– The Backcountry Ski Touring Blog
  • Avalanches
  • Gear Reviews
    • Ski Reviews
    • Boot Reviews
    • Binding Reviews
    • Snowboard Splitboard
    • Book Reviews
    • Avalanche Beacon Reviews
    • Airbag Backpacks
    • Backcountry Electronics
    • Misc Gear Reviews
  • Podcast
  • Tips & Tricks
    • Ski Touring Basics
    • Boot Fitting
    • Fitness & Health
    • Gear Mods
  • Trip Reports
    • Fourteeners
    • Huts – Cabins – Lodges
    • Denali McKinley
    • 8,000 Meter Skiing
  • Stories
    • History
    • Humor
    • Land Use Issues
    • Evergreen Ski Touring
    • Poetry
  • Resources
    • All Posts Listed
    • 100 Recent Comments
    • Backcountry Skiing & Ski Touring Webcams
    • Ski Weights Comparison
    • Archives of WildSnow.com
    • Authors Page
    • Ski Touring Bindings
      • Trab TR2 Index and FAQ
      • Salomon Guardian & Tracker
      • Naxo Backcountry Skiing Bindings – Info Index
      • Silvretta Pure Backcountry Skiing Bindings – Info Index
      • Marker F10-12 Duke Baron
      • G3 Onyx Ski Binding FAQ
      • G3 ION Ski Touring Binding
      • Fritschi Backcountry Skiing Bindings – Info Index
      • Fritschi Diamir Frame Bindings Mount DIY
      • Fritschi Diamir Bindings FAQ
      • Fritschi Tecton FAQ
      • Atomic Salomon Backland MTN
      • Dynafit Tri-Step Binding 2001-2003
      • Naxo randonnee alpine touring AT ski binding FAQ
      • Dynafit Skiing Bindings – Info Index
      • Dynafit Binding Frequently Asked Questions FAQ
      • Dynafit Beast 16 FAQ Review 1
      • Dynafit Beast 16 FAQ Page Two
    • History
      • Ski Touring Binding Museum
      • Trooper Traverse Intro & Index
      • Randonnee Ski Touring “AT” ski gear — What is Hip?
      • Chronology
    • Backcountry Skiing Core Glossary
    • Gear Review Policy & Disclosures

– The Backcountry Ski Touring Blog

Banner
  • Avalanches
  • Gear Reviews
    • Ski Reviews
    • Boot Reviews
    • Binding Reviews
    • Snowboard Splitboard
    • Book Reviews
    • Avalanche Beacon Reviews
    • Airbag Backpacks
    • Backcountry Electronics
    • Misc Gear Reviews
  • Podcast
  • Tips & Tricks
    • Ski Touring Basics
    • Boot Fitting
    • Fitness & Health
    • Gear Mods
  • Trip Reports
    • Fourteeners
    • Huts – Cabins – Lodges
    • Denali McKinley
    • 8,000 Meter Skiing
  • Stories
    • History
    • Humor
    • Land Use Issues
    • Evergreen Ski Touring
    • Poetry
  • Resources
    • All Posts Listed
    • 100 Recent Comments
    • Backcountry Skiing & Ski Touring Webcams
    • Ski Weights Comparison
    • Archives of WildSnow.com
    • Authors Page
    • Ski Touring Bindings
      • Trab TR2 Index and FAQ
      • Salomon Guardian & Tracker
      • Naxo Backcountry Skiing Bindings – Info Index
      • Silvretta Pure Backcountry Skiing Bindings – Info Index
      • Marker F10-12 Duke Baron
      • G3 Onyx Ski Binding FAQ
      • G3 ION Ski Touring Binding
      • Fritschi Backcountry Skiing Bindings – Info Index
      • Fritschi Diamir Frame Bindings Mount DIY
      • Fritschi Diamir Bindings FAQ
      • Fritschi Tecton FAQ
      • Atomic Salomon Backland MTN
      • Dynafit Tri-Step Binding 2001-2003
      • Naxo randonnee alpine touring AT ski binding FAQ
      • Dynafit Skiing Bindings – Info Index
      • Dynafit Binding Frequently Asked Questions FAQ
      • Dynafit Beast 16 FAQ Review 1
      • Dynafit Beast 16 FAQ Page Two
    • History
      • Ski Touring Binding Museum
      • Trooper Traverse Intro & Index
      • Randonnee Ski Touring “AT” ski gear — What is Hip?
      • Chronology
    • Backcountry Skiing Core Glossary
    • Gear Review Policy & Disclosures
   

Plastic Gummy Worms – Melting Ski Boot Pebax

by Lou Dawson December 10, 2008
written by Lou Dawson December 10, 2008

Mister Science rides again. I’ve been doing some fit punching on my new pair of Dynafit ZZero. Master bootfitter Mark Rolfes does this by feel and it seems to turn out pretty good, but he does find the Pebax plastic to be trickier than the usual polyurethane of most boots. Since I’ll be doing some of the punching myself, I figured using my trusty infrared thermometer could prevent me from over-heating and thus ruining a pair of expensive boots.

I did some web research and found that Pebax plastic is supplied in different varieties with different melt temperatures. Since I don’t know what variety Dynafit uses for their ski boots, some direct observation was in order. (See menus above for our Glossary, which has more info about Pebax.)

Backcountry Skiing

Pebax after the heat gun.

Above are buckle straps from my older pair of ZZero. Top one in photo was malleable at 200 degrees F, while the bottom one melted at around 300 degrees F. I’ll experiment more today while punching the actual boots, and report back, but it appears that the safe temperature for Dynafit Pebax boot punching is probably just over 200 F.

Another thing I discovered was that my variable temperature heat gun is useful, but the temperatures shown on the settings buttons are way off from what the gun outputs. So, thermometer required.

Know there are different types of Pebax with different optimal molding temperatures. Check this out for info.

Lou Dawson

WildSnow.com publisher emeritus and founder Lou (Louis Dawson) has a 50+ years career in climbing, backcountry skiing and ski mountaineering. He was the first person in history to ski down all 54 Colorado 14,000-foot peaks, has authored numerous books about about backcountry skiing, and has skied from the summit of Denali in Alaska, North America’s highest mountain. For more about Lou, please see his personal website at https://www.loudawson.com/ (Blogger stats: 5 foot 10 inches (178 cm) tall, 160 lbs (72574.8 grams).

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lou.dawson.writer

www.loudawson.com
9 comments
0
FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
previous post
Wild Snow Trademark!
next post
Beef Cakes and Tongues – Backcountry Ski Boots

9 comments

Terry December 13, 2008 - 7:33 pm

Great idea with the infrared thermometer, Lou! Do let us know how it goes.

Am wondering how useful that thermometer would be for snow pits and avy forecasting. was reading about some remote weather stations that use them for recording surface snow temps.

Ron January 27, 2009 - 11:05 am

Lou,

Just read about your boot heating experiments. How did the punches turn out?
I ask because I’m about to have my new Radiums punched and I’m looking for a little ressurance.

Ron

Lou January 27, 2009 - 1:12 pm

My punched Zzeros are still fine, though when I punched them it did take some of the rocker out of the sole because I got pretty aggressive with the length punch.

Nick Matyas January 14, 2010 - 3:45 pm

It’s an awesome posting.
It is also very useful for many people like me.
Your writing is always fabulous.
Wishing that u will deliver this type of post in future also.

Webroyalty

matt November 14, 2012 - 7:49 am

Have well have your punches held up on the pebax boots? I want to get vulcans but seems like the pu version of ‘the one’ is my only option if i want to get an agressive sixth toe punch.

Lou Dawson November 14, 2012 - 8:00 am

Matt, they hold up fine but yes, you can get a better punch in PU boots. Mainly, you’ll be able to punch more distance in the PU. Almost all my heat work is on pebax so I’m used to it, and it always amazes me how much easier it is when I work on the rare pair of PU boots. Lou

Frode November 15, 2012 - 4:46 pm

Hi Lou, just received a pair of dynafit mercurys that seems to be ok in the length, but to tight on the sides of my forefoot/last(even if they say that they are 104,5mm wide on the last). My feet are 102mm wide, measured by bootfitters.

I am wondering if I could do anything with the grilamid to get a better fit.. do you have any experience with this material?

btw: I have only tried to mold the original liners in my normal baking oven with fan on blowing into the liners.. I am going to try out the “hot water or hot rice in a bag” molding next, to see if I can get more room around my last.

There are no bootfitters where I live, so I am left to fix this myself…

Lou Dawson November 15, 2012 - 5:16 pm

If you’re not a boot fitter, you’re not equipped to mold the shell plastic correctly unless you’re quite the do it yourself. As for the liners, go for it. Have you skied or hiked in the boots yet? They should feel a bit tight in width when first molded. Not painful, but tight, so they can pack out a tiny bit in use. Lou

Frode November 16, 2012 - 4:14 am

I have not hiked them.. but they feel painful in these particular areas on boths sides of my forefoots (I am used to thicker alpine liners and alpine boots, so touring liners are new for me).

I had a new look at my original Mercury liners today, it seems that it is only parts of the liner that contains “moldable material”.. an example will be around the anckle. and therefore the sides of my forefoot will not adjust as an result of molding.. maybe I am wrong? Do you guys have any experience here? I can see that you are always throwing out the original liners and put intuition pro tour liners in your reviews.. maybe this is an good option for me to?

I am not planning to do anything related to electric heat.. but I am considering to heat the outer sides of my boot with boiling water. But, this will only be an option if I can not mold the liners good..

Comments are closed.

Recent Comments

  • Brian Oney on The “New Math” for Sheltering from the Storm
  • Tuck on Low Tech Safety with the Snow Visa
  • Steve G. on Light and Fast or Fun and Functional? The Eternal Decision
  • TeleNinja on Small Scale Water Filtering with LifeStraw’s Peak Squeeze and Peak Straw
  • Nick on Small Scale Water Filtering with LifeStraw’s Peak Squeeze and Peak Straw

Gear Reviews

  • Phantom Slipper and Slipper HD – TESTED

    May 26, 2022
  • Revisiting the Blue Ice Harfang Crampon

    May 24, 2022
  • Patagonia Micro Puff Storm Jacket

    May 19, 2022

Trip Reports

  • Mount Sanford from the Road

    May 9, 2022
  • Techniques and considerations for ski mountaineering on glaciers

    February 16, 2022
  • Making the Most out of the Alaska Range

    February 14, 2022

Totally Deep Podcast

  • Totally Deep Podcast 99: Big Geography with Roman Dial and Alex Lee

    April 20, 2022
  • TOTALLY DEEP PODCAST 98: Live at the EMGT with Cam Smith

    April 12, 2022
  • TOTALLY DEEP PODCAST 97: Talk of Gear for Next Year

    March 23, 2022

Tips & Tricks

  • A Shoulder Season Ski Traverse: Three People, Three Sleep Systems

    May 27, 2022
  • Springtime Primer: Securing Skis/Splitboard to a Bike Frame

    May 16, 2022
  • Fueling For Ski Touring

    May 3, 2022

Ski Touring Stories

  • Stumbling through Sagebrush and into the Danger Zone on Steens Mountain

    May 31, 2022
  • Update: Bighorn Sheep and Backcountry Skiers/Riders in the Tetons

    April 26, 2022
  • Backscratchers in My Brain

    April 6, 2022

Newsletter Sign-Up

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • About Lou Dawson
  • Authors Page
  • About
  • Contact
  • Copyright & Legal
  • Website Security

@2020 - All Rights Reserved. Designed and Developed by WildSnow


Back To Top

Read alsox

Light and Fast or Fun and...

June 16, 2022

Custom Orthotics for Ski Touring? Arcus...

June 8, 2021

Leaner and Softer — Modding The...

January 31, 2021