# How much to mount binding?



## abc (Jan 10, 2016)

I'm about to pull the trigger to get some new skis. Thinking I'll get them mounted locally, I called about the turn around time and price. I was told it'll cost me $75 dollar!

The last time I had bindings mounted, I had it done at Stowe (including setting DIN etc). It only cost me something like $30. But that was 4-5 years ago. Did price change that much recently? Or is it because I'm being gauged by the "flat land" shops?


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## deadheadskier (Jan 10, 2016)

Local shops are $50 around here  

Coastal, NH


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## gmcunni (Jan 10, 2016)

$25 at shop here in CT last time I needed it.


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## SkiFanE (Jan 10, 2016)

We're regulars at shop near mountain. $30 last time I believe. Plus tip.


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## goldsbar (Jan 10, 2016)

This is sort of like asking people on the Internet what type of gas mileage they get.  Epic ski had me believing just about every shop will do it for $20.  My reality was much closer to $50.  $75 is really high.


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## Not Sure (Jan 10, 2016)

goldsbar said:


> This is sort of like asking people on the Internet what type of gas mileage they get.  Epic ski had me believing just about every shop will do it for $20.  My reality was much closer to $50.  $75 is really high.



On the other hand internet sales hurt the B&M stores , kinda like taking you bacon and eggs to a diner and asking them to cook them for you. I can see there side . Is that the same price for skis they sell also ?


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## hammer (Jan 10, 2016)

Local shop charged us $50...but with the cost of the skis it was still a good deal.


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## abc (Jan 10, 2016)

gmcunni said:


> $25 at shop here in CT last time I needed it.


Where in CT? 

(which shop? It might still be close enough for me)


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## Hawkshot99 (Jan 10, 2016)

Siliconebobsquarepants said:


> On the other hand internet sales hurt the B&M stores , kinda like taking you bacon and eggs to a diner and asking them to cook them for you. I can see there side . Is that the same price for skis they sell also ?



Exactly.  Plus the shop is now taking on all liability of any errors, either on a bad mount or injury.
If someone brings me a internet purchase for mounting, it is $59.95, free if purchased in store.


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## VTKilarney (Jan 10, 2016)

I paid $45 a couple of weeks ago.


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## andrec10 (Jan 10, 2016)

Also depends, are they a flat ski, or a system? System is real easy. Flat ski, not so much. 75$ is outta line!


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## deadheadskier (Jan 10, 2016)

Most I ever paid was $65 for Marker Dukes.  That was at EMS


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## abc (Jan 10, 2016)

andrec10 said:


> Also depends, are they a flat ski, or a system? System is real easy. Flat ski, not so much. 75$ is outta line!


Flat ski. 

The one that comes with system binding, I did it myself. Move the heel piece to the right slot, forward pressure, DIN. All it took was a screwdriver.


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## Scruffy (Jan 10, 2016)

If you purchased the skis and bindings elsewhere, then I'd say, $75 is not out of line is is becoming the norm. If you purchased skis at the shop, the mount should be free or a nominal charge.


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## abc (Jan 10, 2016)

At $75 a pop, I'm wondering if I''m better off just buy the binding in the same shop that I buy the skis and have them mount the binding for free! (brick and mortar shop but out of town, so technically buying over the 'net)

I can do the forward pressure and DIN if they're more or less the same process as in system bindings. I can even pay for a "binding check" in most shops which cost a lot less.


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## JDMRoma (Jan 10, 2016)

If I buy skis online I try to get the bindings local and usually mount for free. I did that with my Icelantics last year   


Sent from my iPhone using AlpineZone


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## Scruffy (Jan 10, 2016)

abc said:


> At $75 a pop, I'm wondering if I''m better off just buy the binding in the same shop that I buy the skis and have them mount the binding for free! (brick and mortar shop but out of town, so technically buying over the 'net)
> 
> I can do the forward pressure and DIN if they're more or less the same process as in system bindings. I can even pay for a "binding check" in most shops which cost a lot less.



Some shops that sell via the "net" will do the mount to your BSL, but with a disclaimer that you need to take them to a shop for final adjustment and binding check.


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## Not Sure (Jan 10, 2016)

abc said:


> At $75 a pop, I'm wondering if I''m better off just buy the binding in the same shop that I buy the skis and have them mount the binding for free! (brick and mortar shop but out of town, so technically buying over the 'net)
> 
> I can do the forward pressure and DIN if they're more or less the same process as in system bindings. I can even pay for a "binding check" in most shops which cost a lot less.



Your shop has drilling templates for the bindings they sell . It's a matter of lining up and clamping them in place using a hand drill . When you're using a paper template it takes more time and there's a chance of screwing up hole alignment .


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## hammer (Jan 10, 2016)

Scruffy said:


> Some shops that sell via the "net" will do the mount to your BSL, but with a disclaimer that you need to take them to a shop for final adjustment and binding check.


Levelnine did that for my skis, binding check cost about $20 at a local shop.  Evo did not have that option so we had to have the bindings mounted locally.  Cost was $50 but the skis were a lot cheaper online.


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## abc (Jan 10, 2016)

hammer said:


> Levelnine did that for my skis, binding check cost about $20 at a local shop.  Evo did not have that option so we had to have the bindings mounted locally.  Cost was $50 but the skis were a lot cheaper online.


Yep, last time it was from Evo. Got the binding mounted and adjusted for $30 at Stowe. The whole deal cost far less than doing it locally. 

I recall looking into getting the binding locally and benefit from the mounting service but it turned out even there the saving was still greater doing the whole deal online and paying for the mounting at a more reasonable location. 

I would love to support my local shop. But in reality, the cost differential is just too much.


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## gmcunni (Jan 10, 2016)

abc said:


> Where in CT?
> 
> (which shop? It might still be close enough for me)



ha, nevermind.. it has been a few years since i had it done and just checked their www site, prices have gone up A LOT.


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## cdskier (Jan 10, 2016)

I think I paid $50ish to have mine mounted at a local shop in NJ a few years ago. Interesting to see that ski resort shops seem cheap though. Just looked at Sugarbush's site for example and they charge $35 for a mount. 2 other off-mountain shops in town by the mountain charge $45-50.


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## dlague (Jan 10, 2016)

Ski fanatics in Campton nh $25


Sent from my iPhone using AlpineZone


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## prsboogie (Jan 10, 2016)

35 at wawa, 50 at flatlander shop. Really depends on where you live, or ski!


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## SkiFanE (Jan 10, 2016)

Hawkshot99 said:


> Exactly.  Plus the shop is now taking on all liability of any errors, either on a bad mount or injury.If someone brings me a internet purchase for mounting, it is $59.95, free if purchased in store.


Kind of short-sighted. We buy from a mix of local shop near ski area and online (often from the stores online site). Store doesn't have 100% inventory of every ski item or size. They offer discounts to pass holders and I prefer to use them. But sometimes price or availability make decision. Last winter I spent about $1500 with them (online and store), this year about $300 so far. But when we go they know us and don't treat us like jerks for buying online. Then we'd take our business elsewhere - they get about 75% of my families gear $ - dickering over $25 would be silly for them.


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## dlague (Jan 11, 2016)

dlague said:


> Ski fanatics in Campton nh $25
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using AlpineZone



And I buy online always.  However, I bought skis online and bindings at their shop and it was free.  Could not find the bindings for $25 less.


Sent from my iPhone using AlpineZone


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## Whitey (Jan 11, 2016)

Free - Do it myself.    It's really pretty easy.    The trick is to ensure that you don't drill too deep.    A drill stop will do it, but usually I just put a piece of tape on the drill bit & go easy when I am drilling to keep from going too far.    Put a little dab of silicone adhesive/sealant where the screws go into the ski and that keeps any moisture out.    The other trick is take the screws out of the binding and screw them into the ski before you try to mount the binding (and then back them out & put them back into the binding - of course).   You get a cleaner first run thru the holes and the bindings mount easier when you go to put them on.      I've mounted and adjusted dozens of bindings - never once had a problem.   

It's always surprised me that with all of the gear heads on this forum there seem to be relatively few who do their own ski binding mounting and adjusting.


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## wtcobb (Jan 11, 2016)

Lahouts in Lincoln is $30 I believe. I bought my skis/binders online and boots in store. They mounted for free since I bought the boots there.


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## KevinF (Jan 11, 2016)

Whitey said:


> It's always surprised me that with all of the gear heads on this forum there seem to be relatively few who do their own ski binding mounting and adjusting.



I imagine that the willingness most people have for a "do it yourself" project is directly related to the cost of fixing the damage if you mess up.

Waxing and sharpening skis?  You can mess up, but at worst (unless you're a total klutz) is to take them to the shop and have them fix up your edges for you.

Taking a power drill to your skis?  You mess up and you could be looking at buying new skis.

I had some skis mounted up "while I waited" last year up in Stowe.  I watched him do it.  Clamp the jig, get out the power drill, drill, drill, drill, drill, etc. Get out the power screwdriver to mount it up.  Done.  Watching somebody take a power drill to your skis after about 30 seconds of prep time was a little nerve-racking, although I imagine he's mounted bindings a couple thousand times by now...  I imagine you get pretty fast after all that practice.  Bindings haven't ripped out of the skis yet, so it looks like he did it correctly.  :grin:


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## Scruffy (Jan 11, 2016)

Whitey said:


> It's always surprised me that with all of the gear heads on this forum there seem to be relatively few who do their own ski binding mounting and adjusting.



 How do you make that assumption? A lack of divulgence does not equal a lack of knowledge or practice ;-)

I've been mounting my own for years, both tele and alpine, but it's not something I advocate to others, and I won't even do it for my friends, even though they've asked me to. Taking personal responsibility for yourself includes knowing when to pay someone to do something and when to DIY. You're right, it's not hard to do, and If someone feels confident in their abilities then...well, it's up to them.


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## Scruffy (Jan 11, 2016)

SkiFanE said:


> Kind of short-sighted. We buy from a mix of local shop near ski area and online (often from the stores online site). Store doesn't have 100% inventory of every ski item or size. They offer discounts to pass holders and I prefer to use them. But sometimes price or availability make decision. Last winter I spent about $1500 with them (online and store), this year about $300 so far. But when we go they know us and don't treat us like jerks for buying online. Then we'd take our business elsewhere - they get about 75% of my families gear $ - dickering over $25 would be silly for them.



The Key is, the shop knows you, and they know you've spent money with them in the past, and will most likely continue to. 

 A lot of people don't seem to have a clue of how to value something, they want everything for nothing or next to it. If I brought my own oil filter and oil, that I purchased on sale somewhere, to a mechanic that normally charges $30 labor for an oil change when he sells me the oil and filter, and makes a small profit on that to offset the low labor cost, I should not be surprised if he charges more or refuses altogether. A lot of high end restaurants will allow you to bring in your own wine, but charge you a corking fee. 

If you have never shopped at a particular ski shop before and walk in with your own on-line purchase, I don't blame the shop at all for up-charging you for the mount.


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## VTKilarney (Jan 11, 2016)

Scruffy said:


> If you have never shopped at a particular ski shop before and walk in with your own on-line purchase, I don't blame the shop at all for up-charging you.


I would blame them.  They should charge what the market bears.  Let's say that the going rate is $50.  But since I bought my equipment somewhere else they want to charge me $75 to teach me some sort of lesson.  Guess what I'm going to do?  I'm going to go to another shop and they will lose my business.  

You combat internet sales by having excellent customer service.  Discriminating by overcharging is not good customer service.

I'm all for loyalty incentives (e.g. free mounting if you purchase your skis and bindings in-house), but that's not what we are talking about here.


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## Not Sure (Jan 11, 2016)

http://www.slidewright.com/

Good source for tools ect, Tapping out holes is not a bad idea.  Till you buy taps ,inserts and bits you could come close to $40.00 
Even center punching holes the bit can wander. Years ago skis were thicker so you had more room for depth error . Tape on a bit would make me nervous. I use a stopped drill press drill the hole then chuck the tap and run it down by hand . If I didn't  have the right tools I would let someone experienced do it.


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## Whitey (Jan 11, 2016)

Scruffy said:


> How do you make that assumption? A lack of divulgence does not equal a lack of knowledge or practice ;-)



In previous threads over the last several years about ski binding adjusting and related.   I was surprised at the percentage (not 100%, but higher than I would have thought given this group) that don't/won't touch their own bindings or their family's/friends.    Then read thru the 3 pages of this thread - literally no one suggested "just do it yourself".      

That's how I make that assumption.    I know there are others on this site who "DIY", just isn't as high as I would have thought with this group.   

I mount and adjust bindings for family, friends, etc.   Been doing it for years.  I always just note that my work comes with a money back guarantee (i.e. you are getting it for free).   Never had one tear out or have problems.  And I've mounted and adjusted for some teens/20s that really bash their skis.    I am also biased towards DIY because I've always hated the "set the binding by the prescribed DIN setting for your height/weight/ability" method.    I'm old school - do it by feel; kick the toe out, fall forward and release method.


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## Scruffy (Jan 11, 2016)

VTKilarney said:


> I would blame them.  They should charge what the market bears.  Let's say that the going rate is $50.  But since I bought my equipment somewhere else they want to charge me $75 to teach me some sort of lesson.  Guess what I'm going to do?  I'm going to go to another shop and they will lose my business.
> 
> You combat internet sales by having excellent customer service.  Discriminating by overcharging is not good customer service.
> 
> *I'm all for loyalty incentives (e.g. free mounting if you purchase your skis and bindings in-house), but that's not what we are talking about here*.



But it is exactly what we are talking about. The post above by Hawkshot(sp?) says if you purchase skis I'll give you a deal ( not free, but a deal ) on mounting, if you don't this is what the market price for a binding mount is in my shop. Nothing about discriminating or teaching anyone a lesson. 

"Guess what I'm going to do?  I'm going to go to another shop and they will lose my business." You're most likely going to take your business back to the internet, so they've already lost you, so why should they give you a break on mounting skis?


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## Whitey (Jan 11, 2016)

Siliconebobsquarepants said:


> http://www.slidewright.com/
> 
> Good source for tools ect,




Here you go - $5 plus shipping:   http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200449271_200449271


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## abc (Jan 11, 2016)

KevinF said:


> I imagine that the willingness most people have for a "do it yourself" project is directly related to the cost of fixing the damage if you mess up.


Exactly!

I'm far more willing to REPAIR something that's already broken (can't get any worst!) than to drill holes into brand spanking new items, even if the holes are entirely necessary and functional. I suppose if I've done it a few times on older skis, I might feel more comfortable doing it on a pair of new skis. 

That, add the fact I don't have a proper standing drill press.


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## prsboogie (Jan 11, 2016)

I've mounted my own binding this season and honestly with a tapered drill bit you would have to press so hard downward on the bit to damage them. Just squeeze and  stop at the resistance.


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## Not Sure (Jan 11, 2016)

Whitey said:


> Here you go - $5 plus shipping:   http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200449271_200449271



Better !

A good fix for stripped or off center holes
http://www.slidewright.com/binding-freedom-stainless-steel-threaded-inserts.php


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## VTKilarney (Jan 11, 2016)

Scruffy said:


> But it is exactly what we are talking about. The post above by Hawkshot(sp?) says if you purchase skis I'll give you a deal ( not free, but a deal ) on mounting, if you don't this is what the market price for a binding mount is in my shop. Nothing about discriminating or teaching anyone a lesson.
> 
> "Guess what I'm going to do?  I'm going to go to another shop and they will lose my business." You're most likely going to take your business back to the internet, so they've already lost you, so why should they give you a break on mounting skis?


My bad.  I went back an re-read the post.  I thought that there was an up-charge based solely on an internet purchase, but I was mistaken.

As to your second point, I disagree to the extent that my comment was directed at an internet only up-charge.  I have often paid more at a brick and mortar store that delivers excellent customer service.  But if they don't offer anything of value, I will shop where the price is the cheapest.  Thank goodness several brick and mortar stores understand this concept.


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## steamboat1 (Jan 11, 2016)

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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## Scruffy (Jan 11, 2016)

VTKilarney said:


> I have often paid more at a brick and mortar store that delivers excellent customer service.  But if they don't offer anything of value, I will shop where the price is the cheapest.  Thank goodness several brick and mortar stores understand this concept.



 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.


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## farlep99 (Jan 11, 2016)

abc said:


> Exactly!
> 
> I'm far more willing to REPAIR something that's already broken (can't get any worst!) than to drill holes into brand spanking new items, even if the holes are entirely necessary and functional. I suppose if I've done it a few times on older skis, I might feel more comfortable doing it on a pair of new skis.
> 
> That, add the fact I don't have a proper standing drill press.



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.


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## Scruffy (Jan 11, 2016)

Whitey said:


> Here you go - $5 plus shipping:   http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200449271_200449271



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


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## Not Sure (Jan 11, 2016)

farlep99 said:


> 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.



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.


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## abc (Jan 11, 2016)

farlep99 said:


> Don't need a drill press.  It's easy enough to freehand.


How do you ensure the drill bit goes in vertical?


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## KevinF (Jan 11, 2016)

abc said:


> How do you ensure the drill bit goes in vertical?



To quote the bard, therein lies the rub.

:smash:


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## abc (Jan 11, 2016)

On a standard drill press, that's dead easy to do. 

Free hand? It's a totally different matter.


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## farlep99 (Jan 11, 2016)

abc said:


> How do you ensure the drill bit goes in vertical?



Just hold the drill vertically


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## Whitey (Jan 11, 2016)

farlep99 said:


> Just hold the drill vertically



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.


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## abc (Jan 11, 2016)

Whitey said:


> Probably helps that I worked for about 20+ yrs in trades where I was using a drill for something every day.


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.


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## mishka (Jan 11, 2016)

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


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## Cannonball (Jan 11, 2016)

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!


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## Not Sure (Jan 11, 2016)

mishka said:


> [/COLOR]everything else matter practice. Install couple times on 2 x 4 than on old skis than you good to go



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?


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## mishka (Jan 11, 2016)

: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


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## KD7000 (Jan 11, 2016)

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.


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## deadheadskier (Jan 11, 2016)

mishka said:


> 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.



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!


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## abc (Jan 11, 2016)

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... ;-)


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## Not Sure (Jan 11, 2016)

abc said:


> 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... ;-)



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.


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## ss20 (Jan 11, 2016)

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...


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## mishka (Jan 11, 2016)

abc said:


> 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... ;-)



diy  binding installation is not about saving $25 

Have not done liners but I save whole bunch of money making skis:beer:


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## abc (Jan 11, 2016)

Siliconebobsquarepants said:


> Two of the veterans got fed up and left


That's always the risk that a shop monkey was incompetent or came to work drunk. But that's only weakly related to what the shop charge the customer. 

When I was in college, I worked in a national lab that paid top money to hire the best machinist and electricians they could find, because the jobs were almost always one of a kind and never routine. As far as I could tell, all the machinist were top notch. But this electrician guy wired a big magnet wrong! Good thing he didn't electrocute anyone as a result! Turned out he was an alcoholic and was drunk most days. It took his supervisor a week to furnish the paperwork to fire him. In that short time, I end up having to put out an electric fire as a result of another of his drunken mistake!   

All in all, I generally prefer NOT to get my work done by flat land shops. I just think they don't do enough volume of them to be as proficient as shops in the mountain area. I would only make exception if a shop had been recommended by people I know. Served me right by even thinking about bothering in the first place with my new ski's binding mount! 

So for my skis, I've decided to have the out of town shop (ironically, at Stowe) mount the binding by giving them my BSL. I could have a shop do the boot adjustment and DIN, which is a lot less $. Heck, I'll probably do that myself!


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## Cannonball (Jan 11, 2016)

ss20 said:


> 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...



I didn't see any mention in this thread of  $800 gear.  So I assumed the OP and the rest of the respondents were like me, people who find rock bottom deals on gear and don't want to pay a disproportionate amount for service.  
But sure, I agree, if money is no object why bother doing anything yourself.  That didn't seem to be the question.


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## abc (Jan 11, 2016)

My skis + binding cost $500 (and change). Since the shop is mounting it for free, I'm looking at at most $30 to adjust it for the boot and DIN. 

Granted, some people buy THIS YEAR's skis would pay closer to the $800 mark. Or more.


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## dlague (Jan 11, 2016)

deadheadskier said:


> 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 agree!  It cost me $25 - well worth it. They have templates and do it all the time.


Sent from my iPhone using AlpineZone


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## cdskier (Jan 11, 2016)

abc said:


> All in all, I generally prefer NOT to get my work done by flat land shops. I just think they don't do enough volume of them to be as proficient as shops in the mountain area. I would only make exception if a shop had been recommended by people I know.



I don't think whether it is a flat land shop or mountain area shop matters much. It has more to do with the shop itself. You can have good and bad in both places. The shop I go to in NJ I would trust with pretty much anything. They know their stuff and are highly respected. I would trust them more than some mountain area shops I've been to.


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## ss20 (Jan 12, 2016)

Cannonball said:


> I didn't see any mention in this thread of  $800 gear.  So I assumed the OP and the rest of the respondents were like me, people who find rock bottom deals on gear and don't want to pay a disproportionate amount for service.
> But sure, I agree, if money is no object why bother doing anything yourself.  That didn't seem to be the question.



I spent $450 on skis+ bindings so it wasn't a personal expierience


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## hammer (Jan 12, 2016)

I would have preferred not to pay even $50 for mounting, but when looking at the overall cost of the skis I still did better than buying at a local shop.  Do have to say that if the asking price were more than $50 I would have checked around.

As far as DIY goes on ski equipment, I will wax my skis and clean the edges up but I'll leave anything more than that to the pros.  Having to spackle and paint because of a mistake hanging curtains (or in my case last year installing trim) is one thing, having a binding system fail because I didn't know what I was doing is another thing.


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## prsboogie (Jan 12, 2016)

abc said:


> How do you ensure the drill bit goes in vertical?



You buy a 5 dollar drill guide, problem solved


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## prsboogie (Jan 12, 2016)

Siliconebobsquarepants said:


> Better !
> 
> A good fix for stripped or off center holes
> http://www.slidewright.com/binding-freedom-stainless-steel-threaded-inserts.php



Actually excellent if you love your bindings and don't want to buy several pairs of them. Unscrew one pair and attach to the next ski


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## Whitey (Jan 12, 2016)

Siliconebobsquarepants said:


> All shops are not equal. . . I saw a lot of mistakes get fixed and out the door, moral of the story , If they're cheap there mechanics might be too.



All points in this thread have some merit.   SBSP's post above highlights other's points about finding a good ski shop and developing a relationship for them.   I drove 30 minutes out of my way (each way) to go to a shop I trust to get my family's start of the season base grind.   Did it just because I know the guys in the shop and I know they do good work.   Other shops will hire teenage kids or the guy who "needs a job" when it gets busy, give them a basic overview, and let them go on your skis.   That's scary.  

If I buy new - I'll just have the shop do the mount since it is usually included anyway.    But I do a lot of ski swap visits and internet  used skis surfing and will find a good pair of skis with crappy bindings and a crappy pair of skis with good bindings and swap the stuff around.   Also, I hang onto a lot of used gear and whenever I have friends who want to save a few bucks on gear for them or their kids - I can usually scrounge something up.   But a lot of times I have to remount the bindings to make them work for the boots they are using.   That's how I end up doing a decent amount of binding mounts/swaps every winter.  

I am not too cheap to spend the money.   It's more that I can mount a pair of bindings in about 30-45 minutes.    Two trips to the ski shop are going to take me at least an hour driving (once to drop off, once to pick up).   I figure that I can do it in less time and drink beer while I am doing it = win.


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## abc (Jan 12, 2016)

Whitey said:


> All points in this thread have some merit.   SBSP's post above highlights other's points about finding a good ski shop and developing a relationship for them.   I drove 30 minutes out of my way (each way) to go to a shop I trust to get my family's start of the season base grind.   Did it just because I know the guys in the shop and I know they do good work.   Other shops will hire teenage kids or the guy who "needs a job" when it gets busy, give them a basic overview, and let them go on your skis.   That's scary.
> 
> If I buy new - I'll just have the shop do the mount since it is usually included anyway.    But I do a lot of ski swap visits and internet  used skis surfing and will find a good pair of skis with crappy bindings and a crappy pair of skis with good bindings and swap the stuff around.   Also, I hang onto a lot of used gear and whenever I have friends who want to save a few bucks on gear for them or their kids - I can usually scrounge something up.   But a lot of times I have to remount the bindings to make them work for the boots they are using.   That's how I end up doing a decent amount of binding mounts/swaps every winter.
> 
> I am not too cheap to spend the money.   It's more that I can mount a pair of bindings in about 30-45 minutes.    Two trips to the ski shop are going to take me at least an hour driving (once to drop off, once to pick up).   I figure that I can do it in less time and drink beer while I am doing it = win.


Excellent summery!

For those who does a lot of bindings (for their family, their friends), the $25 adds up. So it's better to learn to do it yourself. And if you're dealing with a lot of used stuff, you do end up needing to do a lot of work to make it worth it. On the flip side, I think people feel less pressure screwing up a $150 2nd hand skis than on a $500 new one. Anyway, that's how I "learn" to do a lot of the bike work: repairs of cheap old ones first, than once I got the experience and confidence, modification of relatively new and expensive ones!

With skis, I don't change skis as often so I really don't want to spend the time to learn my way. Besides, by the time I need to do it again, it's a few years later. I would have forgotten all the little steps that makes it work out correctly! So it's easier to send it to the shop.

For the same reason, I do most of my bike repair work because the time it took to drive to the shop and back typically is longer than the time to get it done! But unlike bikes, which I just roll it out of door to start my ride, I do have to drive to distant places to ski. So typically, I pass quite many shops on my way to and from a day of skiing. It's just a matter of finding one that does decent job without charging too much. 

I can see a trend here. Those who have their whole family skiing REGULARLY (weekly, for example), there's so much work that needs to be done to the collection of skis, it makes sense to buy the tool, learn to do it at home. But for the vast majority of casual skiers (which I'm on the borderline of), a couple weeks of skiing each year, it doesn't pay for getting all the setup necessary to even do the waxing! In between, are those (including many here) who will do the edges but not the wax, or wax and tune but not bindings...


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## Hawkshot99 (Jan 12, 2016)

Scruffy said:


> But it is exactly what we are talking about. The post above by Hawkshot(sp?) says if you purchase skis I'll give you a deal ( not free, but a deal ) on mounting, if you don't this is what the market price for a binding mount is in my shop. Nothing about discriminating or teaching anyone a lesson.
> 
> "Guess what I'm going to do?  I'm going to go to another shop and they will lose my business." You're most likely going to take your business back to the internet, so they've already lost you, so why should they give you a break on mounting skis?



I had to go back and read what I typed. Never did I say " if you purchase skis I'll give you a deal ( not free, but a deal ) on mounting, if you don't this is what the market price for a binding mount is in my shop." I said buy fromnus and its FREE. 
When I buy tires locally the prices are higher than online tire sales places. But they inclide mounting. When I go online and buy tires and bring them to a tire shop, they charge a pretty penny to mount those up (more than I was saving when I looked into it).

Why should a business take care of pepple who don't take care of them?


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## Scruffy (Jan 12, 2016)

Here's some candy for you binding DIYers. There's enough toys there to keep ya smiling for a long time, templates and all.  

http://www.bindingfreedom.com/


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## Scruffy (Jan 12, 2016)

Hawkshot99 said:


> I had to go back and read what I typed. Never did I say " if you purchase skis I'll give you a deal ( not free, but a deal ) on mounting, if you don't this is what the market price for a binding mount is in my shop." I said buy fromnus and its FREE.
> When I buy tires locally the prices are higher than online tire sales places. But they inclide mounting. When I go online and buy tires and bring them to a tire shop, they charge a pretty penny to mount those up (more than I was saving when I looked into it).
> 
> 
> Why should a business take care of pepple who don't take care of them?




Ok, I guess I was trying to paraphrase without  going back to see what you exactly said, but the sentiment was that I agree with you.


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## abc (Jan 12, 2016)

Hawkshot99 said:


> When I buy tires locally the prices are higher than online tire sales places. But they inclide mounting. When I go online and buy tires and bring them to a tire shop, they charge a pretty penny to mount those up (more than I was saving when I looked into it).


Not if you buy it from TireRack. ;-) 

(they have a list of installers who will install them for a set price, the total cost is still far less than buying from a random shop)



> Why should a business take care of pepple who don't take care of them?


Nobody is "taking care" of anybody else. It's a business relationship, of mutual interest. 

Truth being, unless a customer is buying a lot of stuff constantly (for a family), the shop don't remember you anyway!


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## Scruffy (Jan 12, 2016)

abc said:


> So for my skis, I've decided to have the *out of town shop (ironically, at Stowe) *mount the binding by giving them my BSL. I could have a shop do the boot adjustment and DIN, which is a lot less $. Heck, I'll probably do that myself!



Pinnacle ?


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## hammer (Jan 12, 2016)

Hawkshot99 said:


> I had to go back and read what I typed. Never did I say " if you purchase skis I'll give you a deal ( not free, but a deal ) on mounting, if you don't this is what the market price for a binding mount is in my shop." I said buy fromnus and its FREE.
> When I buy tires locally the prices are higher than online tire sales places. But they include mounting. When I go online and buy tires and bring them to a tire shop, they charge a pretty penny to mount those up (more than I was saving when I looked into it).
> 
> Why should a business take care of people who don't take care of them?



A business does not need to take care of those kinds of customers but they really shouldn't put the screws to them either...just drives them further away.

If the overall difference in price for skis and bindings was such that the brick and mortar shop's price including mounting was close (maybe $20 to $30 over), I'd go to the brick and mortar shop.  Better possibility of good service if something does go wrong.  If not...cost is king.


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## abc (Jan 12, 2016)

hammer said:


> A business does not need to take care of those kinds of customers but they really shouldn't put the screws to them either...just drives them further away.
> 
> If the overall difference in price for skis and bindings was such that the brick and mortar shop's price including mounting was close (maybe $20 to $30 over), I'd go to the brick and mortar shop.  Better possibility of good service if something does go wrong.  If not...cost is king.


Reality is often time even more ambiguous.

Online, there's a pool of shops (brick & mortar included) that has stocks they really want to move. Maybe last years modal that's only got a couple of sizes left. Maybe it's a less popular specialty item they ordered for their loyal customer that turned out not to fit. The shop really want to unload that stock at whatever price they can get. But there's no local customer wants that item. An out of town customer wants exactly that and will get a huge discount. 

That customer's local shop may not be able to match that price, or even carry that brand. So we're not talking about losing business to an online big box shop. The business was never there locally. 

Now, does the shop want to mount and adjust the binding for a reasonable amount? Or do they want to punish the customer by charging an arm and a leg?


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## Hawkshot99 (Jan 12, 2016)

abc said:


> Not if you buy it from TireRack. ;-)
> 
> (they have a list of installers who will install them for a set price, the total cost is still far less than buying from a random shop)
> 
> ...



Tire rack is exactly who I was talking about.  Last set of tires I bought I looked at all the local shops, and tire rack.  Made a big spread sheet of cost including everything from tires, shipping, mounting tax.  Tire rack was cheaper than some, but I found several that were cheaper, and could have them mounted that day, rather than waiting for shipping and a appointment.


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## Hawkshot99 (Jan 12, 2016)

hammer said:


> A business does not need to take care of those kinds of customers but they really shouldn't put the screws to them either...just drives them further away.



It costs the brick and mortar store alot more to operate than some internet place.  Since you are taking the $ they make on the sale away, they will go out of business if they dont charge a proper amount for their service.

Many online places are drop ship companies were they never even see the product.  There is not much overhead when they just sit in a office and dont have any product on hand.


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## hammer (Jan 12, 2016)

Hawkshot99 said:


> It costs the brick and mortar store alot more to operate than some internet place.  Since you are taking the $ they make on the sale away, they will go out of business if they dont charge a proper amount for their service.
> 
> Many online places are drop ship companies were they never even see the product.  There is not much overhead when they just sit in a office and dont have any product on hand.



I have no issue with the local shop charging a _reasonable _(note I didn't say proper) amount for their service.  The issue I have is when the amount charged is punitive.

I went ahead and paid the $50 for having bindings mounted and adjusted, but I'd say it was a bit overpriced for the level of service (no drilling was required).  Wasn't at what I'd call the punitive level though...if a shop wanted more than $50 I would have checked around some more.


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## VTKilarney (Jan 12, 2016)

I've said it once and I'll say it again.  A brick and mortar store can't beat online store on prices, so they need to beat them on service.  Too many stores think that you should support them just because they are local.  Sorry, but I don't buy into that.  If you staff the store with lazy idiots, you aren't getting my business and I won't shed a tear when you close.  But if you take the time to educate me and steer me to the best product for my needs, I will gladly pay extra for the service that I received.


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## hammer (Jan 12, 2016)

VTKilarney said:


> I've said it once and I'll say it again.  A brick and mortar store can't beat online store on prices, so they need to beat them on service.  Too many stores think that you should support them just because they are local.  Sorry, but I don't buy into that.  If you staff the store with lazy idiots, you aren't getting my business and I won't shed a tear when you close.  But if you take the time to educate me and steer me to the best product for my needs, I will gladly pay extra for the service that I received.



I'll be fine with paying extra for the service as long as it isn't too much of a difference and I feel that it's worth it.

Local stores just have to compete with internet sales, that's a reality.  If they can't beat on price then they need to have other ways to make it worthwhile for people to do business with them.

While I'm fine with patronizing local businesses and/or brick and mortar stores I won't do so out of charity.  Once I purchased something from a local business for my house, and they messed it up and never told me until the item was installed (hard to tell when I looked at it).  All I got was an "oops" afterwards, no offers to reduce the price or fix their mistake (would not have been easy for them to do).  Needless to say I have not done business with them again and I have no problem mentioning my experience to others.


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## VTKilarney (Jan 12, 2016)

hammer said:


> I'll be fine with paying extra for the service as long as it isn't too much of a difference and I feel that it's worth it.
> 
> Local stores just have to compete with internet sales, that's a reality.  If they can't beat on price then they need to have other ways to make it worthwhile for people to do business with them.


That pretty much sums up how I feel.


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## Hawkshot99 (Jan 12, 2016)

I agree entirely that a local shop needs to "do more" to warrent charging more.
I stand very firm that I provide extra service when you walk through the door. I have had several members on here come see me in the shops I have worked. I may not know all my customers names, but I reconize most of their faces, and remember why they were last here, so I can say something like "how are those new ___________skis?" 
I take very good care of my customers, but the regulars are definatly going to get that top level service.


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## prsboogie (Jan 12, 2016)

Scruffy said:


> Here's some candy for you binding DIYers. There's enough toys there to keep ya smiling for a long time, templates and all.
> 
> http://www.bindingfreedom.com/



I've bought lots from them.


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## abc (Jan 13, 2016)

Scruffy said:


> Pinnacle ?


Yep!

(I've deal with them in person in the past. So while not a local shop TO ME, it's really not that different from a shop an hour away)


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## Scruffy (Jan 13, 2016)

abc said:


> Yep!
> 
> (I've deal with them in person in the past. So while not a local shop TO ME, it's really not that different from a shop an hour away)



They're a good shop. I've dealt with them a number of times. Good luck with you're new boards.


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## Whitey (Jan 13, 2016)

Oldest son had a friend who came by tonight needing some skis for the weekend.   He ended up with a pair of my old boots & my oldest son's old skis and poles.   I will grant this one was an easy one as I only had to remount the nose piece in order to make the boots fit.   They were some center mount twin tips that my oldest outgrew.   But the kids are going more towards rear/center mount twin tips so I could get away with just remounting the nose a little further back to make them rear/center mounts.    

1st ones I did this year, a couple of added notes if you wanna DIY:   

-  Need to scrape off the ridges on the old holes and new ones before mounting.  Need to make sure the bindings sit flush on the ski and the screw holes have ridges on them that have to be scraped/sanded down.
-  I used a hot glue gun to seal the old holes.  Done that before & its worked good.  
-  Some soap is your best friend.   Made the new holes pretty small/tight so that they would really grab.   But with a little soap on the threads of the screws - they seated/cut their threads pretty nicely.   Probably should have put in screw sinks/heli-coils for the new mounting holes, but the tight holes & clean mounts I think will be OK.
-  Use hand tools when tightening/seating the screws for the binding new mounting locations.  Need to "feel" the screws as you tighten and too much risk of stripping the holes if you use drill when tightening the screws.     
-  Freehanded everything.  All tools used are in pics.   Cordless drill & some hand tools.   Drill press sat in corner.  
-  About 1 hr start to finish.  But that inc'd adjusting the bindings and scrounging up the rest of the stuff.  

Skis & beer for mounting work:






Took this one of the bottoms just to prove I didn't drill thru them even though I just used tape on a drill bit as my stop & free handed everything (yes - this is post-work):






My "drill stop" and the beer that gave its life to make these skis happpen:






Happy kid with skis for the weekend - complete with money back guarantee on all work;


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## prsboogie (Jan 13, 2016)

Strong work Whitney! !


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## BenedictGomez (Jan 14, 2016)

GF just called a ski shop to ask how much to alter her slide/system bindings to her new boots.  They told her $30. 

 Seems a lot to me, never looked at em', but arent those super-easy to adjust.


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## Dickc (Jan 14, 2016)

BenedictGomez said:


> GF just called a ski shop to ask how much to alter her slide/system bindings to her new boots.  They told her $30.
> 
> Seems a lot to me, never looked at em', but arent those super-easy to adjust.



The shop will adjust it, but they also will do a full release test on the boot/binding.  That is why the labor charge is higher.  They must do that per insurance regs.


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## abc (Jan 14, 2016)

BenedictGomez said:


> GF just called a ski shop to ask how much to alter her slide/system bindings to her new boots.  They told her $30.
> 
> Seems a lot to me, never looked at em', but arent those super-easy to adjust.


They're super easy to adjust. I've never pay for re-adjusting binding to a new boot though. It's always done by the shop I bought the boot from, for free. 

But on the other hand, $30 isn't too high for any kind of binding adjustment. At least I've never seen anything less than $25.


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## Cannonball (Jan 15, 2016)

BenedictGomez said:


> GF just called a ski shop to ask how much to alter her slide/system bindings to her new boots.  They told her $30.
> 
> Seems a lot to me, never looked at em', but arent those super-easy to adjust.



What's minimum wage these days, ~$10/hr?  Hopefully a ski tech is doing a little better than that, maybe $15/hr?  The shop has overhead multipliers on that. Probably a bare minimum of x2.  So minimum labor rates is at least $30/hr.  Which is ridiculously low for any sort of task that involves safety and liability. By the time the guy talks to your GF for a bit of info, fills out the adjustment form, makes the adjustments, fills out the billing receipt, cashes it out, etc he's getting pretty close to an hours worth of labor.  And he's accomplishing a task that the customer can't/won't do on her own.  So $30 sounds fair and reasonable to me.


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## BenedictGomez (Jan 15, 2016)

Cannonball said:


> What's minimum wage these days, ~$10/hr?  Hopefully a ski tech is doing a little better than that, maybe $15/hr?  The shop has overhead multipliers on that. Probably a bare minimum of x2.  So minimum labor rates is at least $30/hr.  Which is ridiculously low for any sort of task that involves safety and liability. *By the time the guy talks to your GF for a bit of info, fills out the adjustment form, makes the adjustments, fills out the billing receipt, cashes it out, etc he's getting pretty close to an hours worth of labor.  *And he's accomplishing a task that the customer can't/won't do on her own.  So $30 sounds fair and reasonable to me.



I thought those platform bindings can be adjusted in less than 5 minutes (these are the ones that dont need to be drilled and remounted).  Not so?


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## dlague (Jan 15, 2016)

BenedictGomez said:


> GF just called a ski shop to ask how much to alter her slide/system bindings to her new boots.  They told her $30.
> 
> Seems a lot to me, never looked at em', but arent those super-easy to adjust.



Depending on the binding it can either be a screw that moves the heel or a tab that can be lifted and then slide the heel.  Pretty easy.


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## xwhaler (Jan 15, 2016)

I've mounted both my wife's bindings as well as a guy from work recently who got these system bindings on a track. 
Very easy---set the Din to what I believed an appropriate level given height/weight/ski ability.

I take my skis to get drilled---got 2 done this past Fall locally for $80 total (bought skis + bindings online)


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## Hawkshot99 (Jan 15, 2016)

BenedictGomez said:


> I thought those platform bindings can be adjusted in less than 5 minutes (these are the ones that dont need to be drilled and remounted).  Not so?



Very easy to adjust. But they still take time for a functio. Test on top of that as well. 
Adjusting a binding is not hard, but it needs to be done right. Over the years I have seen some people give instructions on certain bindings that are just not correct, while thinking its all good.


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## Hawkshot99 (Jan 15, 2016)

xwhaler said:


> Very easy---set the Din to what I believed an appropriate level given height/weight/ski ability.



Just curious how you come up with you believe to be a appropriate din #? Are you guessing or using the manufactures adjustment charts?


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## xwhaler (Jan 15, 2016)

Hawkshot99 said:


> Just curious how you come up with you believe to be a appropriate din #? Are you guessing or using the manufactures adjustment charts?



Manufacturer charts.


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## abc (Jan 15, 2016)

dlague said:


> Depending on the binding it can either be a screw that moves the heel or a tab that can be lifted and then slide the heel.  Pretty easy.


Mine was actually a bit more complex. There's also a screw on the toe piece that needs to be set too. (no, I'm not talking about the DIN setting). So it's more like 4 different screws...

I'd say that's fair to pay $30 to let someone who know what he's doing to get it done. (I had access to the manufacturer's instruction for mine).


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