Toboggan

This is the place for everything that doesn't fit elsewhere.
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mtpocket
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Post by mtpocket »

Uncle Mike,

That's looking great. What kind of wood are you using? Did you buy some plans or just get them off the web?
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mvettori
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Post by mvettori »

I'm using Ash...I made the plans myself from the picture of the sled. You can see the plans in the first picture.

Mike in Phila.
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Glen Smith
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Location: Baie-St-Paul, Quebec, Canada

Post by Glen Smith »

Hi Mike, the sled is starting to look like an interesting project. Now all I need is some grand-children.
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mvettori
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Post by mvettori »

Thanks! This has been a good project so far. I'm learning quite a bit about bending wood...or I should say, how not to bend wood...but being positive, knowledge is knowledge. :wink I was breaking so much wood on the bends that I decided to go ahead and build a steamer. That was a first...what a great experience. On my canoe, I bent my ash stems in the tub with towels and boiling water. That worked fine for small strips, but these bigger skis are a different animal.

Sorry, can't help you out with the grand-children! My oldest is only eight, so I have a looong way to go.

Mike in Phila.
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mvettori
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Post by mvettori »

Here is where the project is to date:

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/mike_vett ... m=aef7.jpg

Question: I'm breaking quite a bit of wood during the bending process. I still need to bring the bend tighter on the skis and then chain them down but the wood is already showing sings of cracking. Is there a way/method to get the wood more pliable or should I not take my chances and stick with the curve I have?

The skis are roughly 3/8" thick so using a heat gun didn't work too well. I would try sticking the curve in a large pot of boiling water, but I already broke a piece that way!

Any thoughts/comments would be appreciated.

Mike in Phila.
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Glen Smith
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Post by Glen Smith »

I don't know how you cut the wood for the skis, but I have read that you can get a better bend if you have the face grain on the top and bottom and the edge grain on the sides. I did find this to be the case when bending some walnut for a cockpit coaming lip. Is 3/8" the prescribed thickness for the skis? That seems a bit thick to me.

Are you using kiln-dried or air-dried lumber? If you bought it at a lumberyard, it is most likely kiln-dried. It might have taken a bend more easily if you soaked it for a few days before steaming.

It sure is looking good!
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Bryan Hansel
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Post by Bryan Hansel »

I've been out on my skis now a couple of times. Here is a picture of them. The wood is hickory, and white cedar. It was really an easy project, and they seem to be good skis, but a bit long. My next pair will be wider and shorter for backcountry. Sorry that they are so snowy. I'd hate to post two pictures, but I have a second one at my blog at http://www.bryanhansel.com/grandmarais/index.php

I'll do a full write up after I get caught up on a few projects that I'm working on.

Image[/url]
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Bryan Hansel
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Post by Bryan Hansel »

mvettori wrote:Here is where the project is to date:

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/mike_vett ... m=aef7.jpg

Question: I'm breaking quite a bit of wood during the bending process. I still need to bring the bend tighter on the skis and then chain them down but the wood is already showing sings of cracking. Is there a way/method to get the wood more pliable or should I not take my chances and stick with the curve I have?

The skis are roughly 3/8" thick so using a heat gun didn't work too well. I would try sticking the curve in a large pot of boiling water, but I already broke a piece that way!

Any thoughts/comments would be appreciated.

Mike in Phila.
I couldn't see the pictures of your project, but when I bent the tips on my skis, I built a jig out of a two by six. I cut the shape of the ski out of the 2x6, then used the 2x6 as a press to form the shape of the ski. To get the hickory to bend, I steamed the tips for about 10 minutes, then wrapped a towel soaked in boiling water around the tip. Then slowly press the tips, taking the towel off as I started the bending with the press.
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mvettori
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Post by mvettori »

I almost forgot to put his here...here's the finished product! Baby loved it, now big sister wants one. She'll have to wait...its back to the canoe!

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/mike_vett ... pg&.src=ph

Mike in Phila.
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Glen Smith
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Post by Glen Smith »

Wow Mike, that looks great! I want one too. :laughing
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mvettori
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Post by mvettori »

I'm holding off on the adult design until I can figure out how to incorporate an air-bag into it! :laughing

Thanks for the feedback!
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mtpocket
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Post by mtpocket »

mvettori,

Beautiful looking ride. I want one too. :applause
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