Makin tip ups

[olgreenhead]

Well there costly to buy can u save money by building them if so were do you buy the parts ? 

[Pasquatch]

Ht Polar tipups are only $15 or so...

[olgreenhead]

Only 15$ if you had to buy 10 that would be over 150$ plus shipping .

[twodoggs]

I would bet you will be hard pressed to beat it.  remember to include your time in the cost.  If I were you I would start looking now as most places are putting thier ice fishing stuff on sale.  I know both gander mt and mills fleet are.

[Knife2sharp]

They have some HT copies on sale for $5.99, normally $9.99.  At Gander Mountain they're called First Ice and at Fleet Farm they're called Glacier something or other.  These are the orange and black round ones that'll cover the whole hole.  I actually got a few, just to use as hole covers.  I just took off the rod, spindle and flag, and now I can use em for my Slammers. 

[Pasquatch]

Only 15$ if you had to buy 10 that would be over 150$ plus shipping .

Make a tipup you are going to spend almost as much and have alot crappier tipup. Plus your time. Tipups are not the easiest thing to make, my friend...

[transplantfromMN]

I agree on the spending as much money on tipups if you make them but the crappier part is sooo not true because you can make them to your likes and dislikes and do all the beautification that you need. Plus you get the joy of knowing that YOU made your own equiptment. for example I love the heritage lakers trip mechanisim but also love the hight of the jacktraps bigbobs therefore I am incorperating both the jacktrap reel and hight into the heritage trip and flag mechinism to make my perfect trap. Everything ,reel, trip, flag mech, all being fabricated by my self to my specs. Than I have nothing to complain about when it comes to any of the traps. And heck there is a sense of pride in it all. Just my .02

[Pasquatch]

I agree on the spending as much money on tipups if you make them but the crappier part is sooo not true because you can make them to your likes and dislikes and do all the beautification that you need. Plus you get the joy of knowing that YOU made your own equiptment. for example I love the heritage lakers trip mechanisim but also love the hight of the jacktraps bigbobs therefore I am incorperating both the jacktrap reel and hight into the heritage trip and flag mechinism to make my perfect trap. Everything ,reel, trip, flag mech, all being fabricated by my self to my specs. Than I have nothing to complain about when it comes to any of the traps. And heck there is a sense of pride in it all. Just my .02

Yeah, using parts of actual tipups their great, but alot of people use random scraps to make tipups, the things are horrible

[transplantfromMN]

date=1108339700]

Yeah, using parts of actual tipups their great, but alot of people use random scraps to make tipups, the things are horrible

I agree man but a little pride in your work and your equiptment can be displayed in a showcase. Even the lakers I have bought have been stained and poly coated just because I take pride in presentation.

[Gamalot]

I have to disagree a bit with Pasquatch. I am sure he has seen some horrible workmanship but this is not reflective of us all.
I am a furniture maker and my tip ups are every bit as nice as the furniture I make and out of some of the best suited wood for water contact. I did not spare any expense and I am completely satisfied with the way they look and function. Guess you could say I am proud of my work and nothing makes me feel better then to have some other fisherman compliment me on my tips and ask "where did you get them"?
It is all a matter of how much you are willing to put into them and your abilities.
You are completely correct in that I can't make them cheeper even if I allow nothing for my time.

[cracked_ice]

I too think that home made tip-ups can be great.  I just finished making a couple from scrap steel tubing and pvc. I used all scrounged parts and it did not cost me a dime. I designed my own trip and even hand wound my own springs from old high tensile wire.  I then primed and painted the frame and painted the reel.  The reel is flo-orange and white...I will try to post some pics soon...going to stagecoach on monday to try them out for the first time...they actually look great and SHOULD work well.  I will let you all know.

P.S.  I even used scrounged surveyors flags...man, I really am a cheap b*****d

[Pasquatch]

I've seen some beautiful homemade tipups, and I'm sure yours are, Gamalot, and cracked_ice, and I shouldn't have said all tipups made from random scraps are horrible, they're not, but honestly, most are... but I just see alot of people making freakin horrible tipups, then they complain to me about how "these stupid fish, just take my bait and sit there, they never trip the flag... ". Meanwhile, the salmon and lakers have taken out 110'+ of line, and are exhausted, cause they've been hooked for an hour... 

[Pasquatch]

And then the guys release the fish...always nice to see a laker stuck up under the ice...
I would love to see your guys tipups....

[cracked_ice]

I am sure there are a lot of crappy home made jobs... mine might be another but I hope not. They look good at least.  I am hoping I made the trip mechanism sensitive enough to flag very easily.  I will try to post pics after mondays trip.

[BUCKSKI]

Have made my own tip ups and now buy them. I do not have the time to make them, barely have time to fish. I do know that I have not paid full price for any of my tip ups, I buy the Polar tip ups and leave them out on the coldests of days and do not worry about the rig freezing up. Love them for the telescpoing flags, Stinks when they break, but can see them from a distance do problem. My issue has been avioding using steel leaders and have used braided lines, I do build my own quick strike rigs but have had issues this year. Looking to change it up. I can them cheap out of seven strand steel line, thinner than commerical quick strike rigs and make em as fllashy as I want.
Going the homemade route, can burn you sometimes. I know that there are some cleve, highly skilled workmen. But for the average guy you have to pick your battles.
Just MY 2 CENTS.
By the way was up in Canada and saw a guy build his own out of old bunk beds, The boards were the bottom, Spring Steel the arm and a eye loop put on the end. The wind moved the arm and when the arm went down a fish on. Only worked on warm days with wind. It worked for him and he was proud of what he made.