Home built tip ups?

[sparks660]

Just curious if anyone has a good system for homemade tip ups. I just getting into ice fishing and I don't wanna buy a bunch of gear yet.

[fishingplumber28]

I don't have a pic but I used to have some home made ones. 10x10 plywood base,24" 2x2 with end cut at a 45 screwed to the base, screw a spring door stop to the 45, stick a 1/4 inch dowel in the door stop, stick a nail in the end of the dowel. Take your spool of line and screw it to the side of the 2x2. To set up drop your line down the hole to your desired depth, take an elastic band and tie it around the line and hook it on the nail in the dowel. I used to put a piece of tape on the line between the ice and dowel and the wind would move the line a bit. Fish strike pulls the dowel down and eventually pulls the line off the nail! Good luck, or you could buy a windlass tip up from Canadian tire for $25 lol

[WyOhawkeye]

Take one inch dowels cut them into twelve inch length or the bottom one fourteen for ten inch hole make a cross with the top one just off center enough to make the back end slightly heavier drill a hole and attach your braided line to the light end of the top dowel.  I put about 30 yards. Drill a quarter inch hole in the center of the bottom dowel use a bucket or the edge of a counter to test the offset when you find the right off set drill the top dowel and fasten the two with a quarter inch bolt and nylon nut paint the heavy end orange so you can see when it is up.  You just wrap the line on the end of the top dowel and let down to depth desired when the fish hit it rolls up in the hole and the fish can take line.  Fold them up for storage.  Hope this helps they are all we use for panfish to pike

[swillerjig]

Not trying to discourage you from building something homemade but.... Garage sales, I picked up a whole bucket of ice gear with 10 old tip ups and other  gear for 7$  the tip ups i made 5 good ones outta the ten.  Also picked up a Mr. Buddy propane heater for 20$. 

[Martian]

another thing, a tip up ( arguably) is just a strike indicator, the cheap ones do just what the expensive ones do flag up, pull it in.

[Martian]

just seen them at wall-marts last night $ 7.49 ea.    Not made of hardwood, no stainless steel, so they won't rust, NASA had nothing to do with the final product, but these will work.  They are made of plastic, also wont rust, and are lighter. I really thought the flags were too small, I have replaced most of mine anyhow. They make duct tape in any color you want, good luck to you this year, lots of places on here to learn lots of stuff

[JonPerry]

You'd be surprised what can be found at second hand stores & salvation army or goodwill. Also do a search on tip downs here. If you have ice rods, they can do double duty. Good luck with your search

[da man cave shack]

If you are going to stay in the sport for a while just spend the money on some decent tip ups. You don't need to buy them all at once either if you just buy one or two a season in a couple years you will have a whole arsonal of them. Spend your money once and buy quality not twice on junk.

[moosehead]

[Groverat]

I made these last year and where my second set I built. They are not easy to make, nor is it cheap. Unless you can get all the parts from scrap.

here is an old post that may help you out.
http://www.iceshanty.com/ice_fishing/index.php?topic=104887.0