My Backyard Rink...

Art Mulder

Member
Messages
3,383
Location
London, Ontario
(Not exactly Fine Woodworking, but quick, easy, and loads of fun!)

A Recipe For Winter Fun
Ingredients

1. One backyard. Flatness is more important than size.
2. Cold Winter weather. Several nights of -10c are best.
3. A bunch of 2x8 (or 2x6 or 2x10) boards
4. One large tarpaulin. (Or some heavy plastic.)
5. Water. Plenty of it.
6. The means to restrain impatient kids for a few days while it freezes.

Mix Well. Wait 3-5 days, depending on how cold things are.
Add some skates, serve to your kids, and enjoy.

I picked up eight 2x8x8' boards, and two 2x8x10' boards to frame my rink. This gave us a rink of about 14x26'. This is a bit on the small side for adults, but big enough for kids. It is also the largest that I could fit in the flat part of my backyard.

The first time you fill it, it'll probably take a few days to freeze solid, unless it is exceptionally cold. Two-three inches of water is a lot to freeze. After that, we just kept spraying on a thin later of water each night. We want to build it up to a good 4" thick or more, to help it last as long as possible. Remember to bring your hose inside so it doesn't freeze!!

More info and photos Here

rink-east.jpg
plan-view-sm.jpg
 
Art.

Thank you so much for the trip down memory lane.

When I was but a tot, my family lived in Calgary, AB and Edmonton, AB for a few years. My father built a rink for us each winter and I learned to skate and play hockey on those backyard playgrounds. Great fun.

I also remember the grade schools that did much the same thing on a much larger scale...the spring time sports field was turned into a ice rink that we enjoyed on breaks from learning how to write with those pens you had to dip into the ink well.

Thank you.

Doug
 
Art,

I had almost forgotten these things exist. When I was a little tyke in NJ our local volunteer fire department used to make one every winter behind the fire house - had to be over 100' long! (no shortage of water or hoses to fill it with :D )
 
I tried my darndest to play hockey, there was a big barn in the area that the owner would flood for us kids to play hockey in....since I couldn't skate very well (actually it was probably nonexistant)I tried to be a goalie....wasn't very good so I stuck with Football and Basketball.

Bet the kids love it Art.
 
I remember the park district did the same thing by the grade school when I was a child. Somedays I wish we could go back to that time, knowing what I know now. That would be cool, I will keep thinking on it.
 
Memories

Remembering freezing the butt off to make rinks for the kids 20 years ago. And also that I could use it as well. Funny looking hockey stick on the ice there :doh:
Marty
 
Art,

Where's the Zamboni? (bet you're surprised a Texan even knows what one is)

I was not surprised. I have a snowmobiling friend that lives in Huston. Yes Huston Texas. He has a camp in Jackman, Maine and gets more sledding miles in a year than I do. When you ask him about his mileage he'll say

"About 3200 miles on the sled and 27,000 on the Cesna," as he owns his own plane.
 
Steve Ash said:
I tried my darndest to play hockey, there was a big barn in the area that the owner would flood for us kids to play hockey in....since I couldn't skate very well (actually it was probably nonexistant)I tried to be a goalie....wasn't very good so I stuck with Football and Basketball.

I'm not a good skater, either. Try broomball - that's a lot of fun, and you don't need skates.

Cheers,

Kevin
 
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