People who ski know that even though the sport is a thriller, it comes with a hefty price. Most of the people purchasing the skis would love to get the most bang for their buck. Skis are like cars, skiers dont just buy them and go, they require some mechanical skills that are simple to do. If the skier is not mechanically inclined, he or she has to get someone to do the mounting for them. Which can cost another hundred or more dollars on top of already spending hundreds of dollars.Some of the fees could be eliminated if skiers did the work themselves. All it takes is a few tools and again following a few steps.

Step 1: Required Materials

Large rubber bands
Drill
Ski boots
Ski bindings
Drill bit - see binding box for exact screw width
Jig- (real or paper template) - defined below
Din Chart - defined below
Safety glasses
P - Tex - defined below
Phillips and Flat head screw drivers
Scissors
Tape
Wood Glue
Hammer

Step 2: Terminology

Terms

Jig (real one or paper template) - A jig is a tool that perfectly lines up areas where the screws hold the binding to the ski. A (3.6mm x 9mm) bit is normally required to make a pre hole for the screw. Some types of bindings might require a (4.6mm x 9mm) bit. What whatever binding you get, you have to also look on their instructions, because some brands vary. Also, most of the time you have to buy a jig for a particular brand of ski binding. This does not cost a whole lot of money, and if you continue to stick with that brand of bindings whenever you upgrade, you can use the same jig. This will save a lot money in the end and you could even make a dollar off it. If you dont want to purchase a jig, MOST binding retailers have paper templates you can print offline to use, this is a little more difficult.
Din Chart- A den chart is a measuring chart that measures height, weight, boot sole length, age, and skier ability. This chart is crucial when adjusting skis.
P – Tex- A plastic like material that makes up most of the base or bottom of your skis. This comes in several of colors and is generally sold in sticks about one foot long.

Step 3: STAYING SAFE

When using the drill be sure to wear safety glasses to avoid any particles going into your eye.
If you have to burn some P- Tex, Always hold it way from you and burn in a well ventilated area, to avoid inhaling the smoke.

Step 4: Mounting Ski Bindings on Skis

PART 1: ALIGNING THE TEMPLATE ON THE SKI

Place the skis on a sturdy work area that is big enough to place the skis.
Grab both handles of the jig. One with each hand. If you have a real jig. If you cannot afford a real one you can download a paper one for your exact binding model on your manufacturers website.
For metal jig: Cut out the edges, find the length of your boot, you may have to measure it.
For paper jig: It should say the sole length on the side. Mark your solelength on both sides of the paper jig and cut across the paper where your sole length is. Then tape the 2 cut pieces together and make sure they are lined up. (118-2:18) - Video
Center the jig with the center mark of the ski. With the center of the sole of your ski boot. 99.9% of the time the ski boot and ski with have a Δ noting the center mark. If somehow there is no center mark. You will have to get a ruler and find the half waypoint. If using a real jig, make sure the jig handles are on the top side of the jig. The top side meaning, your stomach area should be almost touching one edge of the ski. The ‘top’ side is the other edge directly in front of you.
It is important that you do this so you dont screw your toe holes in the heel hole spot. That was for the real jig. If you use a paper template jig, First line up the screw holes of your bindings to the template to make sure you are screwing the right holes in the right spot. The toe portion (the pointed portion faces the front of the ski, usually the part that is most pointed) also line up the middle of the template with the middle of the ski and line it up laterally. I can help to cut little notches in the middle of the template. Once all aligned, tape the template down so it does not move. (2:18-3:40)
Get your hammer and philips head and punch minor holes through the X's on the paper template to make marks where the screws go (paper jig). (3:44-4:10)
Carefully let go of the handles on jig, this will lock it into place (real jig).Notice where the holes are in the jig, this is when the drill comes into use.*** WARNING:When using the drill be sure to wear safety glasses to avoid any particles going into your eye.

PART 2: DRILLING
Grab the drill and secure the drill bit inside the drill. It is best to use a new sharp bit so that it goes directing into the skill while drilling. Most ski bindings require a pre-drilled hole with a diameter of (3.6mm x 9mm).Make sure the ski is flat and the jig is secure for drilling into the top of the ski. The top of the ski is the usually the side with the most graphic and the tips and tilted up.
Start with the toe piece of the binding. Put the screws inside the binding, line the drill bit up the binding with the screws in it. Notice how much overhang there is. Put a piece of tape above the area on the drill bit that lined up with the over hang on the screw in the binding. (4:12-5:35)
Drill holes where all the holes are in the jig. This will be the holes for the screws to hold the bindings on the ski. Most of the time you will notice a change in the drilling. That means you have hit the center or core of the ski and it time to stop drilling. Try your best to avoid drilling through the ski. However, if it happens it is okay, refer to the next step below. (5:32-6:32)
Obtain some P – tex. Hold the end of the stick away from and the Light the end of the stick on fire. Slightly tilt the stick down and you will notice some dripping. While holding the tilted flamed stick of P – Tex Raise it above the affected area to fill the hole. Drip enough to fill the hole and maybe a little extra. Keep the ski flat and let the P– Tex fully dry. This may take up to an hour. One dried obtain a metal or plastic scraper and scrap the excess P – Tex off. Now we can begin mounting again.*** WARNING: If you have to burn some Ptex, Always hold it way from you and burn in a well ventilated area, to avoid inhaling the smoke.
Remove the jig.

PART 3: SCREWING ON THE SKI BINDING
Line up the ski binding with the holes that you just drilled. (6:32-6:46)
Obtain some wood glue and drip a little bit in each screw hole. This acts as a waterproofing material inside the screw hole and a lubricator for the screw. (6:46-7:41)
Get the screws out of the box and begin screwing. This NORMALLY requires a Philips head. This is best to be done by hand. However, it can be done by drill if you have the right sized Philips head.Screw the screws as tightly as you can on the ski. (7:41-8:40)
The brakes of the ski binding are located on the back of the binding. They are two metal bars a few inches long with black rubber on the tips. If your work bench is a flat table you will have to get ski rubber bands and band them together. So the base of the ski is flat when screwing the bindings on th8:40-9:05)

Step 5: Adjusting the Ski Bindings to Ski Boots

Time to adjust the ski boots to the ski bindings.
Measure the sole of your boot in millimeters.
Obtain your current height and weight.
Now get your den chart. Notice the top bar lists different sole length sizes and the side bar on the left represents a height and weight ratios. This din chart is like a graph.
Start with going down the side bar and finding your height and weight. If your height and weight do not appear in the same category that is okay. Go with whatever block you fall in that comes first.
Mark the block with your height and weight or either or and go to the top of the paper and mark the range what your sole length lies in and mark that as well.
Draw a light line coming from both of the points and where they intersect, is your den setting. This number is very important is the next couple of steps. NOTE: If you are 9 and under or 50 or older go up one den setting. If you consider yourself to be intermediate go down one and advanced go down two.
Look in the middle of your binding, if your binding is not a two piece, there will be small lever and some numbers. These numbers represent the sole length.
Slide the binding up until your see the range where your sole length lies between. Let go of the lever and it should now be locked in place. Give a nice tug just to make sure it is secure.
If you binding is a two piece, set the bet in the binding and see how it lines up. Depending on the model there should be a screw hole to adjust the length of the binding. (8:40-9:05)
Grab your boot and try to set in the ski binding (for either type of binding).
Notice how your boot lines up with the binding.Remove the boot. The goal is to have tight secure fit. To obtain a precise fit, look on the back part of the binding, there should be one small lever on each side of the ski or a big screw of some sort. Push them down and slide the back part of the binding up or down (depending how it lined up) to about a half of an inch short of the boot. . Meaning is about a ½-inch overhang on the boot to the binding.Or if you have a screw, do the same thing but instead of sliding, screw.
Put the boot back on the binding and push hard so that the boot locks into the binding. Once locked look at the very back part of the binding, there will be little grooves of somesort, the ultimate goal is to have half of the grooves hanging once the boot is locked into the binding. This controls your forward pressure. Sometimes it may be off a groove, but always try line it up in the middle. This may take several times of sliding that back part of the binding. It is crucial that you line it up as close to the middle as possible, other wise your bindings will not release properly when falling. (10:07- 11:20)
Keep both boots in the skis after aligning them to the midpoint. Grab your flat head screwdriver and look at the front and back of each binding and there will be numbers and a screw.Turn the screw gently to your din setting. NOTE: If you ever change boots or you gain or lose a lot of weight. Re- adjust the skis to your condition.

Step 6: Sources

"Amazon.com: Online Shopping for Electronics, Apparel, Computers, Books, DVDs & More." Amazon.com: Online Shopping for Electronics, Apparel, Computers, Books, DVDs & More. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Apr. 2016.
"Introducing ." Stock Photos, Royalty-Free Images and Vectors. ShutterStock, Jan.-Feb. 2016. Web. 17 Mar. 2016.
"Mounting Skis." YouTube. YouTube, 22 Dec. 2015. Web. 17 Mar. 2016.
Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 18 Apr. 2016.