what's the best way to find chord center?

[fern]

so I bought myself a new pair of skeez and now I want to mount my bindings. Pins at chord center they say ... but where's the chord center? ... is it halfway along the top plate of the ski or halfway along a straight line between the tip and the tail or what?... these are twintips.

[cj001f]

Place ski on floor.

Find places front & rear where ski touches floor.

This is the chord length - 1/2 is chord center.

[russ]

On a regular ski cord center is the mid-point between the straight line measurement from tip to tail. From the little I've read on mounting twin tips, I think a different method is used. Try researching the topic on http://www.telemarktips.com . I know it's been discussed there several times.

[snoboy]

Twin tips are different. That's all I really know about them though.

 

Teletips has lots of discussion on this very topic. Try This...

 

Do the skis have a boot center mark?

 

Just make sure you don't use a template.

[fern]

the skis have a boot center mark but the boots don't ... I still have your template for the CRBs ... just need to know where to put it

[skyclimb]

Isn't chord center reffering to the center point in a circle, thus the center point of the chord??

Long time since I have heard that term

[nonanon]

Just listen.

[PaulB]

Here's what Black Diamond says about mounting Havoc's, which are twin tips:

 

If the Havoc is going to be used traditionally, in a "uni-directional" sense as a regular AT or tele ski, mount as follows: 183 cm length mid-chord is 91.50 from tail and tip; taking the mid mark between those two measurements - add one cm to mid-chord mark. Use same procedure for 173 cm and 163 cm lengths and add one cm forward of mid- chord. For an AT set-up, mount per the mid-boot mark on the ski.

[stinkyclimber]

I dunno, Fern. Maybe I am just lazy, but I just have MEC mount them. It is pretty inexpensive (and free if they are MEC skis, but I doubt twin tips are!). They have always done a good job for me (never pulled a binding, or even had screws loosen), over the past 15 years, and if they do screw it up then they fix it for free (i.e. if you screw up the holes, you are screwed; if they do, and it isn't fixable, they buy you new skis).

 

However, I know there is a long tradition of DIY mounting in the tele world, and I like telemark traditions...

 

Good luck.

[Fejas]

Place ski on floor.

Find places front & rear where ski touches floor.

This is the chord length - 1/2 is chord center.

 

 

I mounted mine 15mm back from center so I get more tail edge. compleatly center in deep pow will sometimes pull tip down in because of the use of to much front edge. I road a pair of scatches last year that where mounted on center, and had this happen quite a bit. you might not think 1.5cm wil make a diference, but it really seems to.

[E-rock]

Nobody has given proper step by step instructions yet. I hate when these threads go on.

 

1. Use a tape measure stretched from the tip of your ski in a straight line to the tail of your ski. This is the chord length.

 

2. Divide the chord length by 2.

 

3. Measure the distance in step 2 from the tail of the ski forwards.

 

4. Mark Chord center.

 

6. Line up your template and mount.

 

 

These instructions assume that your skis are not twin-tips. However most twin-tips that are tele-specific these days have the center factory marked so that you don't have to worry.

[fern]

they aren't tele-specific.

 

"I mounted mine 15mm back from center so I get more tail edge"

 

do you mean that since your boot is farther back on the ski you can pressure the tail edge more?

[lummox]

serious question: does the 'chord center' coincide wit the center of balance?

[Fejas]

yes... with less effort...

 

are the tips the same radious, if so them you can get away with measuring tip to tip, but if they are different then measuring from where the ski meets the ground is a better idea... I didn't mount mine myself, but new where I wanted them and had the shop mount them acordingly... good luck!

[fern]

they only cost me $100 so I am not going to spend another

$20 + waiting time to have a skishop gaper blast a screw

right through the base like I have had done before. I have

plenty of tools to do the job properly myself (drill press,

taps, beer, etc.). Thank you all for your advice, it has

been useful and educational.

[stinkyclimber]

Damn, you are making me feel really lazy now. I only paid $12 for my skis, and I STILL paid $20 to get them mounted!! Good on ya.

[David_Parker]

serious question: does the 'chord center' coincide wit the center of balance?

 

Fern, here's how to mount twin tips: Measure tip to tip. divide by 4, then muliply by 2. Place mark on ski. Take big swig of

Spin left ski 7 or 9 times as it must be an odd number. Spin right ski 6-8 times (even number), place back on bench.

more

Put left binding facing forward on right ski. Put right binding facing back on left ski.

Now you are ready to rip on twin tip skis!

 

Lummox,

Good question. When I mount tele skis, I check out 1/2 cord and balance point to compare. They should be pretty darn close. I definitely want my pins equal or ahead of the balance point so the tip will be up, not down. (still affected by stiff plasti boots) Personally, I would never mount tele skis with pins behind cord. Pins should be right on or 1-3 cm ahead. Templates sure make things easier, but shop rigs are far superior to paper ones. I agree that it's best to have the ski shop do it. If they screw up, the pay. If you screw up, you are stuck.

[thelawgoddess]

what erock said is what i know as chord center. probably doesn't matter what you use to measure as long you get it taut and it doesn't stretch on you.