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Help with winter expedition sled

DBurg

14-Aug-2012
11:49:32 PM

Hi everyone,

Hoping you can help with with something a little left of the climbing field.

I am building a ski sled to hike into Blue lake at the start of September for some hopefully ice climbing (theres the climbing link!). It is just about finished and has turned out to be a pretty nice sled but I have hit a major snag...

Does anyone know of a fitter and turner, engineer or general handy guy/gal with a tap and die kit in the Sutherland area NSW? I need a coupling nut made up to join a fiberglass pole and an eyelet at one end and a rod end at the other. Ive attached an image to explain..

Can anyone help me out? I cant find anyone small enough who will take on the job. Cash, beer and admiration can be organized>

Thanks,
Dave


timfreddo

15-Aug-2012
2:26:20 AM

Dude,
You're building something this complicated (and probably throwing in enough money to buy a couple more ice screws) for a 2-3 hour walk...
Just grab a kids plastic taboggan, drill some holes around the edges and on the back and take 15m of 6mm cord to tow the sled with, tie down the load and have 5m of trail cord out the back to slow it down on the downhills or traverses...

DBurg

15-Aug-2012
8:10:30 AM

Actually, I have used a kids toboggan! And yes, it is well over engineered for the size of the trip but this is a test version for a bigger trip planned next year. I want to get the system right so I can transfer the tested and proven parts onto a full size sled later on. I'd rather it fail (hopefully not) 2 hrs from the car rather than 8 days out in the middle of nowhere. And it's been a fun project to occupy my time over winter.

Wollemi

15-Aug-2012
8:19:54 AM

Lucky Bums Wooden Pull Snow Sled RRP US$149.99 (AU$ $152.00)

Purchased from USA last ski season - wonderful option for young kids who tire easily in snow. Takes 2 small children (see pic)

http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/collaroy/other-sports-fitness/ski-snow-sled/1002519343

Snow Sled, vintage timber sled in excellent condition, it came from Switzerland. (unfortunately we don’t have a spot to use display them in our new home), or you could take it to the snow.

http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/cammeray/antiques-collectables/snow-sled-vintage-timber-sled-in-excellent-condition/1005289530

This amazing sled is elegantly crafted and handmade of wood and steel and can be set up as the Flat Bed or Cargo Box style.
They were used by Swiss military horsemen during the 1940s era to transport food, ammunition and supplies to remote outposts in winter that were impossible to reach by vehicles. Weight approx. 100kgs

http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/city/antiques-collectables/original-antique-swiss-sled-1944/1004623758


shortman

15-Aug-2012
8:20:36 AM

Do you need the ends to be removable??

If u don't, just bury them in resin.

gfdonc

15-Aug-2012
11:20:24 AM

I have a sled for sale if anyone wants it .. kids are now too big.
Hmm, keeping it as a gear sled just occurred to me...

Wollemi

15-Aug-2012
2:41:39 PM

The eyelet shown on the 'Fibreglass pole to rod end' looks a bit like the sled/pulk set-up we hired (just to keep my mate happy) from PP Jindabyne in 2010. Perhaps email them the link to this thread.

I am still undecided about the benefits of using a sled for base camping at Blue Lake to ice-climb. Train up by running and weights, then tele-ski (or snowshoe) in with your 28kg backpack may be the lesser of two evils.
Good times though; laughing when you find half-skins don't work (on a windless sunny day). And the laughing at my own anger when the sled kept toppling enroute (at night from Charlottes Pass to a certain hut).
Expect less than 2km/hr progress.

Also consider asking about your simple technical build any one of numerous Australians who have sled dragged big time; Muir/Philips/Treseder/CasandJonesy.

Moondog55

15-Aug-2012
3:33:29 PM

What size is the thread? If it is a standard metric thread then Coventry Fasteners will have joining nuts in 6/8/10/12 and 16mm that you can use. I used 8mm eyes and an 8mm joining nut in my pole shafts ( my shafts are aluminium tube) but it makes no difference. Pulling a sled is damned hard work but it lets you take lots of goodies and comforts. Remember to hot wax the base of the sled and take a spray can of cooking oil to top it up. Keet the weight VERY low to the ground (No higher than 300mm ) and some angle added parallel to the direction of pull will help with tracking.
Epoxy is as strong as needed if you want to take the easy way out.The pulling harness is just as important as the sled, email me for pictures of my harness if you want to see a good one


wombly

15-Aug-2012
3:46:15 PM

Looks like you're connecting the harness to sled with poles, so the following might not apply.

But if you have a single rope connection, a tip from the Antarctic division - having chain for the bit coming directly off the sled means that it can act as a brake when you go downhill or slow down, avoiding (somewhat) the issue of the sled overtaking you on descents.

DBurg

15-Aug-2012
6:53:31 PM

Moondog, unfortunately the threads are imperial. Ive been following the plans from Skipulk.com and I was able to get the rod ends and lynch pins from their company which are a perfect fit with no slop or play but of course now I need to find an imperial solution for the join.
What sort of Epoxy would you recommend? Im thinking that might be the best option, Ill be taking a roll of gaffer tap with me so worse comes to worse ill tape it all back together.
Heres a few pics for everyones critique. Yes, its the most over engineered kids sled made, but its been a fun project and besides my knees cant take heavy packs anymore.

Thoughts or recommendations?


shortman

15-Aug-2012
8:42:25 PM

Cool. Overkill is always satisfying on your own projects I reckon.

I don't know shite about sleds or snow, but what Moondog says about the height of the load makes sense.

What are the flappy metal bits at the back for?

Oh......any cheap epoxy would do. Stronger than most of the links in the chain you have.

One Day Hero

15-Aug-2012
9:08:12 PM

On 15/08/2012 shortman wrote:
>
>What are the flappy metal bits at the back for?
>
One way valve for the sled, I reckon (stop it from running off backwards down a hill)


shortman

15-Aug-2012
9:17:04 PM

On 15/08/2012 One Day Hero wrote:
>On 15/08/2012 shortman wrote:
>>
>>What are the flappy metal bits at the back for?
>>
>One way valve for the sled, I reckon (stop it from running off backwards
>down a hill)

Sweet. Makes sense. It's hard being dumb as shit sometimes.

Mr Poopypants

15-Aug-2012
9:27:35 PM

Grooming plate, so we can shush along his courdoruy trail later in the day. (without packs)
:-)

DBurg

15-Aug-2012
11:06:36 PM

As One Day Hero said, passive brake for heading up hill, hopefully the fiberglass rods attached to the harness will control the sled heading down hill. This is all VERY hypothetical and I will find out in a few weeks if it all works or not.


SteveC

16-Aug-2012
7:35:51 PM

there's maybe an hours worth of work in it for an apprentice, but as you've probably found a machine shop might charge 100 dollars an hour plus stock

otherwise the taps might cost 20 dollars from JBS or a good fasteners store. use 2 small shifters to drive them in. use any old oil you have at hand to lube the tap. If you've got a set of drill bits and a drill, then i'd say go for it.

If you can identify the thread, i could have it ready for you to pick up in Jindabyne. at the cost of some of that fancy city beer!

dburg

19-Aug-2012
12:22:11 AM

Hey Steve, Big thanks for that. PM sent to you.


southcol

19-Aug-2012
6:44:01 PM

Re: Guthega. The section through the trees would be a hassle with a sled in tow? and possibly anywhere whilst skiing uphill requiring a traverse on a gradient...the sled might have a tendancy to roll. Consider snow shoes so you can take a direct line up.
To stop sled overtaking you down hill, use 2 x 6ft pvc plumbing poles, thread some cord/ rope through them, cross poles at the middle to assist with tight turns.
Keep sled super lightweight and pack with a rucksack, so you can dismantle and carry through mud, grass, roads, narrow tracks and rivers. It needs to be adaptable for Oz conditions and approaches.

DBurg

21-Aug-2012
11:21:18 AM

Southcol,
Snowshoes it is, i havent gotten to skis yet (old snowboarder) The poles I have are 6ft 1/2 inch fibreglass poles, so hopefully that should give me enough control.
I have a C-tug trolley for my kayak that I was thinking of taking. It straps to the bottom nicely and the pneumatic tyres turns it into an AT sled!!
Might be a bit over kill, but even if it helps me get from Dead horse gap across the foot bridge to the base of the snow (I dont think there is snow that far down this year) It will prob be worth it. I can always take it back to the car once I get to the snow.
The resin on the poles should be set by tomorrow, Ill post a few pics of the finished kit.

climberman

21-Aug-2012
11:33:22 AM

On 21/08/2012 DBurg wrote:

>Might be a bit over kill, but even if it helps me get from Dead horse
>gap across the foot bridge to the base of the snow (I dont think there
>is snow that far down this year)

It's been on and off. I skied to basically the bridge earlier in the year coming down the steps.

There are 34 messages in this topic.