The harsh and cold winter in the memory of each of us is still associated with a festive and bright time. The reason for this is not only the most important holidays, but also childhood, which all of us loved to spend on the street, on sledges, skates or even on skis. If you want to plunge back into childhood, then we suggest you make such a sled with your own hands.
What to make of?
If the material of manufacture itself does not raise questions, then about the shape, length, thickness and type of wood there are many unclear points that will be sorted out in this article.
It is best to purchase ready-made small boards of processed wood, but if there is no way to purchase them, then you can cut them out of the tree yourself using a woodworking machine. You will also need a sander, jigsaw and drill to work the wood.
In addition to a block of wood, you also need metal strips; aluminum strips are best suited for sleds.
For drawings and drawing various marks, you will need to take a standard student's set: a ruler, pencil and paper.
Wooden thorns, screws, round cross-pieces, as well as glue are small, but not insignificant details, with which a children's wooden sled cannot be assembled.
Instructions
Below is one of the options for assembling a wooden sled for children with your own hands. The whole process is divided into the following stages:
- The first stage is the preparation of the drawing and the main parts. First you need to draw a drawing of the runners on paper. They don't have to be small, but should match their actual size. After completing the drawing, you need to transfer it to the tree using a pencil. The marked future runners must be cut with a jigsaw. It is important to remember that the drawing must be drawn up for each of the runners separately and cut out according to a separate drawing. After that, you need to use a grinder in order for the runners to become suitable for use. If you plan to make a large sled, then you need to glue the extension strips to the runners on both sides (front and back) using glue and screws.
This process must be treated very carefully and patiently, since not dried glue can lead to breakage, and improperly installed screws will interfere with the subsequent grinding of the entire new elongated runner structure. At this, the difficult first stage can be considered complete.
- The second stage is fastening the runners. This stage is highlighted separately, as it will require, as usual, accuracy and will take some time. First, you need to use a drill to drill holes in the middle of each of the runners, then the same must be done with the crossbars. At this stage it is important to coordinate the holes of the runners and crossbars correctly so that they can be fastened together.
- The third stage is preparing the seat. You can cut the seats to your liking. They can be from narrow boards, from several wide ones, or even in the form of one solid seat. In this case, the distance between the boards should not be less than 5 mm. The main thing is to dock them with the dimensions of the runners. In order to do this, you need to drill holes in those places where they will be attached to the latter. The seat boards are fixed with tenons.
- The fourth stage is the final one. Runners, like any wooden products, must be protected from any external influences. For this purpose, metal (aluminum) sheets are attached to the lower parts in contact with the surface. This is done with screws. On this, the hand sled can be considered ready.
What else do you need to know?
Some of the necessary tools can always be replaced with cheaper and disposable ones. You can avoid unnecessary spending, for example, on a sander, just for the sled alone. It will be replaced with sandpaper.
Wooden blocks also do not have to be purchased separately, it is enough to use the remaining wood from other buildings or repairs.
For homemade sleds, any hard wood is suitable.
The screws can be replaced with nails, and with a hammer drill. You just need to get good stainless steel nails.
There are a lot of options for sled schemes. They can differ both in design (with a back, with a seat, with a thread, with boards, with additional runners), and in design.
The most important thing is that the new sled should not be idle, you need to try it out at the first snowfall, so you will not only have fun, but you can also clearly see if additional processing or repair is required.
After you can make a sled with your own hands, even for children, winter will become an even more long-awaited and fun time for you. Good luck!
How to make a sled, see the next video.
