Telemo binding + ski

[telemarkmark]

At last the autumn project is finished! Inspiration (there is nothing new) and photos.
The leaf binding comes in at 377g, the ski started at 734g with reinforcements 777g. Ski, binding and boot is 2180g
The idea is that steel is heavy, and a spring designed to hold a duckbill into a cable binding is not efficient for a tech toe tele binding.
The leaf is 4 layers of 1mm carbon fibre sheet. (For a heavier set up, thicker would be better). The cable is 5mm Dynema running around an alloy tube, cable held in place by a loop of webbing. The pivot is 110mm back, and 35mm below the pins. The front throw is off the F1 boot.
The reinforcement plate is 1mm carbon with 200g carbon epoxy laminated between.
It has been tested on an old ski, only on a dry slope, but felt good, like a 3 pin, but full control dropping into the turn.
Needs a good trial on real snow, hopefully next weekend. First Skimo Race at end of month. So, will it fall apart, come loose, lever not stay down.... will keep you posted.

[RobRoyMeans]

Dyneema, good call. Sewn?

[Charley White]

Outstanding is so many ways, Mark. You'd said leaf spring, and I'd envisioned a crossbow behind the pins. So much better. (You'll be glad to know I've parked my idea for the last remaining spring--twin watchspring coils nested in a recess in the puck--for another lifetime ) Looking forward to glowing on-snow reports!

[Dostie]

telemarkmark,

Awesome. Everything old is new again. New materials, old concept. Love the simplicity of the leaf-spring.

[bobbytooslow]

Brilliant work. I give a lot of thought to alternative binding designs, and have never dreamt up anything like this. Really really cool. I love the lightness.

Have you made a version from, say, spring steel that would obviously fall elsewhere on the durability/lightness spectrum?

Also, how does it do for bellows compression, i.e. avoiding tippy-toes? Folks were very concerned about that (and rightly so) with my recent design that had a pair of Axl springs to do the work.

Regardless, the point of this binding is to let the user hang with skimo-ers on the uphill, and enjoy some tele turns on the way down. Even if it doesn't turn like a Hammerhead, I still love the notion behind it all. Outstanding.

[chamonix]

Cool idea, and lightweight. Dynema may stretch a bit initially. I noticed that with my Petzl Leopard crampons. Two halves of crampon are connected with Dynema cord.

[iBjorn]

Good work! I have been thinking about front mounted throws as used in old cable bindings, but the leaf spring is truely innovative. Looking forward to reports from the upcoming field tests.

[Delusional_Doug]

I am nothing but impressed. That is an awesome system both innovative and a little bit retro at the same time.
If the Dynema does start to stretch you can always re-tie the knot.
I'm already rethinking my own system for lighter weight. I'd love to be more of a weight weenie, but then again my skis are usually covered in powder. For a skimo race though there is no choice, go light or get dropped.

[Turnfarmer]

Can you please talk about what you've done to the FI lean lock area?
Thanks. Look forward to hearing how it skis. Strong work!

[telemarkmark]

Many thanks for the compliments - just hope it lives up to it in the snow!
The Dyneema cord is a loop, it passes through a hole in the throw and is knotted one end. The other end passes around the boot heel, then back a t the throw through 3 holes, so as it comes up through the last hole it is passed under the part between the other two holes which locks it down - hopefully. So it is easy to adjust. I see from the photos I did not put the cable round the boot where I now find best - it should be higher up - where the lean-lock catch is (was). This gives apprx the same line as it would be to a duckbut. In fact the cable can be shortened to go around a duckbut - not tried that, I think a TX Pro would over-power this light set-up.
The lean-lock is removed as I generally ski with it released - to many years on Excursions. As it is integrated with the top buckle it had to go and is used for the front throw. Some resistance to forward lean is good, so it has a doubled piece of shock cord passing around the bar in the lower shell, to over a bolt / spacer tube / washer fixed to the fixing point previously used by the lean-lock lever, it is set with a bit of tension, but can be released from the bolt. Seems to work well, the TX Pro may get similar.

[djhutch]

Long live the Voile plate!

[Charley White]

Long live the Voile plate!

You mean the VP-II, with those underfoot coiled springs, protected above from compacted snow by plastic "plates" & other claptrapture? As djhutch would say, go back to the outlaws thread.

[dschane]

And excellent re-purposing of the F1 heel lever.

Is it active enough to break the bellows?

[djhutch]

You mean the VP-II, with those underfoot coiled springs, protected above from compacted snow by plastic "plates" & other claptrapture? As jdhutch would say, go back to the outlaws thread.

No, I mean a nylon or plastic "plate" that Voile sold in the early 90s that had a heel throw and mated with their 3-pin binding The three binding mount screws also held the plate to the ski. It is essentially the same thing pictured above except replace the cord with a heel throw on the back of the plate. A quick Google search didn't turn up any images and I hope I no longer have one in the parts bin but I am sure several on this site owned them. I am pretty sure it was called the Voile plate, or maybe Voile tele plate, or something. It offered a little better torsional control than a Riva I but not much else and quickly disappeared as bindings become more powerful.

[bobbytooslow]

djhutch, you mean these?