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A quick study in force distribution and physics would reveal a flaw with adding any contact points directly to the board from the binding. Voile was very smart in how they designed their puck system. If the board is not allowed to flex because a contact point doesn't allow it to, shear forces take over and snap your board right at the contact point. BS had this problem with his custom Sentury split. Also any sharp edges on your resort bindings that contact the board surface should also be rounded to allow your board to flex at the contact point. You just might find your boards will last a little longer.

Just when I thought they were done
hole drilled for a coated cable leash to be installed at a later date


bronze bushing with new hollow ss pin

Great Work! The welding you've done is very clean. This has been a fun thread to watch as you keep tweaking your design. I'm sure this has been a great distraction while your ankle is healing. Hoping to make it up to ScrubFest so maybe I'll get a chance to see more of your work up close. A friend of mine got a set of bindings from you and we are almost done with his board.

viewtopic.php?f=16&t=9443

I'll post up when we finish and mount your bindings.

I am curious. why couldn't you use the original holes in the slider plates to stick the locking pin through? Did you weld the binding further back on the Plate?

Killer binding nonetheless.

My first intention was to only use the slider plate "as is". It was an ok setup and what anybody who bolts on slider tracks to their resort binders is used to. If you look at a binder mounted on a slider track verses the Blaze when mounted in touring mode you will notice some key differences.

First of all, the slider track fits inside the Voile touring bracket when the Spark bases fit outside of the bracket. The interface contacts are wider on the Spark setup allowing greater lateral stability. Ever seen the car commercial where they state "wider is better"? Well, it's true!

Secondly, Spark came out with a new touring bracket that is only compatible with the Spark bases. They will not work if you are using slider plates. I wanted to take advantage of the weight savings that Spark accomplished using the new bracket so I was forced to create that welded toe piece which also turned into the new toe ramp. So, not only is the LT bracket lighter than Voile's stamped steel touring bracket, it does less damage to your pins because of how they are designed.

The Voile touring bracket is made from a very narrow stamped steel plate. The holes are sharp and have very little contact area with the pins causing very high stresses to be put on your heavy steel pins and high pin wear is the result. The LT bracket holes are 1/2 inch wide and have a bushing pressed in to keep your pins from wearing down due to the added surface area contact. With the LT bracket, the stresses are reduced to the point that Spark offered an aluminum pin saving even more weight. Aluminum pins are too weak in my opinion so I opted for stainless steel tubing to get my weight savings and being a harder metal will last longer. I also pressed in a hard metal bushing made from brass or bronze (not sure which stock I grabbed) which wears less than the plastic bushings that Spark uses on their Blazes and rotates smoother while touring. When those plastic bushings wear or fall out, Blaze owners will find themselves having to replace their pins often or go back to the steel pins because aluminum gauls heavily when rubbing against another metal.

Third reason is all about Mr. Chomps... To put on a Voile splitboard crampon, you are forced to take the binding out of the touring bracket AND use a longer pin. What a waste! Spark's Mr Chomps can be installed without even taking your foot out of the binding or removing the binder from the touring bracket and uses the same pin. This is way more efficient! Those Spark R&D guys are smart as hell, but with weight savings being #1, a few mods have to be made to make their gear last longer.

Sorry for the long explanation, but I have only touched the surface of the difference between the two setups. To go into full detail would require big words and a couple of pages and I'm not that dedicated.

Hey THANX for the long explanation, that is way more than I was hoping for.

You are killing me with all the stuff you are making. This week I will finally get around having my board water jet cut and installing the split kit. I haven't gotten over CAD stage of my slider rails yet, but have allready talket to our machine shop at work to have them made.

Good healing with your ankle and keep up the good work!

Another pair!

F***IN A DUDES!!!!!!

I love this thread and you're my hero rughty

New binders for Pedro

new binders incorporate a stronger heel side for touring and a built up toe ramp weld


touring mode


closeup of toe ramp weld


Next heel support pieces welded will have the name cut out by waterjet.

Stoked bro. Cant wait for Scrubfest...

My new Rughtys!

Nice all rughty binders are inofative

one thing , the slider pin need s no (messing buchse ) brass soket , THE SLIDER PIN STAND STILL ! Your feet hould the pin - the rotation is between the touringbracket and the pin surface.
This is importand to build a cheep and fast DIY Binding. Years ago i test carbon pins and carbon Touringbrackets .... the works great ( 10 Tours ) the wight wos unbelievably low

Markus

Rughty Binders Field Report:

These bad boys were torture tested in Togwotee and Teton Nation Park at Scrubfest.
They withstood almost 12000 vertical in 3 days, and an ass-over-teakettle bail in the pow...

Big +1 for Rughty!


[quote="rughty"]touring mode