Smitty Is Bored

[smitty0312]

I am getting pretty bored waiting for the cold weather to show up.......gear is ready........I could maybe build another "smitty sled".......but the original is still going......maybe I should hand it up and build another......mmm

[holehopper]

Here's an idea for you Smitty.  Your current sled design is a "pull" sled.  I've heard that a "push" sled can work really well too.  How about an optional "Smitty" handle to push the "Smitty Sled"?  Some sort of fold down handle design.  I've never tried pushing a sled myself but might be worth thinking about. 

[rgfixit]

Paint the original gold and hang it on the wall

One of the best inventions I've seen here in all years past.

Rg

[smitty0312]

Paint the original gold and hang it on the wall

One of the best inventions I've seen here in all years past.

Rg

I like the gold paint idea.........

[Agronomist_at_IA]

I am getting pretty bored waiting for the cold weather to show up.......gear is ready........I could maybe build another "smitty sled".......but the original is still going......maybe I should hand it up and build another......mmm

I know your pain. I've got all my stuff ready and built 5-6 ice poles already. I was going to try and fix my voyager tent with some flex seal, but put the new/spare cover on the sled instead. Wow couldn't believe how dark it was without all the pinholes. Should bee good for another 8-10 years now.

[sig]

Here`s my sled with the push handle, (old Lawnmower handle) it works great  on ice or light snow,  I have pull rope too.

[feklar]

well...since you redesigned sleds that made everyone's life easier, maybe look at ice fishing and solve some of the other problems, holes that ice up, fishing stuff that is too heavy, chairs that fall over, clothing that is too cold or too heavy, keeping all out stuff organized in a box that is too heavy or too flimsy. 

[Old Goat]

no reason to be bored this is fall and the fish are on fire

[FishGut]

Smitty, I live in Nebraska, and I've got to drag a sled at least a quarter mile into a section through pastures, corn stubble, or old soy bean fields to get to most of my ponds (thumbs up to Nebraska G&P Open Fields and Waters program)   

Most of the time, I'm hauling across rock hard frozen fields and soil.  The winds blows away any snow to glide over. Can you scheme a set up to move your SmittySled over land?

[Uncle Al]

Wheels. You need to make a second smitty sled with wheels on it to haul the original through those fields. I've found that wheels from a lawn mower work excellent, especially the tall wheels. Bicycle tires work good also. send pics if you make anything.

[royjulius]

Neat sled Sig. 

[skifisher]

I have used a "push sled" for several years now. Although it isn't fancy by any means, it does the trick when it comes to stability and ease of transport. I'm an old guy, that has some balance issues, so I find the push sled just what I need to keep me upright and moving forward. I adapted a walker that fits into PVC uprights that give me great stability. It might look funny when I push it, but at my age, how I look is no longer an issue! Good Icing! 
Ski

[eriksat1]

The fact is pulling is always easier than pushing, always has been. But if you need it to help you walk I understand.

[smitty0312]

The fact is pulling is always easier than pushing, always has been. But if you need it to help you walk I understand.

I totally agree with that concept........I am a EHS coordinator at my work........I am constantly thinking safety........If you have problems standing or walking on land, my suggestion would be stay off the ice for your own safety......but I know the addiction gets the best of us sometimes.........that's my 2¢........

[skifisher]

I totally agree with that concept........I am a EHS coordinator at my work........I am constantly thinking safety........If you have problems standing or walking on land, my suggestion would be stay off the ice for your own safety......but I know the addiction gets the best of us sometimes.........that's my 2¢........

Smitty...that's like telling an addict he should stay off crack! I'm not incapacitated. That's what ice cleats are for LOL!
I have found pushing my sled is just as easy as pulling it. Whole different set of dynamics. This is especially true when there is snow cover on the ice. Good Icing!
Ski

[smitty0312]

I totally agree with that concept........I am a EHS coordinator at my work........I am constantly thinking safety........If you have problems standing or walking on land, my suggestion would be stay off the ice for your own safety......but I know the addiction gets the best of us sometimes.........that's my 2¢........

Smitty...that's like telling an addict he should stay off crack! I'm not incapacitated. That's what ice cleats are for LOL!
I have found pushing my sled is just as easy as pulling it. Whole different set of dynamics. This is especially true when there is snow cover on the ice. Good Icing!
Ski

Sorry Ski.....I didn't mean to get anybody excited or upset.........I get you......

[skifisher]

no problem Smitty...not upset at all. I respect and value your opinion. Good Icing!
Ski

[Indiana_Lou]

I agree with Skifisher, as I wait for my new hip Dec 1. Last year I found it easier to push my sled than to pull it. My sled sits about a foot off the ice surface. So I could take the pressure off my hip as I walked. Similar as to using the shopping cart at the grocery store. Hopefully this will not be necessary after the operation. But I do realize the ice cleats will be a permanent fixture on my boots. Can't risk any kind of fall.   Lou

[chilly-willy]

since your bored what about going threw a few designs and start building a set up for sale pre rigged or ready to assemble ? maybe make it all out of wood and line the skis with poly carbonate like 1/8 or 1/4 inch bolted to the bottom of wooden skis etc.. etc...  instead of buying down hill snow skis... reason being skis may get hard to find and start a business  for 9 mo out of the year the other 3mo your ice fishing  lol's.. at least find some thing so your not so bored... any thought on this?? your already selling plans on ebay??   that why I suggest it, at going to the drawling board you could keep form being bored a while??

[SnoHam13]

I am getting pretty bored waiting for the cold weather to show up.......gear is ready........I could maybe build another "smitty sled".......but the original is still going......maybe I should hand it up and build another......mmm

welp smitty sorry about the boredom, the bright side is that the ''smitty sled'' has made it possible to get back in the game after a major accident in 2011.
got out many times last year with out a lot of struggle
so some times boredom pays off big time.

thanks again

SnoHam13

[Beerslushy]

I feel your pain Smitty.  I'm tired of waiting for ice too.  I built a Smitty sled, put an auger mount on my snowmobile, getting the auger tuned up, soon I'll need a new project to keep me occupied.

[Tomhusker]

You could me find a set of skis. Been looking for over a month with no luck.

[IFF]

Skies are easy to find here in Metro Denver, just got 6 sets handed to me.  Building them up now, will pass them on to those that don't have what it takes to build them.

[JiggerDan]

Same here. I just bought an Ion and my pop-up shanty should be here tomorrow....Oh, the boring wait for ice. Going to pull my smitty out and "Swiss cheese" it a bit with a hole saw to reduce weight.

[stinkyfingers]

That's a great idea IFF. There's hardly a thrift store on the Colorado front range that doesn't have several sets of skis that the kids have outgrown. The sleds I've made in the past just used some little downhills though the last one I made had some skinny cross country boards. Now you often see the wider freestyle type which would put the sled up a little higher on the snow but at the cost of greater drag. Matter of taste. Let us know if you discover a cheap freight formula.

[skifisher]

I agree with IFF & stinky...the thrift stores. I found a pair at a garage sale for $5.00, and there weren't any bindings mounted. They just wanted to get rid of them. Good luck finding a pair. Good Icing!
Ski

[chilly-willy]

You could me find a set of skis. Been looking for over a month with no luck.

same here man! not a big skiing area were I am from.. Colorado seems to be big into skiing? lot of ski towns cause of the mountain's...we get the x-county skis but that's it...   that is ware I thought maybe make them out of plastic? like on the shappells with the fold up skis of you need pics on how the skis fold up on my shappell I think I got some? you could use some 1/8 to 3/16 inch polycarbonate. put in on some kind of hinging post for the ski and at the front use same loops and hair pin shappell uses to hold it up you could fold the smitty sled totally flat if any thing if room is needed.. try freckleface.com for the polycarbonate...    let me know if you need pics of the skis?