properly mounting bindings - Snowboarding Forum

RockyMTNsteeze · 10-25-2012, 01:09 AM

Last season or maybe it was the previous season I demoed a snowboard, it had radical zebra stripes. I demoed the board from a snowboard company.

When I mount bindings I am careful about it. I use a screwdriver and carefully put in each screw diagonally from each other. I never used any kind of power tool and was told I could ruin the inserts with a screwdriver. I don't force the the screws into the inserts. I worked in a shop years ago and customers would ruin the inserts occasionally when they mounted their bindings. I have not ruined my inserts and my bindings stay on my rough used board. My board has more days on it than in a year.

So should power tools be used to mount bindings? I was horrified at the demo tent, because they were super rough mounting my bindings with a power tool on their board. They were using power tools on everyone's shit. I was like, no don't do that when it was time to put the bindings back on my board. I did not want my inserts raped by drill bit. I don't want my bindings to become loose all the time. I can put them back on myself.

So is there a proper way to mount bindings? A shop I worked at told me to do it the way I do. You want them tight, but you don't want to force the screws in. Is it ok to use power tools? I don't think any of the other companies I have demoed from used them.

BurtonAvenger · 10-25-2012, 01:14 AM

It's a screw and a threaded insert you really think it's going to matter on a piece of wood that you ride on snow, ice, rocks, and small children?

RockyMTNsteeze · 10-25-2012, 01:18 AM

It does matter if you damage your inserts. I ollie over rocks.

bseracka · 10-25-2012, 01:34 AM

Turn the torque setting low and you're fine. Just like getting tires mounted. I personally use a screwdriver but I'm not mounting a 100 bindings a demo day

jello24 · 10-25-2012, 01:40 AM

Start all 4 screws with a screwdriver then finish with a power drill. Low torque setting if you're really scared.

Your problem with power tools is that you're scared of cross-threading. Fair enough, start 2-3 threads then tighten down with a drill. Small handheld drills can't provide enough torque to strip inserts or any sort of thread. Once the screw head bottoms out, the drill can't turn anymore.

Now if you use a Dewalt 120V drill at drilling torque, then of course you're gonna strip inserts. Use your common sense.

RockyMTNsteeze · 10-25-2012, 12:04 PM

Thank's ya'll, good answers.

I will stick with using my trusty screw driver. The bindings stay on my snowboard, which is wonderful. I don't have any drills and probably would do it wrong. The shop I worked at scared me and made me very cautious with my binding inserts. I take way to much time to mount bindings.

I still won't let no demo tents mount my board with a drill.

AWNOW · 10-25-2012, 12:33 PM

7/10 trolling attempt

Whoracle · 10-26-2012, 09:50 AM

I use a screwdriver, but it is only because i am to lazy to find a drill and the proper size phillips bit when i already have a proper sized one in my kit. Like everyone else said, as long as the torque setting is turned down it will be fine. I wouldn't trust some demo monkey to have that much forward thinking though...

linvillegorge · 10-26-2012, 09:54 AM

I use a screwdriver, but it's because I only mount bindings a few times a year. If I was doing hundreds in a demo day, you damn straight I'd be using a power tool.

10-25-2012, 01:09 AM	#1 (permalink)
RockyMTNsteeze Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Rocky Mountains Posts: 224	properly mounting bindings Last season or maybe it was the previous season I demoed a snowboard, it had radical zebra stripes. I demoed the board from a snowboard company. When I mount bindings I am careful about it. I use a screwdriver and carefully put in each screw diagonally from each other. I never used any kind of power tool and was told I could ruin the inserts with a screwdriver. I don't force the the screws into the inserts. I worked in a shop years ago and customers would ruin the inserts occasionally when they mounted their bindings. I have not ruined my inserts and my bindings stay on my rough used board. My board has more days on it than in a year. So should power tools be used to mount bindings? I was horrified at the demo tent, because they were super rough mounting my bindings with a power tool on their board. They were using power tools on everyone's shit. I was like, no don't do that when it was time to put the bindings back on my board. I did not want my inserts raped by drill bit. I don't want my bindings to become loose all the time. I can put them back on myself. So is there a proper way to mount bindings? A shop I worked at told me to do it the way I do. You want them tight, but you don't want to force the screws in. Is it ok to use power tools? I don't think any of the other companies I have demoed from used them.

10-25-2012, 01:14 AM	#2 (permalink)
BurtonAvenger Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Mountains Posts: 8,037	It's a screw and a threaded insert you really think it's going to matter on a piece of wood that you ride on snow, ice, rocks, and small children? __________________ Angry Snowboarder Because someone has to call it how they see it!

10-25-2012, 01:18 AM	#3 (permalink)
RockyMTNsteeze Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Rocky Mountains Posts: 224	It does matter if you damage your inserts. I ollie over rocks. Last edited by RockyMTNsteeze; 10-25-2012 at 01:20 AM.

10-26-2012, 09:54 AM	#9 (permalink)
linvillegorge Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Evergreen, CO Posts: 4,499	I use a screwdriver, but it's because I only mount bindings a few times a year. If I was doing hundreds in a demo day, you damn straight I'd be using a power tool. __________________ "People say that marijuana smoking is going to get in the way of my career. I say to them that on the contrary, my fighting career is getting in the way of my marijuana smoking." -Nick Diaz

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10-25-2012, 01:34 AM	#4 (permalink)
bseracka Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Seattle, WA Posts: 591	Turn the torque setting low and you're fine. Just like getting tires mounted. I personally use a screwdriver but I'm not mounting a 100 bindings a demo day

10-25-2012, 01:40 AM	#5 (permalink)
jello24 Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: The OK part of Surrey, BC Posts: 110	Start all 4 screws with a screwdriver then finish with a power drill. Low torque setting if you're really scared. Your problem with power tools is that you're scared of cross-threading. Fair enough, start 2-3 threads then tighten down with a drill. Small handheld drills can't provide enough torque to strip inserts or any sort of thread. Once the screw head bottoms out, the drill can't turn anymore. Now if you use a Dewalt 120V drill at drilling torque, then of course you're gonna strip inserts. Use your common sense.

10-25-2012, 12:04 PM	#6 (permalink)
RockyMTNsteeze Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Rocky Mountains Posts: 224	Thank's ya'll, good answers. I will stick with using my trusty screw driver. The bindings stay on my snowboard, which is wonderful. I don't have any drills and probably would do it wrong. The shop I worked at scared me and made me very cautious with my binding inserts. I take way to much time to mount bindings. I still won't let no demo tents mount my board with a drill.

10-25-2012, 12:33 PM	#7 (permalink)
AWNOW Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Colorado Posts: 703	7/10 trolling attempt

10-26-2012, 09:50 AM	#8 (permalink)
Whoracle Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Posts: 126	I use a screwdriver, but it is only because i am to lazy to find a drill and the proper size phillips bit when i already have a proper sized one in my kit. Like everyone else said, as long as the torque setting is turned down it will be fine. I wouldn't trust some demo monkey to have that much forward thinking though...