How to Mount Hammerhead Telemark Bindings
Professional ski mounts can cost from $20 to $40 at a ski shop. However, with a little information and the right tools, mounting your ski bindings can be an easy do-it-yourself task. Since there's no DIN setting on telemark bindings (unlike alpine bindings), they are especially easy to mount and set up on your own.
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Things You'll Need
- HammerHead binding with mounting screws
- Skis
- Tape measure
- Marker
- Twenty Two Designs Mounting Template (available online at twentytwodesigns.com)
- Pen
- Tape
- Drill
- 5/32" drill bit
- Ski tap (only if mounting skis with metal top sheet)
- Wood glue
- Toothpick
- #3 pozidrive screwdriver
Instructions
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Find the chord center. Measure the length from tip to tail of one of your skis. Divide this number in half, measure that distance from the tip of your ski and, using your marker, make a line across your ski. Repeat for your other ski. The lengths should be the same for each ski, and when you lay your skis next to each other the marks should be side by side.
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Find the Hammer Heel placement. Place the pin holes of your boot (the three holes on the bottom of the duckbill) over the chord center mark and draw a straight line across your ski at the back of your boot's heel.
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Mark the holes. Tape the Twenty Two Designs Mounting Template (available for free at twentytwodesigns.com) on your ski, lining up the Chord Center line with the mark you made on your ski. Be sure that the Mounting Template is centered on your skis and the Chord Center line is going straight across your ski along the mark you made. Use a pen to punch through the six front dots on the template, making a mark on the ski underneath. Using the marker, enlarge these marks so they are approximately the same size as the dots on the template.
Remove the template from your ski and retape it, lining up the mark you made at your boot heel with the Back of Boot Heel line on the template. Use a pen to punch through the two dots directly in front of the Back of Boot Heel line, making a mark on the ski underneath. Using the marker, enlarge these marks so they are approximately the same size as the dots on the template.
Repeat for the other ski. -
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Drill the holes. Using the 5/32" drill bit, drill 3/8" into your ski in the center of the eight dots (use the marker to mark 3/8" along the drill tip). Be sure not to go any deeper than 3/8". Clean out any sawdust that may be in the hole.
If there are metal shavings, or if your ski has a metal top sheet, you will need to use a ski tap to tap the holes before screwing in the binding. You can purchase a tapping device at a ski shop, or take your skis in and have a technician tap the holes for you. -
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Mount the binding. Hold the screws up to your ski to make sure that they are not longer than your skis are tall. If they are, you will need to grind down your screws.
Using a toothpick, place a few drops of wood glue in each of the six front holes. Place the plastic shim inside the steel toe piece and line up all six holes in the shim, the toe piece and on the ski. Place one screw in each hole and use the #3 pozidrive screwdriver to tighten each screw. The screws should be not be loose and should not be easily removed, but be careful not to strip the holes.
Insert the cable guides along the sides of the binding between the shim and the toe piece. The cable should be inside the cable guide. Slide the cable guide to the desired pivot position. -
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Mount the Hammer Heel. Place the open end of the bail vertically in the deepest groove of the Hammer Heel body. It's easiest to do this if you flip the Hammer Heel body upside down. Set the key in on top of the bail. Holding all three pieces together, use a toothpick to place a few drops of wood glue in each of the back two holes. Turn the Hammer Heel right-side up and place one screw in each screw hole. Place the Hammer Heel on the ski with the screw holes lined up. Alternate tightening each screw until both are tight, keeping the bail vertical through the whole process. When you are finished tightening the screws, the bail should click into both the upright and down positions. If not, remove the Hammer Heel and check to see if the key is aligned properly.
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Tips & Warnings
Not all skiers will want their ski mounted chord center. Moving the mounting line forward or backward will affect the way your skis perform.
When mounted improperly, ski bindings can become dangerously loose or rip out of skis, resulting in loss of equipment and potentially serious or lethal injuries to self and others. If you are unsure about mounting your ski bindings, talk to a professional ski technician. Check to make sure your boots fit in the bindings, that the Hammer Heel is in the correct position and that the binding works and is securely attached before skiing. Skiing is a potentially dangerous sport, even with proper equipment, and may result in injury or death.
