Ski Builders Forum

im looking for an approved method to find inserts in skis or sonwboards again after pressing.

with my first tries i ended up measuring out the inserts in the ski, didn t got them with the first drills. took me 3 tries to find them

i know that some inserts are plastic capped and filled with (magnetic) metal powder, being relocated with a magnet after pressing. i never tried this method, so im not sure if this is a secure method. is it?

are there any other methods like templates with drill holes etc?

neodym magnets like this one with a hole for marking the spot

I use iron fillings, cheap from the BlankSlate Skis store.

Just sprinkle a pinch on the topsheet and then tap the ski a few times. The vibrations causes the filings to form a perfect circle around the insert, then I just drill in the middle of the circle.

endre wrote:neodym magnets like this one with a hole for marking the spot

and the magnet hole is always centered exactly to the hole of the insert?

so far, yes.

pencil lead. put a piece of paper over the ski, rub the lead sideways across the paper. The location of the inserts will show up a little bit darker, or lighter than everything else.

if your inserts stick out a couple thousandths above the core... after pressing, rub the top lightly with sidewalk chalk... you'll see them.

or get camax bullseye stickers. Its' just a roll of sticky magnetic film stamped to the diameter of the insert cap.

drill out with a countersink bit... preferrably on a drill press

I put bb's in mine then locate 'em with small neodymium disk magnets.