IceShanty.com's Ice Fishing Community
Ice Fishing Tips -Check your local regulations! => Ice Shack Tips => Topic started by: jpohlic on Nov 20, 2017, 10:26 AM
-
I spent the weekend building a 7x8 shanty. Got most of it done on Saturday but then spent 4 hours Sunday morning in the hospital getting my eye flushed. Note to self - wear your safety glasses for EVERY cut, not just most of them. Sunday afternoon we finished framing and started insulating. Still a bit of insulating left to do (I'm using R6 rigid insulation), decide where the holes go, and a bit of door hardware/door handle, maybe a couple hours work for next weekend.
Anyway, my goal was something that could fish 4, sleep 2, with room for a table and woodstove, and fit on the back of a truck. The shanty is a truck camper style, 7x8, with minimal framing, just enough to hold the plywood together. It's glued and screwed and surprisingly solid. The floor was built with (3) 4x4 treated timbers with 1/8" puckboard on the bottom and a sheet of 5/8 treated plywood on top. Everything else was built with (10) sheets of 3/8" spruce plywood with (17) 2x2's for framing and a 2x4 ridge beam. Weight is estimated at about 475-500 pounds, it slides on the shop floor quite easily by hand and I can lift the end up to shove blocking underneath.
I'm hoping to find a base and post for an RV style table that I can drop down for a bed at the back end, as well as adding a folding extension to one bench for another bed on the side. Also undecided on what to put on the roof, maybe metal?
Here's a rendering of the design as well as a few pics of the progress.
(https://s8.postimg.cc/t1c3a6kwx/ice_shack_rendering.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/t1c3a6kwx/)
(https://s8.postimg.cc/z3obe8qz5/ice_shack_1.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/z3obe8qz5/)
(https://s8.postimg.cc/6qstnskoh/ice_shack_2.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/6qstnskoh/)
(https://s8.postimg.cc/aaerdlfoh/ice_shack_3.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/aaerdlfoh/)
-
Sweet looking shack !! keep us in the loop we love shack porn ;D. oh yeah safety glasses definately been down that road a couple times
-
Sweet shack! I love the "Musroom" design, it really makes great use of the floor space. I built mine 6' wide because I had a few ft wide pieces of ply laying around. Looking back 7ft may have been better to lay down sideways for sleeping. It turns out 6ft wide was better for my trailer anyway I guess, it just overhangs the side rail of the trailer just a bit and looks like it is supposed to be there, 7ft would have stuck out and made more wind resistance. Do you plan to paint the outside or maybe varnish it? I had a stack of left over metal roofing to use on mine but if I didn't have it already I would have coated the plywood in clear woodglue and laid camouflage bed sheets in the wet glue, let it dry, then helmsman that sucker.... BOOM. Last forever! Great built keep the pics coming! P.S. I did the same thing to my eye during my build....One cut without safety's and that was it....
-
I picked up a can of Thompsons Timber Oil Water seal in Walnut color. Should look really good and give it a bit of protection from the elements.
Also today I picked up a Coleman 40 watt solar panel with controller for less than $100!! I threw a couple 12v LED light fixtures in the cart and a roll of wire so my lighting needs should be taken care of, just need to grab a 12v fuse panel. The 12v deep cycle battery for my trolling motor has found a new winter home in my shack.
-
I have use cabot Australian timber oil b4 and had great results. It looks great topped with some helmsman.. I built a picnic table out of regular pine lumber ten years ago with two coats of helmsman it still looks great! Sweet deal you got on that solar panel and controller!
-
More progress yesterday - got the insulation finished, installed some eye bolts for securing to the ice, a door self closing spring and a hasp for the padlock, and stained the outside. Still some work left to do next weekend...
(https://s8.postimg.cc/bp251py0x/iceshantyinterior.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/bp251py0x/)
(https://s8.postimg.cc/trv7syoqp/iceshanty1.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/trv7syoqp/)
(https://s8.postimg.cc/tf3tmse6p/iceshanty2.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/tf3tmse6p/)
(https://s8.postimg.cc/z3a4doq8x/iceshanty3.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/z3a4doq8x/)
-
Looking good!!!!
-
What is the estimated cost of this house as a finished project? I am researching building my own house and am looking for a larger house while keeping the cost down. Hard to do but I am patience :-)
-
What is the estimated cost of this house as a finished project?
Depends on the price of plywood in your area. As built just the structure used:
(3) 4x4 treated skids
(1) 5/8" treated plywood
(10) 3/8" standard spruce plywood
(19) 2x2x8' lumber
(1) 2x4x8' lumber
The lumber was approx $300 CDN
I also used:
(3) large tubes PL premium
(300) 1 1/2" wood screws
(100) 2 1/2" wood screws
(30) 3/4" wood screws
(1) 4x8 sheet of 1/8" puckboard
(10) sheets of 1 1/2" rigid insulation
(3) hinges
(1) hasp and padlock
(1) door return spring
Some of this I already had, some was purchased.
I estimate I have $700 into it not including the lights/wiring/solar panel/woodstove.
I'm drawing a set of construction drawings with a detailed material and cut list. It should hopefully be done by the end of the year
-
Thank you for sharing! I am always so curious how much people are able to create their concepts/ideas from. It's also interesting to see that a rendering from the 50's estimated a similar project and 5 hours build time and $25. LOL.
-
Thank you for sharing! I am always so curious how much people are able to create their concepts/ideas from. It's also interesting to see that a rendering from the 50's estimated a similar project and 5 hours build time and $25. LOL.
If I was to build it again 5 hours is probably accurate for framing it. $25... I wish!
-
Got a bit more done today.
Installed the solar panel, wiring, and lights. Just need to install the battery and the elec system is done.
(https://s8.postimg.cc/q41qapisx/solar_panel_1.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/q41qapisx/)
(https://s8.postimg.cc/qtkin41cx/solar_panel_2.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/qtkin41cx/)
(https://s8.postimg.cc/io2goyktt/wiring.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/io2goyktt/)
Then I built a fold down bed. It's 54" wide and 87" long, made of 3/4" plywood with a cleat along each seat and a removable center support.
(https://s8.postimg.cc/6m72uulw1/bed_folded.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/6m72uulw1/)
(https://s8.postimg.cc/e26cgnp0x/bed_support.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/e26cgnp0x/)
(https://s8.postimg.cc/93iu24sxt/bed_down.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/93iu24sxt/)
Then I added some eyebolts in 2 opposite corners for hanging a hammock for an afternoon nap when I don't feel like folding down the bed.
(https://s8.postimg.cc/upxuj6enl/hammock_eye_bolt.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/upxuj6enl/)
And I topped off the roof peak with some blueskin to keep the water out until I install some metal roofing... maybe next year.
I'm waiting for my catch covers to be delivered so I can drill the holes, and then I also need to install the wood stove. I would have done that today but I bought 6" pipe while my old stove uses 5". Doh.
Also I have some 3/4" plywood left over so I'm going to build a fold down table that attaches to the underside of the bed. Then maybe a shelf or two inside and out and I think it will be done! It's taken a lot more time than I anticipated, especially installing the rigid insulation. Looking forward to getting it on the ice!!!
-
Looks good, maybe I missed it on above discussions, but how do you get in into the ice and then back onto the truck/trailer?
-
How much does it weigh? Looks good. As some else asked, load and unload?
-
Going by the specs from the home depot website, the weight of just the shanty wood/insulation is probably around 475-500 lbs. I'm not sure how accurate those specs are, I think it might be lighter than that. I can slide it easily on the shop floor and by pushing on the top of the door frame I can lift that end. At the back I ran a wire rope through the skids to pull it and also to use for lifting to put blocks underneath.
I also added a 3/4" plywood bed that adds about 25 pounds, wood stove is about 70 pounds, deep cycle battery is 66 pounds, plus I'm going to add a 3/4" plywood table that's about 10 pounds - so a total of around 650 pounds.
I have a tilt deck trailer that will be easy to load with a hand winch and will probably just anchor the shanty down and pull the trailer ahead to unload.
If I need to load it on my truck I'd use some ramps and winch it up/down. I'm not sure if I'll ever have to put it on the truck but I wanted it to fit just in case.
-
Worked on the shack for a few hours today. Got the folding table built, installed the battery, installed 3 of the 4 catch covers, built a base for the wood stove and got most of the interior heat shield done.
(https://s8.postimg.cc/g3pvln2sh/C1_DFAE8_E-_B7_C4-4_A74-_B1_A9-1301_FD1437_EA.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/g3pvln2sh/)
(https://s8.postimg.cc/il1mswuep/7_B100_CE0-_FDF8-49_EE-_A3_D0-_C4_C2_DBA2186_B.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/il1mswuep/)
(https://s8.postimg.cc/dme4eet6p/7627_E188-4_CA2-4021-918_C-_F205_BC00_DDCE.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/dme4eet6p/)
(https://s8.postimg.cc/mheyoxa9d/DCC81107-0_AC5-4_EE9-88_FB-4742_B1_C04_B03.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/mheyoxa9d/)
-
Love the build. I'm looking to build an aluminum frame shanty same basic size as yours. It will have a door large enough to drive my track sled inside for transport. Seat on the towbar to tow with the sled, winch onto the trailer, pull off with the sled.
Just priced the alum tube, sticker shock. Will be $ 700 just for the frame.
One Eskimo Evo 2 for sale to finance this one.
-
Love the shack. Planning on starting to build one tomorrow just like it. Came across your pics & build list. Pretty cool accessories. Was looking for some measurements but might just have to wing it.
-
Lovin it!!!!!
-
looking great
-
Ordered alum material for my build. Have some funky lightweight plastic stuff for the outside, not coroplast. Have trouble sleeping, ideas keep fogging the brain. Signed up for postimage, see if I can do some build pics.
-
Love the build. I'm looking to build an aluminum frame shanty same basic size as yours. It will have a door large enough to drive my track sled inside for transport. Seat on the towbar to tow with the sled, winch onto the trailer, pull off with the sled.
Just priced the alum tube, sticker shock. Will be $ 700 just for the frame.
One Eskimo Evo 2 for sale to finance this one.
Can't wait to see this one. I had thought of trying to incorporate a larger door to allow a quad... maybe in my next shack...
-
Roof will be arched, built a tube roller a few years ago just for this kind of stuff
-
Finally got 'er on the ice!!
Gonna need a fan to move the air inside and still haven't painted the door.
(https://s13.postimg.cc/urrb1wwlf/IMG_2396.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/urrb1wwlf/)
-
That wood stove must cook you out
-
That wood stove must cook you out
It definitely has the potential to do that. However, we just used a handful of kindling to get some of those pressed fire logs going. They usually don't burn very well but seemed to smoulder for hours giving off just enough heat. Outside temp was -10C, inside temp at the seat height was +23C and +31C at the ceiling. I think I need to get a small fan to move some air around!!!
-
Very nicely done
-
We had 3 guys and a couple kids in the shack yesterday. It was a little snug but not uncomfortable. A few pics...
(https://s13.postimg.cc/ark3dwgrn/Full_Size_Render.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/ark3dwgrn/)
(https://s13.postimg.cc/cw4gezq43/IMG_3077.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/cw4gezq43/)
-
Good stuff. Still have at least a week or two of work to complete mine. I installed a 4 inch computer fan in the top, front end on mine. Works to move the hot air around. You might well put a fan in the back with the position of your stove. Using a Buddy heater in mine on a trial basis.
-
Finally got 'er on the ice!!
Gonna need a fan to move the air inside and still haven't painted the door.
(https://s13.postimg.cc/urrb1wwlf/IMG_2396.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/urrb1wwlf/)
Jpohlic, here's my solution to moving air , i have two actually!
(https://s10.postimg.cc/ii5880y2d/2016_14.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/ii5880y2d/)
I have two cabin fans that are for large trucks the other is two pairs of computer fans in pivoting arms that swings out of the way when not needed.
(https://s10.postimg.cc/broqyp5sl/2017_5.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/broqyp5sl/)
-
(https://s10.postimg.cc/63ig7xyx1/2017_8.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/63ig7xyx1/)
-
I was out again the other day, this time with a 5" computer fan. Unfortunately the deep cycle battery was completely dead so I didn't get a chance to try it. The battery gave me 8 seasons powering my minnkota trolling motor on my 12' tinner so I hope it was just an old battery and not the solar panel or solar controller that crapped out.
Anyway, my wife and I spent the weekend out there and had a great time. The weather on Saturday was beautiful, we caught about a dozen walleye, and the shack performed great. We played cards and cooked breakfast on the fold down table, and the fold down bed was plenty big enough for two. There isn't a lot of floor space left with the bed down but I had a tip up in one hole all night long.
The wood stove almost cooked us out again. I'm using a cylinder stove and was burning pressed wood firelogs that worked great!! They were the 6 pound blocks from Canawick, about 4"x4"x10", and we got about 7-8 hours of burn time with them with the damper fully closed and the air vent only open a crack. I loaded the stove with one block shortly after midnight, and when I checked it at 6 am there was still about 1/3 of it left. The temp in the shack at that time was 23C at the seat height and I had slept the entire night on top of my sleeping bag, not in it. Overnight temps went down to about -10C.
We did have one block that took a while to light so I threw in a few pieces of cedar and opened the damper and air vents all the way. About 10 minutes later it was burning great and the temp at the ceiling was 41C!! Had to open the door for a bit...
That's it until I head out again...
(https://s13.postimg.cc/rv9vti88z/IMG_2430.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/rv9vti88z/)
(https://s13.postimg.cc/iaq96mb77/IMG_2445.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/iaq96mb77/)
(https://s13.postimg.cc/68uvcgmj7/IMG_2446.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/68uvcgmj7/)
(https://s13.postimg.cc/ks20dwaj7/IMG_2447.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/ks20dwaj7/)
(https://s13.postimg.cc/4ttanqt5v/IMG_2448.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/4ttanqt5v/)
-
That's awesome !
Hope you enjoy it every chance you get !
Great pictures
-
Good to hear the shack works well. How far are you from home to stay the night?
-
I'm about 50 minutes from the shack...
-
I've got about seventy miles to the lake. I'll be taking the shack with me every time. Last mountain lake has many places to fish, like to be mobile. Getting anxious to get it done.
-
you guys have it rough , i'm 6 minutes away from my hut by ATV , makes for some fun trips
-
It was a sad day today... we took the shack off the lake.
My wife and I spent 6 weekends camped out on the ice and I was out with the guys another 3 times - that's the most ice fishing I've ever done in one year. We never kept track of how many fish we caught but we had a pretty good season. The walleye in Pigeon Lake are looking really good, lots of variation in size which is nice to see. We didn't catch as many pike as we usually do but I did manage a fat 32" that was pushing 10 lbs. Unfortunately we didn't see a whitefish or burbot all season. I was hoping to take a few whites home for the smoker but it will have to wait for next year.
The shack worked great. The fold down table was perfect for cooking or eating, with lots of room for the flasher and camera, and the fold down Murphy bed kept my wife comfortable and happy - she was surprised that she enjoyed staying out there as much as she did.
I have a few ideas for some minor modifications for next year, nothing major but stay tuned for further updates.
-
The more I look at designs for shacks the more I realize this is the style I would like to build mine around. Are there any updates on buildings plans for your shack? If so, I'd love to learn more!
-
I have the original set of plans that I drew up but I made some changes during the build and have not updated the drawings yet. Initially it was designed to fit through my 7' high garage door but I ended up building it in my dads shop and didn't have to worry about height so we changed some angles and got more headroom. I'll try and get some drawings posted soon.
-
Nicely done I love it . Do you have the measurements by change . Soon I'm going to start building and it would be really appreciated.
Thanks in advance !!
-
Looks good, maybe I missed it on above discussions, but how do you get in into the ice and then back onto the truck/trailer?
I built a 2-2x6 beam, added a piece of plate steel and mounted a 2000lb winch to it. This sits on top of the box and is strapped to my camper tie downs while some stakes in the pockets of the box keep it from sliding forward. Then I winch it up some ramps and into the box.
To get it off the truck I drill a hole in the ice and drop a piece of timber down the hole with a ratchet strap around it, strap the winch down to the ice and pull the shack off the truck. If there is enough ice this weekend I'll take some pics of the unloading process.
2019 update - I have a few things to fix and add to the shack this week before I get out fishing - I'm going to redo the door to get a better seal, add an outdoor shelf for the campstove/BBQ, add a rheostat to the computer fan so I can adjust the speed depending on the indoor temps, add a vent or two up near the ceiling, maybe add some more shelving inside.
(https://i.postimg.cc/8jLdP2Lx/loading-ice-shack-1-2.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/8jLdP2Lx)
(https://i.postimg.cc/qN0st1Lq/loading-ice-shack-2-2.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/qN0st1Lq)
(https://i.postimg.cc/21w4nncw/loading-ice-shack-3-2.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/21w4nncw)
-
The computer fan I installed last year at the ceiling didn't work as well as I was hoping. It was too close to the ceiling to push any air and we still had cold air at the floor, so this year I ran some ducting from near the ceiling to the floor and mounted the fan to the top. It's gonna take the hot air near the ceiling and push it down to the floor, hopefully will keep my wife's feet warm and the holes from freezing. I also added a rheostat so I can control the fan speed.
-
(https://i.postimg.cc/NLbrhvt8/3-E742-D6-C-90-F9-4-C72-8-C0-A-BCA8-FBEAFCD0.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/NLbrhvt8)
(https://i.postimg.cc/WFwqbQkv/C1-E0-E482-25-F3-4-DB7-B46-E-9-BC8-F1-E12-FD4.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/WFwqbQkv)
(https://i.postimg.cc/SJsYk1QB/C56206-B1-72-DD-4-C07-9283-7-F6-BAF99-D1-BB.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/SJsYk1QB)
-
Great idea let us know how well it works , you may have the ultimate solution!
Thanks for the pics
-
Finally got my shack on the ice today and the forced air system works great!
It was -15C (5F) before I lit the wood stove, now I have 38C (100F) hot air warming the floor area. The temps at 25C (77F) are quite even from the floor to the 4’-0” high point, higher than that and there is a definite increase in temp.
The fan is a little loud but it’s tolerable at half speed. Any higher than that and it blows way too much air.
Marked a few fish when I was deciding where to put the shack. Been fishing for a couple hours and it’s slow, I have only seen one on the camera and had a few faint signals on the flasher.
At least the holes aren’t icing up at all.
(https://i.postimg.cc/6yctdrXg/B557907-B-46-C2-4-D64-BB1-A-DDC10662-F881.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/6yctdrXg)
-
That forced air system is pretty slick! Great idea!
Hope the fish cooperate!
Jason
-
Shanty update! I tricked it out a bit more this summer.
The plywood on the roof was really starting to weather so I moved the solar panel to the wall and shingled the roof. The outside also got a fresh coat of stain.
Everything inside was re-wired (no more crimped connectors!) and every connection is soldered and wrapped with heat shrink. I added a switch panel and some LED strip lights and moved one of the existing lights to underneath the shelf for my wife's reading light. I also added an inverter to power the 19" flat screen I found at a garage sale and hard-wired the underwater camera to the 12v deep cycle battery. The TV is mounted to a cabinet that contains the fuse panel/wiring/etc as well as a couple extra shelves inside.
Finally, I picked up some mesh catch covers this year so hopefully no more items falling into the holes.
I'm still looking for a cheap TV antenna so I can hopefully pick up the hockey game when it's too dark outside for the underwater camera, and I want to mount a fold-down countertop outside for the camp stove and maybe add some exterior lighting.
Then the tilt deck trailer got some love with new bearings, tires and lights!
Here's hoping for early ice!
(https://i.postimg.cc/3ydQfrSL/IMG-20211113-163537.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/3ydQfrSL)
(https://i.postimg.cc/GHLLJRCf/IMG-20211113-162728.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/GHLLJRCf)
(https://i.postimg.cc/KkhFKSfJ/IMG-20211113-162745.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/KkhFKSfJ)
(https://i.postimg.cc/V5R1NhCW/IMG-20211113-155524.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/V5R1NhCW)
(https://i.postimg.cc/RWxTbgg2/IMG-20211113-162659.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/RWxTbgg2)
-
It sounds like you will be prepared when the time comes! Our lake just completely froze over 2 days ago, with the milder than usual weather, ice shack season is still a ways off, at this same time in 2008 we already had 8" of ice.
-
Great minds think alike ! Love the up grades . keep posting pics !
(https://i.postimg.cc/DS62btv1/IMG-20210110-153401-222.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/DS62btv1)
(https://i.postimg.cc/xJwY2Q5V/IMG-20210110-153346-408.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/xJwY2Q5V)
(https://i.postimg.cc/RNz9pMqc/IMG-1990.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/RNz9pMqc)
-
Got the fold down outside shelf installed for the barbeque or camp stove.
(https://i.postimg.cc/crghG07s/IMG-20211127-151934.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/crghG07s)
-
Will be great to use for cleaning fish or a portable BBQ !
-
I'm loving the updates! You've built pretty much what I've been building in my head and starting to sketch out! I'm hoping to build one light enough to to tow with my snow machine, looking at a 6x10-ish. Looking forward to how the updates work for you!
-
Nice, I bought one very similar this year, have done a few mods to it so far and it's nice to fish out of. Will not get my roofing and painting done until next summer.
-
I'm loving the updates! You've built pretty much what I've been building in my head and starting to sketch out! I'm hoping to build one light enough to to tow with my snow machine, looking at a 6x10-ish. Looking forward to how the updates work for you!
sent you a PM
-
We've camped out on the ice three weekends so far this year. We're on Gull Lake on the east end of the shanty village at Brownlow's Landing. Been seeing lots of fish compared to previous years, not much for walleye but a lot more perch than before, as well as burbot, whitefish and pike, but the catching has been slow.
(https://i.postimg.cc/XZwPZt8r/IMG-20220115-175503.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/XZwPZt8r)
-
Nice, I bought one very similar this year, have done a few mods to it so far and it's nice to fish out of. Will not get my roofing and painting done until next summer.
Got the shack painted, added another window and some insulation. All ready to go, last word was about 8" on the small lakes around here, but got some -20 to -25 weather coming in a couple days so that should add some more ice. Gerneral hunting season is over on the 30th so maybe get the shack out the week after that.
(https://i.postimg.cc/wyTkWBKp/image.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/wyTkWBKp)
-
Lookin' good!
I bought a chinese diesel heater for my shack this year and have it mostly installed, just need to run one more duct. Hopefully it works great and I'll be able to remove the wood stove and gain some extra space inside.
-
Looks like my dad's old one, I've been wanting to build one for a long time now. Just no idea where to start. I have wood just gotta piece something together. Amazing job looks perfect
-
Looks like my dad's old one, I've been wanting to build one for a long time now. Just no idea where to start. I have wood just gotta piece something together. Amazing job looks perfect
sent you a PM
-
Well, the pump for the diesel heater is really loud, even though it's wrapped in pool noodle and mounted outside the shack. Might have to build a sound insulated box and set it away from the shack a little further.
We're out on Sylvan Lake (Palm Bay) this year and it looks far more promising than Gull Lake has been the past few years.