DLhiker,
First, you are very kind about the web site. Remember, bc touring is a world of comprimise, which means personal preferances count huge. What is posted there are *my* personal opinions, which reflect *my* prefs, which in turn, may or may not line up with yours. Grain of salt, and all that!
Some quick thoughts on mounting pins...
1) Power tools and skis are a good way to ruin things fast. Consider taking them into a decent shop. While the shop may or may not do a good job, they will probably pay for their mistakes if they make them. ;^)
2) You need to decide where to mount the binding in terms of fore/aft position. Pins on cord center or pins on balance piont are the norm for xc type skis. The (very good) advice on the Telemark Tips web site if for downhill oriented tele skis. Which you should follow depends on whether you skis are more like xc skis or more like tele skis and if you are more interested in striding or turning.
3) The next trick is to get the pins mounted straight. I do the following:
* Mark the pin line on the ski with a pen (sharpie).
* Mark a second line 1" forward of the pin line. This marks the line on for the foreward mounting screw.
* Measure the top deck of the forward mounting line and mark the center. Double check this mark several times. This marks the exact location of the forward mounting screw.
* Press an awl into the top deck to create a small pilot hole. Once an accurate pilot hole is started, give the awl a sharp tap with a hammer to set the pilot hole (divot, really).
* I use a 5/32" drill bit to drill the hole. Before drilling, I wrap a wad of electrical tape around the bit to create a stop to keep the hole to a depth of about 3/8". Hold the drill straight and use a light hand, especially if the ski has a metal layer in it.
* Screw in the forward mounting screw to be snug but not tight. You want to be able to twist the binding for the next step.
* Place the boot in the binding and ensure that the pin holes are properly seated on the pins. Line the boot so that it is straight on the ski by twisting the binding using the forward screw as the axis. Verify the alignment of the boot by checking that the boot heel is located over the center of the ski.
* Carefully remove the boot from the binding using care to make sure that the binding doesn't move. (It sometimes takes me a couple of tries.) When the boot is removed, carefully mark the center point of the rear binding holes with a pen. I generally repeat the boot alignment steps at least one more time to verify the positions of the holes.
* Remove the binding by taking out the forward screw.
* Do a sanity check of the marks for the rear holes. They should be 1" apart from each other and the line connecting them should be 2 1/2" aft of the forward screw hole.
* Once you are feel comfortable with the location, drill the holes per above.
* Fill the holes with glue. I use Shoe Goo or Carpenters Goo. Some folks use Carpenter's Elmers or epoxy. I think the critical thing is to create a watertight seal. I find expoxy problematic when/if you ever need to remount. Others swear by it.
* Screw in the screws. Use a #3 Phillips, or better a #3 Posidrive tip. You want the screws to be as tight as possible without stripping out the holes. This is a good place to ruin things, so be careful.
Hope this is helpful.
Dave
P.S. I've updated the web site to include more information on bindings and mounting. Thanks for the feedback!!
http://home.comcast.net/~pinnah/DirtbagPinner/dirtbag.html