Drilling your own skis involves carefully executing a few key steps to ensure proper mounting of bindings. Here's how:
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Set the Drill Bit Depth: Use a stop collar on your drill bit to precisely control the drilling depth. This prevents you from drilling all the way through the ski. Refer to your binding manufacturer's specifications for the correct depth. This is crucially important!
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Locate the Drill Point: Place the tip of your drill bit directly into the pre-marked drill hole location on your mounting jig. Accuracy is vital for a secure binding.
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Drill the Hole: With the drill bit properly positioned, turn on your hand drill and drill straight down until the stop collar prevents further drilling. Use a steady, controlled speed. Avoid excessive pressure.
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Remove the Drill Bit: Turn off the drill and carefully pull the drill bit straight out of the hole.
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Repeat for Remaining Holes: Repeat steps 2-4 for all the remaining holes indicated by your mounting jig. Ensure each hole is drilled to the correct depth.
Important Considerations and Caveats:
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Binding Template/Jig: You must use a binding-specific template or jig to ensure correct hole placement. These are available for purchase or rent. Using a universal jig, or, worse, trying to do this freehand, is extremely risky and can lead to binding failure and serious injury.
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Drill Bit Size: Using the correct drill bit size is paramount. The required size is specified by the binding manufacturer. Using the wrong size can lead to screws stripping or not holding properly.
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Drill Bit Stop: A drill bit stop collar is essential to avoid drilling through the base of the ski. Confirm the correct depth setting before you start drilling.
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Ski Construction: Be aware of your ski's construction. Some skis have metal layers or other features that require specialized techniques or tools. Consult the ski manufacturer's specifications.
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Risk and Expertise: Drilling skis yourself carries risk. Improperly mounted bindings can lead to serious injury. If you are not completely comfortable with the process, have a qualified ski technician mount your bindings.
