Kids sled

[Wlmedley]

Hoping to build my grandson a sled ,hopefully before it snows.Found a picture of one which is built out of red oak and claims to be 10 lbs.This is what I would like to try to build.The only dry wood I have is walnut which was cut on a circular mill about 40 years ago and has been in my barn and is what I will use for everything but the runners. I have some hickory logs and some lumber.Was wondering if anyone has any ideas on how I could bend and dry green hickory to make runners and seat back.All the walnut will be hand planed .I've already planed some and it turned out pretty good.Want to make it as light as possible.Also any ideas on thickness of runners,can't really tell by picture 

 

[Wlmedley]

Also wondering how wood for bending should be cut.Quarter sawn?

[btulloh]

Cool project. Not trying tp spoil your party, but it's probably better to think about having it for next year. 

Flat sawn hickory for the runners and curved part. You really ought to use hickory or maple for the other parts. Walnut tpreally doesn't habe the best properties for this, although it could be sort of ok. 

The hickory should be from the sap wood for the curved parts. Ideally a younger hickory. Real mature hickory wood is more brittle which is not what you really want for a sled that's going to take some abuse. 

You'll need to make some forms for the bent parts. Rig up a simple steamer box fed by a kettle on your wood stove. Not complicated, just a narrow box big enough to put the parts in one buy one. When you're making stock for curved parts, make extras because some are going to fracture when your putting them in the forms. Pay attention to grain runout along the curved parts. Select for straight grain on the edge with little or no slope. Let parts dry in the forms for a couple weeks.  Sit them near your wood stove to promote drying, but not so close they dry too fast. 

The material looks to me like 1/4" thick or a hair less. Tight bends won't work on thick stock.   

Thin stock like that might dry fast enough for this year's sledding, but you can't rush it too much.

Looks like a real fun project to do - and use. No doubt it will be greatly appreciated and enjoyed.

[doc henderson]

I have bent walnut, but it must be strait grained.  it needs heat and moisture.  If you have green wood, you can bend it after heating it and let it cool and dry in the forms.  If you have a mill, this may be the fasted and best.  if you cannot bend the thicker stuff, get thin pieces and laminate several layers.  if you are going for contrast, you could put a layer of maple or oak between two layers of walnut.  you can make one form and stack several runners on top of each other, but it will slow the drying.  lots of "winter glam catalogs" like LL bean sell these "old fashion sleds".  if you have bigger stock, you can bandsaw the curve right in the runner.  since you are the designer builder, you can make the back square if you want.  many woods can be bent and or laminated.  Better to do right off the saw.  why pay for kiln dried lumber to heat and steam moisture in again.

[doc henderson]

here is one from LL bean with a cushion.  over 250 bucks.

we have one in the basement, but our kids are 21 and 23.

[btulloh]

One or two additional thoughts:  You'll get the very best results for bent wood by riving out the parts with a fro. Riving gives you the opportunity to follow the grain so there's absolutely no runout. Hand plane and scrape to final thickness. 

Freshly felled young hickory (or white oak) is best.  No larger than 8" in diameter.  Split out blanks form the sap wood along radials the the rive along the growth rings of your blank to make the stock.  Buck to lengths just long enough to make a part, plus a little trim. Selecting a good tree with straight grain is crucial. 

A nice side benefit is you'll make a lot of good kindling in the process. lol

[doc henderson]

[Larry]

A great resource for steam bending information.  Lee Valley steam bending instructions

I like air dried wood at 20 percent to bend.  I've used a lot drier and some wetter.  I use a drywall steamer to put steam in my wood box.  I use old sawmill bands most of the time for the strap.  It takes practice to get it right.  I went from 40% success to better than 90%.  Have to get the time just right for the wood you are using.




Bending red oak for a banana hanger I make.  I have the dimensions and time in the steamer written on the form.

[SwampDonkey]

Here's my sled project and some good times thrown in. :D :D

Building an arctic snow sled. Steam bending in General Woodworking

[dougtrr2]

When you steam bend to a form, keep in mind that the wood will spring back.  You need to take that into account.

Doug in SW IA

[Wlmedley]

Thanks for the information.I don't have a woodworking shop but I still like making stuff mostly without a lot of fancy equipment.I have a fro,drawknife and several planes and clamps and the usual carpenter power tools.No table saw ,power planer or router.I get a kick out of seeing what I can build with limited equipment. I guess I have to many hobbies to be able to invest heavily in any one thing.Some good ideas,I'm going to give it a shot.Probably won't be perfect but if it looks pretty good,is light and will slide in the snow that's good enough for me.Swamp Donkey I read all about your snow sled adventure and really enjoyed it.Will try fro out also.I bought it and have never really used it.Larry I like your jig and bandsaw blade idea.

[Wlmedley]

PS I will post some pictures as project progresses.Laughing is allowed along with constructive criticism.I have thick skin  :laugh:

[SwampDonkey]

I've gone out over the hills behind grandfather's for over a mile and harvested yellow birch, and dragged it home on a hand sled for canoe paddles. Then whiddled them out with an axe after having split the log in two with the axe. Breaks the boredom of idleness when you've got something to do in the winter. Need lots of hobbies. ;D

[btulloh]

A fro, drawknife and a hand plane will get you a long way. Check out The Foxfire Book series about mountain craft for inspiration.  Book one to start. 

[Wlmedley]

Btulloh,You're right about the Foxfire books. I have six of them.Not sure how many there are.I have tried several of their projects.Was wanting to build a spring house once but couldn't find a reliable water source.Dug out a place in a wet spot but it didn't work out.Really liked the story about the old woman whose neighbor slaughtered a hog a brought her the head to make souse.Reminded me of my grandparents.Lot of good stuff in those books.

[Wlmedley]

Got the frame for my little sled cut and put together.Used hickory for most of it.Two bottom pieces are oak.Got floor boards cut to length but need to round off both ends and plane edges before installing.Have been using screws and glue.I know wood isn't as dry as it should be but plan is put it all together,maybe  clamp some braces on critical areas and set it in front of wood stove for awhile.Going to cut runners and curved back section next.Taking Btullohs advice about using wood stove to help dry wood 

 

  

[Wlmedley]

Got floor boards rounded off and sanded.Screwed and glued them on.Hope they don't move much.Bought inside to let wood dry more and see what happens before I bend and install runners and back piece.Hickory is really pretty wood.

 

  

[Don P]

The first snow was sled building time in one shop I worked in, there was a hill out back. It was strictly slap some scrap together, slather it in wax and hit the slope  :D I think the hit was a very fast but completely unsteerable toe-boggin.

[kantuckid]

I bend chair back slats all the time, most always walnut. The easiest way for that sled is boiled water as only the ends are bent. Steam is more effective but calls for a chamber.
 Design a form of some sort to control the bend after removed from water. A deep canner would suffice-thats what I use for chair parts is a very deep pan. I saw my rockers, not bent.   I see no problem with hickory or oak, white oak lasts best and stronger but with care several would work. Might want to saw out an extra for a bend failure and allow for some rebound of the curve.
 I have an adult sized toboggan plan but never got it built. We did buy several plastic sleds when son's were young that have a small trike like seat and steerable runners that makes for a super fun rider compared to a wooden sled if they're old enough to hang on and steer. Spray some WD40 on the plastic runners and yer off. 
 

[Wlmedley]

My little grandson isn't much of a rider .He likes pushing his ride on toys more than riding them,usually down the steepest hill he can find.He will probably want to pull this sled more than ride it so I'm trying to make it as light as possible.He only weighs 25 lbs and I'm guessing sled will weigh around 10 to 12 lbs.When we were kids our uncle gave us his sons old sled which was like new.It was a Western Flyer from Western Auto store.It would carry 3 small kids or 2 larger kids We rode that thing for years.It met its death on a gas line right of way when me and another boy went air borne after hitting a water break.It broke in half and pinched a big blood blister across his behind. I couldn't help but laugh,I still think it's funny 😄 

[doc henderson]

we lived on a very steep street.  in the winter we would sled down the hill.  after learning to drive, we were taught to get up the hill. do a 180 then steer into the curb to stop.   we would all sled down the hill.  you had to be careful not to hit the back of parked cars.  one time we sledded from after school till dark.  did not even stop to pee.  so, once in the house, I had to "go" and found my zipper packed with frozen snow.  no go then I did go, and it thawed out the zipper.  I was laughing so hard; I could not stop.  

[beenthere]

And then you woke up !  8)    :D :D

[kantuckid]

A steep street in Kansas? :D Thats a good one! 
I grew up in Topeka which had exactly one sledding hill in town. Nearer to me was an even better spot where the hill descended toward the Kaw River valley floor-but you had to kind of watch out for the barbwire. Out west of town ~20 miles, the sledding was lots better as the Flint Hills came into play.
  Now, living in E KY I'm thankful for the few flat spots we own, some I paid to create in fact. I used to CC ski here on our place but knees don't like it much now. 

[doc henderson]

the street at the top of our hill, was called hill street.  Hill street went down for 5 blocks, and it felt like you could go 30 mph on a bike, and you could barely pedal your 5 speed Schwin home after school.  We had a path in all the back yards as well, and lots of jumps as the 7 houses below us had level back yards with 8-foot drops between the yards.  My dad would walk to the bottom and drive my mom's car up.  It was steep enough that in the winter, over half the neighbors parked at the bottom.  One year my cousin Mike and his family came up for Christmas, so they were dressed nice.  He got out of the car and spontaneously started sliding down the hill in his dress shoes.  he had to grab a car and walk in the deep snow to walk back up to our house or wait till thaw.

[Wlmedley]

Got my jig made to try and bend my runners.Made it  to fit approximately 3/8" thick stock.Don't know if I can or need to make them that thick.Will experiment with different thicknesses.Think I'll try 1/4" first.I hope jig will be strong enough.Braced it where I thought the most strain would be.Turning out to be a pretty big job but that's the way it is with most of my little projects.