The 12AB tap may be the hardest thing to find. The PZ 3 is getting easier to find, but all the rest should be in any good tool box.
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Mounting my own skis, Should I do it?
Alpine Ski Binding Mounting Tap 12AB
Some ski and binding manufacturers recommend tapping holes prior to mounting bindings to the ski, this tap is made specifically for that job.
www.tognar.com
Yes, you have to get it on line, try and walk into a hardware store, Home Depot or Lowe's and purchase one. Maybe a hardware store in a ski town might have one but that's about it.Alpine Ski Binding Mounting Tap 12AB
Some ski and binding manufacturers recommend tapping holes prior to mounting bindings to the ski, this tap is made specifically for that job.
I did my bindings on my SR 95's and if you don't have the tools that @KingGrump specified , forget it unless you get those tools and then if you choose to go ahead also take @Doug Briggs advice. ski's are thin, so no room for error on depth of holes. I was throw up nervous doing mine but they came out well. but then again I had all the correct tools.
Agreed. I'll ask at the BBC the next time I'm in, out of curiosity.
The lack of access to a tap (or not knowing you need one) is probably the downfall of many home mounts.
If the hole doesn't get taped you get the lip that the screw makes in the top sheet and a counter sink doesn't remove it without damaging the threads. It may even be worse if the ski has a metal layer on the top of the ski.
It does
Am I understanding this correctly... you tap to create threads in the topsheet so it is not lifted up and potentially separated when you insert the screw? Great advice all around. I’ll certainly get the proper tools before I attempt this. I have several weeks before the bindings arrive anyway.
A set of transfer punches and a screw clamp or two to hold things in place makes it possible to do a good job.
Templates suck.
Craftsmanship is essential.
Using a tap is a good idea but not necessary if you use mondo downforce when driving the screws.
Spend $20 and get a proper limited depth drill from Slideright or Amazon.
Templates suck.
Craftsmanship is essential.
Using a tap is a good idea but not necessary if you use mondo downforce when driving the screws.
Spend $20 and get a proper limited depth drill from Slideright or Amazon.
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You can find the #12A/B at most of the online ski tool shops. Tognar, Artechski, Uthskigear & Slidewright.
Some taps will require a tap handle.
Also note, generally only skis with a titanal layer on top will require tapping.
I am pretty good with tools so I either use a binding jig or free hand the holes.
If you are not comfortable with free hand drilling, you can use a hand held guide like the Big Gator for drilling the holes.
The drill bit required is usually printed on the ski top sheet or side wall.
This is the top sheet of a pair of Kendo.
It specified a 4.1 x 9.5 mm drill bit. Very standard for a ski with a titanal layer on top.
This is the legend on the side wall of a pair of Kastle FX85 HP. It specified a 4.1 mm drill bit.
The ski also came with a label on the top sheet which specified a 4.1 mm x 7 mm drill bit. The 7 mm depth specified makes that an odd ball but conforms to the thinner ski.
I’ve mounted all my skis without taps, however I do metal and wood work and have feel for these things. Jigs never had one, just do the layups myself, again other experiences play a roll here.
So is it hard? No! Can it go wrong quickly? Yes!
My advise is simple, if you have to ask, don’t, you’re not ready and looking for a world of hurt.
BTW mount is really the easy part, correct setup of the bindings is where it counts.
So is it hard? No! Can it go wrong quickly? Yes!
My advise is simple, if you have to ask, don’t, you’re not ready and looking for a world of hurt.
BTW mount is really the easy part, correct setup of the bindings is where it counts.
I'm not sure I've done any titanal skis. But I have a nice sharp screw that I use as a tap. I do one hole in a piece of sacrificial wood to get it nice and hot. Then it softens up any resins used in construction and taps the hole quite nicely. Heat is magic.
Maybe I'll buy a tap (if I buy a titanal ski). And warm it up with my heat gun.
I've had things go wrong enough with enough mounts but never screwed up so much that I couldn't use the skis.
When my son remounted his skis with Shifts, the holes interfered with the Marker Schizio holes. We spent a lot of time deciding which placement would work best for his skis. We did at least as good a mount as a commercial mount - maybe better for his projected future boots.
Absolutely it's worth mounting your own bindings.
Eric
Maybe I'll buy a tap (if I buy a titanal ski). And warm it up with my heat gun.
I've had things go wrong enough with enough mounts but never screwed up so much that I couldn't use the skis.
When my son remounted his skis with Shifts, the holes interfered with the Marker Schizio holes. We spent a lot of time deciding which placement would work best for his skis. We did at least as good a mount as a commercial mount - maybe better for his projected future boots.
Absolutely it's worth mounting your own bindings.
Eric
One of the shops I worked had a custom bench and drilling jigs that allowed you to drill both skis without moving the jig. It would get calibrated at the beginning of each season. By the end of the season one year it was off by one degree and that was the most it ever was off. I am not sure the average skier could tell if one degree off on a mount would effect their skiing. Even some of our more sophisticated skiers might not have an issue with one degree off center.
Skis came in earlier this week but i don’t see a label on the topsheet or info printed on the sidewall regarding the hole size. My Stockli AXs don’t seem to have dimensions on them either so maybe they don’t put them on there. Found a Stockli brochure which mentions 4.1 diameter for the Stormriders but refers to the binding manufacturer for depth. I’m guessing the correct depth is 9 mm is the correct depth but I don’t want to guess. 
It’s going to be several weeks before the bindings come in. Might reach out to Stockli or the shop that I bought them from.
It’s going to be several weeks before the bindings come in. Might reach out to Stockli or the shop that I bought them from.
The sure-fire way to determine the depth of the holes is to take your bindings, screw the screws in all the way and measure the depth the screws will penetrate. In this example, the screws penetrate a little over 7 mm. 9mm is typically the norm for adult skis.
You can also use the binding and screw to determine if the screw (and the calculated hole) will be too deep for the ski.
In this example, I could easily drill a 9 mm deep hole without damaging the ski.
The SR has a metal topsheet, IIRC, so a tapped 4.1 mm hole should be correct.
Another lack of consistency with ski makers is how to mark the center of BSL they recommend. Some, like Fischer, use triangles on the side with the pointy top marking the center. Others use lines on skis. While others use bumps on the skis. Some don't bother. It will pay to verify that whatever mid-sole mark is on the ski is the same for both skis. They aren't always.
Kastle - vertical line marks center, it also says 4.1 to the left with an arrow pointing to the line on the right.
DPS - pretty obvious, but what are the + and - marks for? Alternate mounting points.
K2 - no doubt
Fischer - (older race ski) triangle with up pointing triangle.
You can also use the binding and screw to determine if the screw (and the calculated hole) will be too deep for the ski.
In this example, I could easily drill a 9 mm deep hole without damaging the ski.
The SR has a metal topsheet, IIRC, so a tapped 4.1 mm hole should be correct.
Another lack of consistency with ski makers is how to mark the center of BSL they recommend. Some, like Fischer, use triangles on the side with the pointy top marking the center. Others use lines on skis. While others use bumps on the skis. Some don't bother. It will pay to verify that whatever mid-sole mark is on the ski is the same for both skis. They aren't always.
Kastle - vertical line marks center, it also says 4.1 to the left with an arrow pointing to the line on the right.
DPS - pretty obvious, but what are the + and - marks for? Alternate mounting points.
K2 - no doubt
Fischer - (older race ski) triangle with up pointing triangle.
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Thanks @Doug Briggs I was going to get a jump and order a few things but I’ll sit tight and wait on the bindings before I order a bit. Was about to pull the trigger on digital calipers from Amazon and the lightbulb went off that I might already have them in with my tools for my fishing rod building and sure enough there they were lol. Saved some money there...
Your Kastles are not ISO compliant, hence the sticker. Kastle branded bindings will frequently come with the 7mm screws in place and a kit of 9mm screws to allow mounting with other brands of skis.
@KingGrump , nice post, good data. I missed it when I posted mine downthread.
Taps cut away excess material. I'm not sure what good would come from heating the tap and the ski materials. Anytime you soften resins, plastic and glues, you run the risk of weakening them.
I think he is saying that he uses a screw for a tap and by putting it in a scrap block of wood it gets heated up. But I have to agree that heat might do some harm to the adhesive. I have never used a warm tap when mounting bindings. Just the opposite heat would be OK if I had a screw that I could not remove. BTW tap every every ski not just metal top sheet.
If you still need help, I live in Coronado and mount my ski's all the time. I will help you.
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