Naxo Binding Home Mounting Step-By-Step
Part 2 -- Position on Skis

By Lou Dawson

By now you should have your boot in your binding, looking something like this.

Mounting mark on ski. The "mm" reference is the recommended drill bit size.

1. Identify boot mounting mark on skis and boots. Most ski boots have a mark on the side near the sole, indicating midpoint between toe and heel. If your don't have a mark, measure in centimeters and make a mark with a Sharpie. As mentioned in part one, this measurement should be close to the number shown on the scale on the Naxo length rails once the binding length is adjusted for your boots. As for your skis, they should have a mark similar to that shown in photo, which indicates the midpoint of your boot sole.

2. Mark a tip/tail center line on your skis ( for accurate use of paper mounting template).

2-A. Make super-accurate left/right center marks/dots on your skis, about 12 inches for and aft of your binding toe and heel unit locations. These marks are important so take your time. You can make left/right center marks by eyeballing a ruler and double checking, using a drawing compass to measure from the edges is a good method as well, but our favorite is to simply use folded paper:

To find center using paper, simply wrap a strip of paper around the ski, crease it over the sharp steel base edges, remove and fold in half using the edge marks as reference, then place back on ski and use the crease to locate center. While simple, work carefully (mainly, mark the spot on your ski where you place the paper, as moving it towards the tip or tail will throw things off because of the ski’s varied width.)

Connect your left/right center marks with a your yardstick and draw an accurate line using the edge of the yardstick as a guide. The idea is to create a long tip/tail center mark down the center of each backcountry ski in the binding mount area (in the tip/tail direction). Be sure this mark is long enough to go well past the mounting area of both front and rear binding units.

2-B. Center the paper template by aligning with the center marks you drew on your skis.

Using strip of paper to find left/right center of ski.

3. Identify the size of your Naxo bindings (small, medium, or large). This can be confusing, and is essential to proper use of your paper mounting template. The box the bindings come in may be marked with the size. If not, try setting your bindings on the paper jig, with the heel touring latch unit, and identify which screw pattern everything lines up with. Along with that, examine the length numbers of the boot length scale, printed on the rail behind the heel unit. The ranges are thus:

• Small size Naxo binding -- from 240 to 300mm
• Medium -- from 280 to 340mm
• Large -- from 320 to 370

4. Transfer boot sole mark to paper template. Almost time for power tools, but a few more steps 'till nirvana. Examine your paper jig. You'll notice it has a mark for your boot toe (Schuhspitze), and other, more confusing marks for your boot sole midpoint. I dislike using the boot toe as a mounting reference, as older boots may have quite a bit of material worn off the toe. The simple solution: snap a boot into a binding, then set the binding on the paper jig, line up the front screw marks with the screws in the binding, then transfer your boot sole mark to the paper jig, then use the square edge of a paper sheet to extend the mark across the paper jig (see photo below). Make this mark as carefully as you can, but a millimeter or two of error will not affect the way your skis perform.

Paper template with boot sole position marked.

5. Affix paper template to ski. Now it gets easier. Cut a small window over the mark you made on the template. Set the template on the ski (be extra careful you've got the FRONT of the template toward the tip of the ski). Line up the boot mark on the ski with the one you made on the paper template, using your window to see the mark on the ski. At the same time, line up the center marks on the template with your tip/tail center mark on the ski. Tape template securely at both ends. Use clear tape so you can see your center-alignment marks under the tape. Voila -- your template is attached to ski in the exact centered position, with the boot midsole mark lining up with that on your ski! Double check by setting the binding/boot combo on top of everything. And yes Jimmy -- it is time for POWER TOOLS!

[Naxo Binding Mounting -- Page 3]