Author Topic: My Homemade $15 Sled! AKA The "Smitty Sled"  (Read 819502 times)

Offline smitty0312

  • Team IceShanty Maniac
  • **
  • Posts: 1,250
  • Build A Smitty Sled.......it's a back & lung saver
Re: My Homemade $15 Sled! AKA The "Smitty Sled"
« Reply #2040 on: Jan 29, 2022, 08:12 AM »


[email protected] if you don't have a FB account.....or search "The Original Smitty Sled" on FB....thank you

Offline smitty0312

  • Team IceShanty Maniac
  • **
  • Posts: 1,250
  • Build A Smitty Sled.......it's a back & lung saver
Re: My Homemade $15 Sled! AKA The "Smitty Sled"
« Reply #2041 on: Jan 29, 2022, 08:40 AM »
questions.......[email protected]
[email protected] if you don't have a FB account.....or search "The Original Smitty Sled" on FB....thank you

Offline smitty0312

  • Team IceShanty Maniac
  • **
  • Posts: 1,250
  • Build A Smitty Sled.......it's a back & lung saver
Re: My Homemade $15 Sled! AKA The "Smitty Sled"
« Reply #2042 on: Jan 29, 2022, 09:01 AM »
The Original Smitty Sled is now on Twitter......@SmittySled
[email protected] if you don't have a FB account.....or search "The Original Smitty Sled" on FB....thank you

Offline SirCranksalot

  • Team IceShanty Maniac
  • **
  • Posts: 1,652
Re: My Homemade $15 Sled! AKA The "Smitty Sled"
« Reply #2043 on: Jan 29, 2022, 11:00 AM »
You, or at least your sled, is now famous. My son sent me a link to a clip on Tick Tock showing some details!! ::)
Keep yer stick on the ice!

Offline fishEH

  • Team IceShanty Regular
  • ***
  • Posts: 221
Re: My Homemade $15 Sled! AKA The "Smitty Sled"
« Reply #2044 on: Feb 02, 2022, 03:29 PM »
So I busted out my old ski tuning equipment and iron on some wax, then scraped off the excess. It was a bit weird not scraping and repeating multiple times and then sharpening the edges, but the Smitty glides WAY better now.

Are you all waxing your skiis? If so, how often?
I used my Smitty sled for the first time this season in about 4-6" of snow and it was a bear to pull. I don't recall ever having this problem before. I'm wondering how much of an impact increased weight will have or skiis that need a good waxing?

Offline HWeber

  • Team IceShanty Maniac
  • **
  • Posts: 1,276
Re: My Homemade $15 Sled! AKA The "Smitty Sled"
« Reply #2045 on: Feb 06, 2022, 05:43 PM »
I'm going to scroll back and do some reading because I'm sure it's in there somewhere but does it pay to go with higher risers? Looking to rebuild my current sled. My thoughts are unless the risers are taller than the snow there is going to be little difference but I've only used 2x4 risers so far

Offline missoulafish

  • Team IceShantyholic
  • ***
  • Posts: 6,949
  • TēM HîPē FÿSh
Re: My Homemade $15 Sled! AKA The "Smitty Sled"
« Reply #2046 on: Feb 06, 2022, 09:13 PM »
Deeper snow, narrow trails, taller risers tend to make sled tippy. 

Offline SirCranksalot

  • Team IceShanty Maniac
  • **
  • Posts: 1,652
Re: My Homemade $15 Sled! AKA The "Smitty Sled"
« Reply #2047 on: Feb 06, 2022, 09:16 PM »
always a tradeoff between the various factors----stability, manoeverability(sp?) etc
Keep yer stick on the ice!

Offline pmmpete

  • Team IceShanty Regular
  • ***
  • Posts: 488
Re: My Homemade $15 Sled! AKA The "Smitty Sled"
« Reply #2048 on: Feb 26, 2022, 08:40 AM »
Most Smitty Sleds don't work with flip-over ice shelters, because they hold the ice shelter up in the air.  Here are pictures of a Smitty Sled I made for my flip-over ice shelter which has legs that fold down to lower the shelter down to the ice. It works well.

An advantage of this design is that a lot of its stability is because (a) the sled is resting on the flat bottoms of the legs when it's high, and on the flat sides of the legs when it's low, and (b) the wide legs are bolted against the sides of the box, which stabilizes the legs against side-to-side wobbling.

A disadvantage of this folding Smitty Sled is that the wooden box weighs a lot.  Now that I know that the concept works, I'm working on a way to attach the same skis and folding legs directly to my shelter, so I can get rid of the box and reduce the weight of the setup.

The reason that I bolted a 2"x2" to the top of each ski, rather than using two short brackets on each ski, is to reverse the camber of the skis.  Skis have camber, which means that when they don't have weight on them they contact a flat surface at their tip and tail, and the center is off the surface.  This camber makes a Smitty sled hard to turn. By bolting the skis to a 2"x2", I reverse the camber so the center is a bit lower than the tip and tail of the ski, which makes the Smitty sled easier to turn.











Offline smitty0312

  • Team IceShanty Maniac
  • **
  • Posts: 1,250
  • Build A Smitty Sled.......it's a back & lung saver
Re: My Homemade $15 Sled! AKA The "Smitty Sled"
« Reply #2049 on: Mar 11, 2022, 03:54 PM »
Most Smitty Sleds don't work with flip-over ice shelters, because they hold the ice shelter up in the air.  Here are pictures of a Smitty Sled I made for my flip-over ice shelter which has legs that fold down to lower the shelter down to the ice. It works well.

An advantage of this design is that a lot of its stability is because (a) the sled is resting on the flat bottoms of the legs when it's high, and on the flat sides of the legs when it's low, and (b) the wide legs are bolted against the sides of the box, which stabilizes the legs against side-to-side wobbling.

A disadvantage of this folding Smitty Sled is that the wooden box weighs a lot.  Now that I know that the concept works, I'm working on a way to attach the same skis and folding legs directly to my shelter, so I can get rid of the box and reduce the weight of the setup.

The reason that I bolted a 2"x2" to the top of each ski, rather than using two short brackets on each ski, is to reverse the camber of the skis.  Skis have camber, which means that when they don't have weight on them they contact a flat surface at their tip and tail, and the center is off the surface.  This camber makes a Smitty sled hard to turn. By bolting the skis to a 2"x2", I reverse the camber so the center is a bit lower than the tip and tail of the ski, which makes the Smitty sled easier to turn.












Yup....I've always taken my flip over off the sled....Smitty Sleds are meant to get you to your spot, not fish off them
[email protected] if you don't have a FB account.....or search "The Original Smitty Sled" on FB....thank you

Offline R.S.

  • Team IceShanty Regular
  • ***
  • Posts: 146
Re: My Homemade $15 Sled! AKA The "Smitty Sled"
« Reply #2050 on: Mar 12, 2022, 06:31 AM »
yea its not a true "take down smitty" but its awesome just the same! 

great job pete!

Offline badbrad2186

  • Team IceShanty Maniac
  • **
  • Posts: 1,160
Re: My Homemade $15 Sled! AKA The "Smitty Sled"
« Reply #2051 on: Mar 12, 2022, 06:49 AM »
Nice build! Does it come apart for transport?
Be sure to move the rope down and attach to the ski tips for pulling.

Actually leaving the rope in the sled makes dragging across the ice alot easier. We started doing this 2 years ago world of difference from rope.in the skies
If you sit around all day and do nothing your a bum, but if you sit in a boat all day or in a shanty and do nothing they call you a fisherman

Offline sparksNfishing

  • Team IceShanty Regular
  • ***
  • Posts: 258
Re: My Homemade $15 Sled! AKA The "Smitty Sled"
« Reply #2052 on: Aug 05, 2022, 10:00 PM »
Looking for some input/advice. I was thinking of rigging up some skis under my milwaukee packout roller to try out as run and gun setup. Doubles as a chair and keeps everything together. Would pushing or pulling be best? I figured if pushing, the handle can be a bit of a support for hanging onto. I'll try to have it tilt around 45ºand probably add a rope if pulling is best. Thoughts? I just want something smaller then my big smitty.

Offline hardwater diehard

  • Iceshanty Militia
  • Team IceshantyInsanity
  • *
  • Posts: 12,477
Re: My Homemade $15 Sled! AKA The "Smitty Sled"
« Reply #2053 on: Aug 06, 2022, 11:09 AM »
Looking for some input/advice. I was thinking of rigging up some skis under my milwaukee packout roller to try out as run and gun setup. Doubles as a chair and keeps everything together. Would pushing or pulling be best? I figured if pushing, the handle can be a bit of a support for hanging onto. I'll try to have it tilt around 45ºand probably add a rope if pulling is best. Thoughts? I just want something smaller then my big smitty.

I would think getting rid of the rollers would be best as they are not necessary..and could present a problem ..building a base that your packout system could nestle into would be better then a tradional smitty with cross bars which would require straping down onto the smitty  . Pushing vs pulling ?...as long as there is minimal weight either should get the job done ..you could design it for both ways and make the rope detachble via eye bolts and carabiner.
Give a man a fish he eats for a day .Teach a man to ice fish he has an obsession for a lifetime

Offline rdhammah

  • Team IceShanty Maniac
  • **
  • Posts: 4,067
Re: My Homemade $15 Sled! AKA The "Smitty Sled"
« Reply #2054 on: Nov 14, 2022, 10:38 AM »
when I built my Smitty Sled, I cut the slot in the risers for the cross bars just wide enough to fit. Is it better t have it loosely fit? also, for a 1/4" bolt(pin), should the hole be bigger than 1/4"

Offline mbart

  • Team IceShanty Addict
  • *
  • Posts: 581
Re: My Homemade $15 Sled! AKA The "Smitty Sled"
« Reply #2055 on: Nov 14, 2022, 12:05 PM »
Go bigger with the bolt size Rich, I used 1/4" bolts on my smitty and they bent after a few uses.

Offline rdhammah

  • Team IceShanty Maniac
  • **
  • Posts: 4,067
Re: My Homemade $15 Sled! AKA The "Smitty Sled"
« Reply #2056 on: Nov 14, 2022, 01:19 PM »
Go bigger with the bolt size Rich, I used 1/4" bolts on my smitty and they bent after a few uses.
ok. but whatever size bolt that I use, should the hole in the upright be a tad bigger and should the slot for the cross bars be bigger than the crossbar?

Offline mbart

  • Team IceShanty Addict
  • *
  • Posts: 581
Re: My Homemade $15 Sled! AKA The "Smitty Sled"
« Reply #2057 on: Nov 14, 2022, 01:41 PM »
You want a loose fit that makes it easier to assemble or take apart.

Offline HWeber

  • Team IceShanty Maniac
  • **
  • Posts: 1,276
Re: My Homemade $15 Sled! AKA The "Smitty Sled"
« Reply #2058 on: Nov 14, 2022, 02:17 PM »
Not snug but not sloppy. Go up a 64th if that still seems tight give the drill a wiggle or go up another size. If it is difficult to put together at home it won't go together at all on the ice. 
If you can manage to drill your holes straight and centered your cross braces will work in any orientation. If not be sure to mark front back left right on your cross braces.
My first one the holes were so jacked up but it's still working. My last one I used a drill press and it goes together much smoother

 



Iceshanty | MyFishFinder | MyHuntingForum
Contact | Disclaimer | Privacypolicy | Sponsor
© 1996- Iceshanty.com
All Rights Reserved.