Mounting Marker Tour Bindings

The thing about skiing the "backcountry" in Pennsylvania is that we don't get a lot of snow.  The highest snow regions in PA average around 150 inches per year (Laurel Highlands) and the Pittsburgh region is much less, around 40 inches if we're lucky.  This means that for "sidecountry" or "urban backcountry" skiing, I need to take out my rock skis.  For this I have relied heavily on my original prototype Goliath skis which have traditional alpine bindings.  I finally found a pair of affordable Marker Tour F10 bindings and decided to mount them on the Goliaths.

The great thing about Marker Duke, Baron, and Tour bindings is that they come with an adhesive mounting template as shown below.

The mounting template gives you the boot/binding center for a range of boot sole lengths, so once you know your boot length you can line up the center of the template as necessary.  At this point you should already have the proper Small or Large binding depending on your boot size.  When finding the boot center location on the ski you have to make sure that the new pilot holes are not too close to past drill holes or you could tear out a screw or weaken the ski too much.  Once you have mounted your template you will need to drill the holes.

Marker recommends a 9.5 mm deep hole with an unspecified diameter.  A little internet research will point you to a 3.5mm or 3.6mm diameter bit unless you have a metal topsheet in which case a 4.1mm bit is recommended.  In typical frugal engineer fashion, instead of buying a bit I decided to use a bit I had; 3.6mm is equal to 0.142 inches which is remarkably close to a 9/64 inch bit (0.141in).  To get the 9.5mm depth I taped off the drill bit as shown below.  Drill the five holes for the toe and four holes for the heel of each binding using the proper Small or Large pattern.

 Once complete, I filled the old holes with a two part epoxy to ensure that water would not get down into the core.

 Prior to mounting the bindings, I filled each drill hole with a water resistant wood glue; epoxy will do the same job.  The glue simply seals water out of the hole and helps keep the screw in place over time.  You can mount the toe or heel part of the binding first, it doesn't matter.  Just make sure the release mechanism operates properly once you've got it mounted.  To install the toe screws you will have to have the binding in the engaged position for some and touring position for others.
 

 

 Once the bindings are mounted you will have to adjust the binding properly for you boot.  This is where I'm supposed to recommend you have this done at your local ski shop so they can properly test release of the boot. However, if you choose to do it yourself, Marker provides instructions.  The DIN setting is simple; the toe piece (on the side) and heel piece (just behind the red indicator gage) each have a screw that adjusts the spring tension.  There are many DIN calculators online.

Once the DIN is set you will want to adjust the toe plate.  The Marker Duke, Baron, and Tour toe plates are adjustable to fit alpine or touring bindings.  This is adjusted with a screw at the front of the toe piece as shown below.  Marker provides a nice gage to ensure the toe piece is adjusted correctly. Simply place the folded gage between the boot and binding.  adjust the gap until you can pull the gage out and expose the green check mark and not the red x.  If you cannot pull it out at all, then it is too tight.

Finally, you will need to adjust the heel piece.  This can be done when the boot is locked into the binding.  Adjust the screw until it is flush with the binding as shown below.  Make sure to release and lock the boot again to verify.

 I am really looking forward to taking these new bindings out for a test run when PA finally gets some snow this year.

Press Stage 1

This year the base material is transparent so I added a simple graphic to the bottom of the ski with acrylic paint. To prevent the paint from bleeding underneath the stencil, I applied spray glue to the stencil first.  I bought this glue not realizing it was only "general performance"; this just means it's not actually sticky - which was perfect for this application, but not for actually gluing things.

The next step was to layup the ski and press it.  Since it had been a year since I last used the press, I tightened the bolts, perform a pressure test, and verified that there were no cracks in the wood members.  This year I went back to a MAS FLAG epoxy (medium viscosity resin and hardener).  I used this epoxy for my prototype and year 2 skis and it has performed well over the years.  I have used the prototype skis (Goliath) on a nearby fly ash dump several times.  This is kind of an accelerated damage test for the skis.

The image below shows the skis after removal from the press before the flashing was cut off.

I used my jig saw to cut the flashing off; however, someday I plan to have a more powerful band saw to do the work.  I purchased a new belt sander over the winter with a 6" x 48" belt; this made quick work of cleaning up the edges.  I still used my hand belt sander to smooth the edge bevel.

The skis are now ready for graphics and top sheet which will be applied during the final press stage.

 

Season Recap

The Aftermaths performed well this year.  I used them 4 days at Jay Peak, VT where the temperatures were -15F during the week.  The woods skiing was great at Jay despite the fact that they were in need of snow.  While at Jay, the tram was shut down due to wind so I was able to use the touring capabilities of the Aftermath.  The link below is a documentary of our trip to Jay.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vb0EftZJQGY

 

I was also able to use the Aftermaths for some sidecountry skiing in the suburbs of Pittsburgh.  We had some great snow this year and the Aftermaths carried me through it.  I also used them at some local resorts as well such as Blue Knob and Seven Springs.

 



 

I also had the opportunity to visit my brother and his wife in Seattle, Washington.  We spent a day skiing at Mt. Baker and another day at Crystal mountain.  I used the Panjshirs [2011] while I was out there; it was my first time on a fully rockered ski, but I adapted quickly for some of the best and steepest skiing of my life.  The video linked below documents our trip to Washington.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnFLqoM_RPw&feature=player_embedded

 

 



 

The Aftermaths performed well on powder and on groomers. My only complaint is that while the skis are the second lightest skis I have made next to the Goliaths, they are also the stiffest skis I have ever made. The only time the stiffness gave me a problem was spring skiing on groomers because they pushed back when I turned;  however, they have a lot of stability, handle speed well, and are nearly indestructible.

 

The ribbing I made for the top of the skis deviated from the original plan in that it was wider and taller.  Also, I wasn't sure how much the fiberglass would stiffen the ski when formed into the rib shape.  This combination was too much.  I was glad to prove I could make a ribbed ski, but have also proved it is unnecessary.  With some tweaking, such as thinning the core overall, the ribbed design could make a much lighter ski with the proper stiffness.

 

The total cost to build the Aftermaths was $282.29 as broken down below:

• Epoxy: 72.19
• Ski Materials: 116.23
• Wood: 59.73
• Tooling: 34.14

I spent 43 hours on the skis as broken down below:

• Design and Procurement: 11 hrs
• Ski Mold: 8 hrs
• Ski building: 24 hrs.

I plan refine the Aftermath design in 2013 to decrease the stiffness and lighten the overall weight, making them even better for touring.  Other notable changes:

• The outer core member cracked last year when I clamped the core for gluing due to the curve of the reverse side cut.  This year I split the outer member into two pieces to alleviate the stress.
• I replaced the core members left and right of center with cedar to reduce the overall weight.
• There will be no ribbing on these skis as it is not needed.
• I will again cover the base and top sheet with contact paper rather than packing tape as it worked well and pealed off relatively easily.
• I hope to use a clear base material so I can put graphics on the bottom of the ski as well as the top.
• The pre-tensioned sidewall design (curved inner core member) will be used again.
• The cap design will be used again in lieu of a vertical sidewall since it removes material that is not stressed and lightens the ski.

The core is already taking shape:

 



AMH-12

RECAP

The skis I made last year seem to have done well.  My brother has spent time skiing the Panjshirs at Crystal Mountain in the state of Washington.  The Arlias have seen east and west coast skiing and have performed well.  A pair of the Arlias even survive falling from the roof of a car onto the pavement at high speed. ( http://mwallworkrn.blogspot.com/2012_02_01_archive.html ).



I continued to use my Goliaths in the backyard and took the tomahawks to the slopes.  To date none of the skis I have made have failed and only a single Goliath V1 edge has torn out (I have corrected this problem).

2012

This year I decided to make only a single pair of skis. I want these skis to be good for east coast skiing, where I live, but also have the ability to take on big mountain snow. Additionally, I wanted the ski to be relatively light to take on backcountry trips. I have temporarily named the ski the All-Mountain Holuta (AMH-12).

The ski dimensions are 127-88-109 and 186 cm long.  Additionally, the ski has tip and tail rocker, camber, and reverse side cut at the tip and tail. The rocker will allow for easier powder skiing while the camber will allow for good edge grip on hard-pack. The reverse side cut at the tip and tail shortens the turning radius of the ski from ~21m to 17.7 m.  This will allow for quicker turning despite the length of the ski.  The reverse side cut will also lighten the ski and allow for smoother maneuverability in deep snow.  The ski was lengthened over past years (186 vs 181 cm) since the rocker shortens the contact length of the ski.  Adding a few centimeters to the length re-lengthens the contact length.  The final design is below:

In order to make the skis light, I am using Aspen, Poplar and Oak in the core.  Several 5mm strips of oak spread through the core serve to provide ample stiffness to the ski while filling the gaps with aspen and poplar lightens the ski.  Oak is not frequently used in skis, and I'm not entirely sure why.  It is a little expensive but it is very hard and stiff.  Oak is also stronger than the majority of commercially available woods.  The hardness wears out tools more quickly which may be why it's not used commercially.  I am also planning to add two oak rails to the top of each ski; this rail will significantly improve stiffness and edge grip. A preview of the core is below:

I have also started making the templates.  Similar to last year, I have three templates: a base, rough core, and core member template; the use of these templates will be explained later.  To make the templates, I had the designs printed full size and then used spray glue to attach them to high density fiberboard that I purchased.

The templates are then cut out and are ready to shape the ski.