Author Topic: My Homemade $15 Sled! AKA The "Smitty Sled"  (Read 819457 times)

Offline Tgage

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Re: My Homemade $15 Sled! AKA The "Smitty Sled"
« Reply #1830 on: Jan 20, 2019, 06:22 PM »
Very nice idea in the sled!

Offline lynng

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Re: My Homemade $15 Sled! AKA The "Smitty Sled"
« Reply #1831 on: Jan 20, 2019, 09:26 PM »
Made a bucket rack for the Smitty.




Offline 4x4Dad

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Re: My Homemade $15 Sled! AKA The "Smitty Sled"
« Reply #1832 on: Jan 21, 2019, 12:03 AM »
Holly Molly lynng ! That is some fancy PVC work ! Very nice .

Offline P Meyette

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Re: My Homemade $15 Sled! AKA The "Smitty Sled"
« Reply #1833 on: Jan 21, 2019, 06:28 AM »
very nice

Offline 716perchslayer

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Re: My Homemade $15 Sled! AKA The "Smitty Sled"
« Reply #1834 on: Jan 21, 2019, 06:44 PM »
Made my first smitty today. Used some old wooden skis, a 1inch thick 10 inch tall pine board for the risers, and 2X3's for the cross members. it is very light. Made to haul my clam 5600 tent (which is a giant snow plow) and all my gear on top. Need to make some light wooden sides to bungee on top and hold everything in place. Cant wait to try it out this week. Not bad for stuff I had laying around the garage and spending nothing.




Offline 4x4Dad

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Re: My Homemade $15 Sled! AKA The "Smitty Sled"
« Reply #1835 on: Jan 22, 2019, 12:52 AM »
Nice job perchslayer ! Looks great .

Offline missoulafish

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Re: My Homemade $15 Sled! AKA The "Smitty Sled"
« Reply #1836 on: Jan 22, 2019, 08:22 AM »
Just a heads up for the guys building their risers out of wood. I see lots of guys attaching them so that the grain of the wood runs parallel to the skis. Not saying it's right or wrong but attaching them so that the grain is running perpendicular is your best bet in that they will not break if your sled is ever on uneven ground. If you are attaching them so that the grain  runs paralellel, you are greatly increasing your chances for them to break.

Offline Lobes

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Re: My Homemade $15 Sled! AKA The "Smitty Sled"
« Reply #1837 on: Jan 22, 2019, 10:05 AM »
Very nice build 716perchslayer !!!
Suggestion -
Turn those eyelets 1/4 turn. Easier to hook/unhook your cords.
The hook holds better too when it gets bumpy out there.

                      :tipup:
Lobes

Mecosta County / Lakeview, Michigan

Offline lefty2053

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Re: My Homemade $15 Sled! AKA The "Smitty Sled"
« Reply #1838 on: Jan 22, 2019, 12:08 PM »
Just a heads up for the guys building their risers out of wood. I see lots of guys attaching them so that the grain of the wood runs parallel to the skis. Not saying it's right or wrong but attaching them so that the grain is running perpendicular is your best bet in that they will not break if your sled is ever on uneven ground. If you are attaching them so that the grain  runs paralellel, you are greatly increasing your chances for them to break.
Very good advise. Now I need to go out and see how mine are. LOL
<===Lefty===

Offline lynng

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Re: My Homemade $15 Sled! AKA The "Smitty Sled"
« Reply #1839 on: Feb 04, 2019, 01:35 PM »
Added a couple of more mods to my jet sled bucket rack.  1) A set of rod holder transport tubes in a bucket. Holds 12 rods. Made out of golf bag inserts. Light and easy to work with.  2) Tip up holders made out of 2x3 vinal downspout. Fit my Jack traps perfectly






Offline sincere103

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Re: My Homemade $15 Sled! AKA The "Smitty Sled"
« Reply #1840 on: Feb 04, 2019, 02:51 PM »



Offline 32footsteps

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Re: My Homemade $15 Sled! AKA The "Smitty Sled"
« Reply #1841 on: Feb 04, 2019, 05:50 PM »
Cut back on the weight quite a bit over my wood versions by using PVC.



Follow up on this. It did work well...”did.” 

Went out last Thursday morning when my thermometer said -27. I had used it before but this time I had it loaded up pretty good. Walked out close to a mile in some considerable snow, pockets of slush and it was lighter and easier to pull than wooden versions weighted down the same. Fished for a few hours, packed up and was going to head back home. Started my trek back, gave a good tug on the rope and I had a PVC explosion. I’m guessing the extreme cold we had was the biggest factor plus the weight I had on it.

Ok....reorganize my gear into the otter sled I was using and start dragging the dead elephant of weight back. I get about 100 yards and the rope breaks. Lesson learned. Go with a heavier rope just in case. You can get buy with a lighter rope if your sled doesn’t take a dump because of how much the drag is reduced but when faced with the “If it can go wrong it will” proposition, its better to have a rope that will bail you out if your raised sled revolts.

Multiple trips carrying gear back to lighten up the load so that the rope would hold together. That was an experience.

Offline missoulafish

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Re: My Homemade $15 Sled! AKA The "Smitty Sled"
« Reply #1842 on: Feb 04, 2019, 06:34 PM »
Yup... I'd remove all the pvc....

Offline alaska mike

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Re: My Homemade $15 Sled! AKA The "Smitty Sled"
« Reply #1843 on: Feb 05, 2019, 10:57 PM »
Here is what I did for smitty  sled #2:





I wanted to make the sled lighter, still be toolless assembly, but strong enough to carry the weight.  I also wanted  the option of 4 wheels. The last smitty had wheels mounted off the back of the skis so you could pick up the front of the sled and roll it across the parking lot.  Worked good on the level but not so good when you were trying to to pull it up the long steep boat ramps we have in our low water reservoirs. So this is what I came up with.

I went with 3/4" acx plywood for my risers instead of 2x's. I can't believe how much of a weight savings this was. I secured the risers with some aluminum angle to the skis.



Since I was using plywood risers I couldn't use the double pins in the 2x risers to hold the 2x4 cross braces. I could of used angle with nuts and bolts but I wanted toolless assembly. So I came up with a double notch system where the 2x4 cross braces come apart like the original smitty. I have been using the sled for this season and the notches are holding up like brand new.





On the cross braces I did the same as my last sled, putting small plywood rips on top of the cross brace that fit up in the grooves of the sled to lock the sled in from side to side movement.  I use cam straps to lock the sled on the cross braces like everybody else does. I chamfered the inside leading edge of the plywood rips to help line up the shack sled when I am pulling it on top of the smitty.





For the wheels I wanted them to stay on the smitty, so I would have them when I need them.  I wanted the deployment of the wheels to be toolless also. I just bent some heavy angle bracing that I got from tractor supply to the desired shape, and drilled the holes.  The top bolt is nutted as that stays on.  The bottom had a clevis pin that I use a pin with washers to either lock the wheels in the down or up position.





I finally added a small aluminum strap to act as a stop for when I swing the wheels down so I don't have to fumble trying to find the hole when it's cold out.



Everything is working out great.  I will definitely build any future smittys with the plywood risers instead of the 2x's. I think it is just as strong if not stronger, and way lighter.
Any day on the ice with little to no wind, is a darn good day.

Offline SizeMatters

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Re: My Homemade $15 Sled! AKA The "Smitty Sled"
« Reply #1844 on: Feb 06, 2019, 04:21 AM »
 :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:  Great work!  I had thought about plywood for the risers.  Using the angle to mount them is brilliant!  Love the simplicity of the drop down wheels and the notched cross rails too.  I had considered also using holes in the riser to hook the straps on thus eliminating the cost of eyebolts.  Thanks for sharing your ideas!

Offline alaska mike

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Re: My Homemade $15 Sled! AKA The "Smitty Sled"
« Reply #1845 on: Feb 06, 2019, 09:54 AM »
Thanks. I didn't think of holes for the tie down straps instead of the eye bolts. I put the big hole in just in case I have to carry the skis a ways before I set it up. The double notch cross rails have worked out good, and got rid of some hardware weight.
Any day on the ice with little to no wind, is a darn good day.

Offline SKIFFLAKEJIMMY

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Re: My Homemade $15 Sled! AKA The "Smitty Sled"
« Reply #1846 on: Feb 06, 2019, 01:18 PM »
During last weeks brutal cold snap, I revamped my Smitty. It weighs under 11 pounds and folds up for storage. Now the snow is gone, and so is the ice. Pulls great in the driveway.







Thank you Lord for thinkin bout me. I'm alive and doin fine!!!!!!

Offline 32footsteps

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Re: My Homemade $15 Sled! AKA The "Smitty Sled"
« Reply #1847 on: Feb 07, 2019, 09:41 PM »
Yup... I'd remove all the pvc....

Or travel lighter.  It was as loaded up as I've ever had a sled of this design and by far the coldest I've used it in. 

-27 degrees, 30 pound hub, 33 pound power auger, 20 pound propane tank and sunflower heater....the rest of the stuff adds up quick as well. 

Offline missoulafish

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Re: My Homemade $15 Sled! AKA The "Smitty Sled"
« Reply #1848 on: Feb 07, 2019, 09:49 PM »
True...

Offline smitty0312

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Re: My Homemade $15 Sled! AKA The "Smitty Sled"
« Reply #1849 on: Feb 08, 2019, 02:56 PM »
All looking good guys......keep the unique ideas coming.....tight lines
[email protected] if you don't have a FB account.....or search "The Original Smitty Sled" on FB....thank you

Offline river_scum

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Re: My Homemade $15 Sled! AKA The "Smitty Sled"
« Reply #1850 on: Feb 09, 2019, 06:22 AM »
no kidding! great stuff everyone!
real fishermen don't ask "where you catch those"

OANN the real story

- member here since -2003- IN.

Offline sconnieboy55

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Re: My Homemade $15 Sled! AKA The "Smitty Sled"
« Reply #1851 on: Feb 09, 2019, 07:05 AM »
First attempt at a Smitty Sled, can’t wait to try it out


Offline Uncle Al

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Re: My Homemade $15 Sled! AKA The "Smitty Sled"
« Reply #1852 on: Feb 09, 2019, 08:47 AM »
 sconnieboy55, looks good, might want to put some screw eyes on the risers to hook ratchet straps to.

Offline 4x4Dad

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Re: My Homemade $15 Sled! AKA The "Smitty Sled"
« Reply #1853 on: Feb 09, 2019, 09:33 AM »
sconnieboy55 , nice job on your sled . One more thing that I was told to do , is run a couple drywall screws down through the uprights on each side of the notches so that any side to side twist doesn't cause the top pieces on each side of the notches to split off .  Also , give it a nice paint job to keep moisture from swelling the wood . :thumbsup:

Offline stickbait

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Re: My Homemade $15 Sled! AKA The "Smitty Sled"
« Reply #1854 on: Feb 09, 2019, 12:25 PM »
Nice sleds guys!! Some innovative designs to be sure.
Here’s my down and dirty version. Total cost was $5.00 for the skis at Salvation Army. Everything else were leftovers hanging around the house.
Assembles/ breaks down in seconds,and carries a ton of gear.












Offline sconnieboy55

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Re: My Homemade $15 Sled! AKA The "Smitty Sled"
« Reply #1855 on: Feb 14, 2019, 09:59 AM »






Thank you for the idea with the eye bolts! I also added a coupe pieces of 2x4 to my cross members so that the sled would sit nice and square on top without sliding around.  Finally was able to use it last week and what a difference it made! Wished I would have done it sooner!

Offline WOTracer

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Re: My Homemade $15 Sled! AKA The "Smitty Sled"
« Reply #1856 on: Feb 16, 2019, 11:30 AM »
Have been reading the board for years but never officially "signed on". A lot of good designs on this  thread.  Hate to admit it but time has passed and cannot do what I use to do. But work/play smarter not harder !  Formulating  and assembling all my materials for my Smitty sled.  Understand all the dimensions, but  a  variance is the length  of the risers. Seen  full ski length to  simple pvc/ conduit post to the popular two riser designs.  Looks like most  designs average  12 " but would like input on shorter/longer length. 
Also would be remiss to Smitty  if I didn't  say  "thanks" for a design that has  simple  , cheap ,  and effective.

Offline meandcuznalfy

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Re: My Homemade $15 Sled! AKA The "Smitty Sled"
« Reply #1857 on: Feb 16, 2019, 04:00 PM »


Offline Chris338378

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Re: My Homemade $15 Sled! AKA The "Smitty Sled"
« Reply #1858 on: Feb 16, 2019, 04:08 PM »


Not to be rude but I suggest you put a coat of paint on the particle board because when it gets wet it begins to swell and fall apart. 

Offline meandcuznalfy

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Re: My Homemade $15 Sled! AKA The "Smitty Sled"
« Reply #1859 on: Feb 16, 2019, 04:41 PM »
Yea, I'll have to after it warms up. It's a work in progress.

 



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