If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below. |
|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
#1
|
|||
|
|||
Building a kicksled
I am very interested in building a traditional (mostly wooden)
kicksled. If anyone out there has blueprints or at least a fairly detailed drawing and could post them or e-mail them to me directly I would greatly appreciate it. Thank You J. G. Tucker Warren,Pa |
Ads |
#2
|
|||
|
|||
Building a kicksled
On 2 Feb 2004, Jason G Tucker wrote:
I am very interested in building a traditional (mostly wooden) kicksled. If anyone out there has blueprints or at least a fairly detailed drawing and could post them or e-mail them to me directly I would greatly appreciate it. Thank You J. G. Tucker Warren,Pa Several years ago Tom Strang, from Ottawa, had a WWW site with plans for a kicksled. Unfortunately the WWW site and Tom Strang have disappeared. I tried e-mailing him, but my mail came back. Lucky I saved his plans! The plans included a text file (spark_bu.htm) plus about 20 picture files, totaling about 350 kbytes. I think I've got them all. The easiest way so send all the files is to put them in one ZIP file. Can you uncompress a ZIP file? I have temporarily put the ZIP file at: http://www3.ns.sympatico.ca/dermott/ski/sparkbuild.zip Download that file and "un-zip" it. It will create a directory "build" with all the files. The main file is "spark_bu.htm" The project requires some blacksmith skills, bending the metal rails for the sled runners. Tom said it was easy! But my propane torch isn't hot enough. I was going to take the rails to a blacksmith or welder and have them bend them. Also, check out Jeff Potter's "rustic" kicksled: "http://www.outyourbackdoor.com/articles2003/spark.sled.html" Everything I know about kicksled at: http://www3.ns.sympatico.ca/dermott/ski/spark.html -- David Dermott , Wolfville Ridge, Nova Scotia, Canada email: WWW pages: http://www3.ns.sympatico.ca/dermott/ |
#3
|
|||
|
|||
Building a kicksled
I'm working on figuring out how to make a snowkicksled that STEERS. Our
current sled just tracks a straight line. Good for going down hills, as with a snowsled, but... I'm also thinking that a pulk on skis might be better than a trail-smasher---and it would also need to steer. I looked up some uber-DIY snowsled website for the Boy Scouts and they all seem to use bobs---a front ski assembly separate from the skis that you ride on. You usually steer with your feet. I'll look into that some time. -- Jeff Potter **** *Out Your Backdoor * http://www.outyourbackdoor.com publisher of outdoor/indoor do-it-yourself culture... ...offering "small world" views on bikes, bows, books, movies... ...rare books on ski, bike, boat culture, plus a Gulf Coast thriller about smalltown smuggling ... radical novels coming up! ...original downloadable music ... and articles galore! plus national travel forums! HOLY SMOKES! 800-763-6923 |
#4
|
|||
|
|||
Building a kicksled
The steering happens due to flexing the runners, just like on the old
American Flyer sleds, but more so, since the runners are probably two meters long. If you want to turn right, pull on the right handle, push on the left handle, stand on the inside runner, and you will either turn right or spin out. Same idea on the other side. Gobs of fun, especially on the Rideau Canal during Winterlude... Tim (spectacular conditions in the Gatineau Park yesterday and today...) on 2/2/04 21:15, Jeff Potter wrote: I'm working on figuring out how to make a snowkicksled that STEERS. Our current sled just tracks a straight line. Good for going down hills, as with a snowsled, but... |
#5
|
|||
|
|||
Building a kicksled
David Dermott wrote in message ...
On 2 Feb 2004, Jason G Tucker wrote: I am very interested in building a traditional (mostly wooden) kicksled. If anyone out there has blueprints or at least a fairly detailed drawing and could post them or e-mail them to me directly I would greatly appreciate it. Thank You J. G. Tucker Warren,Pa Several years ago Tom Strang, from Ottawa, had a WWW site with plans for a kicksled. Unfortunately the WWW site and Tom Strang have disappeared. I tried e-mailing him, but my mail came back. Lucky I saved his plans! The plans included a text file (spark_bu.htm) plus about 20 picture files, totaling about 350 kbytes. I think I've got them all. The easiest way so send all the files is to put them in one ZIP file. Can you uncompress a ZIP file? I have temporarily put the ZIP file at: http://www3.ns.sympatico.ca/dermott/ski/sparkbuild.zip Download that file and "un-zip" it. It will create a directory "build" with all the files. The main file is "spark_bu.htm" The project requires some blacksmith skills, bending the metal rails for the sled runners. Tom said it was easy! But my propane torch isn't hot enough. I was going to take the rails to a blacksmith or welder and have them bend them. Also, check out Jeff Potter's "rustic" kicksled: "http://www.outyourbackdoor.com/articles2003/spark.sled.html" Everything I know about kicksled at: http://www3.ns.sympatico.ca/dermott/ski/spark.html Thank you very much. These plans are exactly what I was looking for. Great details, it looks like it will be a nice challenge to build. I have a couple of questions about the runners. I tried a Crossled a couple years ago on some groomed x-country trails with the snow runners and it went great. I'm considering making this kicksled with wood or wood and plastic runners of about 35-50mm in width. The metal runners seem as though they would only be effective on ice or very hard snow. Is this the case? We frequently get heavy lake-effect snow so there is rarely open ice and the tracks we set get covered up quickly. Also what is the deepest snow you can use a kicksled in and still have fun? |
#6
|
|||
|
|||
Building a kicksled
Yeah, I'll just set up a torquable handlebar connected to the skitips of
my skispark at first, before worrying about separate units. Tim Dudley wrote: The steering happens due to flexing the runners, just like on the old American Flyer sleds, but more so, since the runners are probably two meters long. If you want to turn right, pull on the right handle, push on the left handle, stand on the inside runner, and you will either turn right or spin out. Same idea on the other side. Gobs of fun, especially on the Rideau Canal during Winterlude... Tim (spectacular conditions in the Gatineau Park yesterday and today...) on 2/2/04 21:15, Jeff Potter wrote: I'm working on figuring out how to make a snowkicksled that STEERS. Our current sled just tracks a straight line. Good for going down hills, as with a snowsled, but... -- Jeff Potter **** *Out Your Backdoor * http://www.outyourbackdoor.com publisher of outdoor/indoor do-it-yourself culture... ...offering "small world" views on bikes, bows, books, movies... ...rare books on ski, bike, boat culture, plus a Gulf Coast thriller about smalltown smuggling ... radical novels coming up! ...original downloadable music ... and articles galore! plus national travel forums! HOLY SMOKES! 800-763-6923 |
#7
|
|||
|
|||
Building a kicksled
In article ,
Jeff Potter wrote: Yeah, I'll just set up a torquable handlebar connected to the skitips of my skispark at first, before worrying about separate units. They're built basically the same as dogsleds, where the driving bow (the thing the driver hangs onto) is U-shaped and extends to the runners. There are several attached cross-pieces higher up, so that it's possible to distort what's essentially a rectangle into a non-rectangular parallelogram by pushing the driving bow to the side while keeping the runners weighted. That means that the runners are no longer perpendicular to the ground, and since they're curved, it means that the part of the runner making surface contact is now curved. Better sleds have joints tied with string or rawhide rather than being bolted so that they can flex better, but even very loose sleds don't steer very well. -- Melinda Shore - Software longa, hardware brevis - The US government has to borrow 22 cents of every dollar it spends |
#8
|
|||
|
|||
Building a kicksled
On 3 Feb 2004, Jason G Tucker wrote:
I have a couple of questions about the runners. I tried a Crossled a couple years ago on some groomed x-country trails with the snow runners and it went great. I'm considering making this kicksled with wood or wood and plastic runners of about 35-50mm in width. The metal runners seem as though they would only be effective on ice or very hard snow. Is this the case? Yes. Ice and packed snow is kind of conditions a "spark" is meant for. But metal on ice is so much faster and more fun than plastic on snow! Most of our winters we have snow, followed by rain, then re-freezing so we often have optimal kicksledding conditions. But this winter (so far) we've just had cold, dry, loose snow. The plastic runners are available in 2 widths - 30 mm and 50 mm (cost about $20). The wider they are, the stiffer and more difficult to turn. The plastic runners are designed to fit on 5mm wide rails so use that size when building ( 3/16 inch should be close enough) if you want to use the commercial plastic runners. We frequently get heavy lake-effect snow so there is rarely open ice and the tracks we set get covered up quickly. Also what is the deepest snow you can use a kicksled in and still have fun? Well, if your boots sink much above the ankles or it is difficult to walk in the snow, it will be difficult to use a kicksled, no matter how wide the runners are. -- David Dermott , Wolfville Ridge, Nova Scotia, Canada email: WWW pages: http://www3.ns.sympatico.ca/dermott/ |
#9
|
|||
|
|||
Building a kicksled
"David Dermott" skrev i melding ... On 3 Feb 2004, Jason G Tucker wrote: I have a couple of questions about the runners. I tried a Crossled a couple years ago on some groomed x-country trails with the snow runners and it went great. I'm considering making this kicksled with wood or wood and plastic runners of about 35-50mm in width. The metal runners seem as though they would only be effective on ice or very hard snow. Is this the case? Yes. Ice and packed snow is kind of conditions a "spark" is meant for. But metal on ice is so much faster and more fun than plastic on snow! Most of our winters we have snow, followed by rain, then re-freezing so we often have optimal kicksledding conditions. But this winter (so far) we've just had cold, dry, loose snow. The plastic runners are available in 2 widths - 30 mm and 50 mm (cost about $20). The wider they are, the stiffer and more difficult to turn. The plastic runners are designed to fit on 5mm wide rails so use that size when building ( 3/16 inch should be close enough) if you want to use the commercial plastic runners. In addition, one may buy plastic runners that can be connected to the metal runners so that the kicksled can be used in deeper snow. When it's hard snow or ice you just taje them off. -- Terje Henriksen Kirkenes |
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|