand new skis - 1 was about a centimetre behind the other. He was not amused. Shops are not infallible and there’s no reason a careful and practical person can’t do this at home. 

What Steve says. The purpose of the glue is to seal the wood, nothing else.

And given that PVA glue is (at best) water resistant it is a poor choice as a sealer.  Epoxy is a better choice is almost every way.  I can (just about) understand why it might not be used commercially, but for a DIY installation, there really isn't any reason not to.