|
| Author |
Message |
Nobadays
Member
|
# Posted: 29 Nov 2021 06:04pm
Reply
Thought this project might interest some of you. Some might remember the winter water hauler I built last year 7sing 2 old snowmobile skis and a 55 gallon barrel. It worked well but made for a lot of trips to the spring and back.... 4 miles round trip. So, this year I decided to build skis for my 5x8 regular water hauling trailer... with a 125 gallon tank on it.
So after perusing the internet for ideas... mainly for ice fishing hut skis, I came up with and idea. I started with 2 relatively heavy tandem axle trailer fenders and a good bunch of old steel bed frames for angle iron.... my preferred steel of choice! Cheap and good steel. I noticed even many of the store bought trailer skis use ratchet straps to anchor the tire to the ski... so inwent that direction as well. After two days of cutting and welding.... with my cheapo HF MIG welder I think I have a set of serviceable skis that should last a long time. Thinking a may need to add a piece of 1/4" angle down the bottom of one, or both skiscto act as a scag to keep the trailer tracking straight.
The picture should show the construction pretty well. Don't look too close at my welds! If anyone wants to get me a better welder I'm open! 
IMG_6801_resize_1.jp.jpg
| 
IMG_6799_resize_15.j.jpg
| 
IMG_6803_resize_60.j.jpg
| 
IMG_6802_resize_0.jp.jpg
|
|
|
Nobadays
Member
|
# Posted: 29 Nov 2021 06:05pm
Reply
Couple of fished pictures
IMG_6808_resize_9.jp.jpg
| 
IMG_6811_resize_40.j.jpg
|  | |
|
|
gcrank1
Member
|
# Posted: 29 Nov 2021 07:11pm
Reply
Looks promising, sure hope it works out!
|
|
Nobadays
Member
|
# Posted: 29 Nov 2021 07:37pm
Reply
Quoting: gcrank1 sure hope it works out!
Well they use similar skis to move ice fishing huts so I'm hopeful! We pack our trail pretty good so no deep snow. I will use my Geo Tracker on tracks to pull the trailer.
|
|
Brettny
Member
|
# Posted: 30 Nov 2021 05:39am
Reply
Are you going to add more bracing at the front of the ski? I see them hitting one block of ice and being a square front ski.
I had trailer fenders like this on my car trailer and they had more bends in them than not before I made a new set.
|
|
sucjhri
Member
|
# Posted: 30 Nov 2021 05:57am
Reply
If you enjoy playing with welding equipment, you can surely get better welding there, have no doubt. Sure, you do a better ice fishing hut. The above picture says that.
|
|
FishHog
Member
|
# Posted: 30 Nov 2021 08:10am
Reply
Confused on the last post but I say nice job. Cheap flux core welders aren’t the best but are very functional and do the job
I agree with a skeg down each ski for straight tracking and avoiding sliding if you have sloped turns to deal with
Looking forward to some action shots
|
|
Nobadays
Member
|
# Posted: 30 Nov 2021 09:06am
Reply
Quoting: Brettny Are you going to add more bracing at the front of the ski?
It was in my original plan but seemed unnecessary.... they are pretty stiff. The trail to the spring is a mile of our road which we keep packed and groomed and a mile of plowed FS road. No real obstructions, mostly smooth sailing.
Quoting: FishHog Confused on the last post but I say nice job.
Yeah seems pretty spammy.. don't recognize the name.
Quoting: FishHog I agree with a skeg down each ski for straight tracking and avoiding sliding if you have sloped turns to deal with
Yep, twisty Windy road up to our place, steep in places. Not too sloped on the turns but enough to send the trailer skidding sideways.
|
|
|
BRADISH
Member
|
# Posted: 2 Dec 2021 06:58pm
Reply
Watching with interest. I need to build myself a water hauler as well. Thinking of using a scavenged ATV trailer (nothing was worth saving but the axel, rim and possibly sub frame).
Thinking I'll throw the drum in a Jet Sled for the winter hauling, at least that is the plan for now.
Luckily I am only .5 mile away from the spring.
|
|
darz5150
Member
|
# Posted: 2 Dec 2021 07:11pm
Reply
Back in the '70s, we built a small 8 x 12 clubhouse on skids. We used bridge/hi way guard rails with the curved end caps.
We drug it around more on dirt field roads and thru fields. But when we moved it in the winter, the skids worked great.
Those things are almost indestructable.
|
|
darz5150
Member
|
# Posted: 2 Dec 2021 07:19pm
Reply
Quoting: darz5150 We used bridge/hi way guard rails with the curved end caps.
Like these.
|
|
Nobadays
Member
|
# Posted: 3 Dec 2021 08:10am
Reply
Darz... yes those would be great as skis! I'm thinking mine will work and the fenders I started with are pretty heavy Guage. Just hoping I don't bend a tip. Probably need to reinforce them like Brett suggests. I just can't think of what I could/would hit between here and the spring.
I did get some 1/4" angle iron that I'm going to tackle down eachbskinas a skeg to help keep it tracking straight.
Quoting: BRADISH Thinking I'll throw the drum in a Jet Sled for the winter hauling,
We hauled water the first winter in those 7 gallon blue water containers Walmart sells. Got real tired of luging those around.
|
|
gcrank1
Member
|
# Posted: 3 Dec 2021 10:52am
Reply
Remember 'Murphy's Law'?
"Anything that can go wrong, will"
Overbuild
Nuff said
|
|
Nobadays
Member
|
# Posted: 6 Dec 2021 01:22pm
Reply
You guys were right.... put a T brace on the front of the skis and a piece of small angle iron down the bottom to act as a skeg.
They may get dented up but the tips aren't going to bend back!
|
|
darz5150
Member
|
# Posted: 8 Dec 2021 02:34pm
Reply
Quoting: Nobadays Don't look too close at my welds! If anyone wants to get me a better welder I'm open!
NBD
Here's a few welds I did this morning with an old Chicago electric mig 131.
I use flux core wire. And if you don't use gas. Try taking off the gas nozzle on the gun. I've found that it makes it way easier to see and control the puddle. With mine I reverse the lead polarity for flux core.
IMG_20211208_1122207.jpg
| 
IMG_20211208_1121511.jpg
| 
IMG_20211208_1121431.jpg
| |
|
|
toyota_mdt_tech
Member
|
# Posted: 8 Dec 2021 03:28pm
Reply
Darz, there is a different tip and no gas nozzle for a flux core nozzle. See if you can round it up.
|
|
Nobadays
Member
|
# Posted: 8 Dec 2021 04:07pm
Reply
Nice welds! I'm using a $99 (I think they're $139 now) HF Flux core MIG welder. It actually does a pretty good job... I'm just not that good of welder! Don't do it often. My biggest issue is I'm too lazy to grind all the paint off the bed frame angle iron I use... lots if spitting and sputtering burning paint off! That said, 80 - 90% of my welds aren't that bad.
I did find that the wire makes a big difference. The HF wire was giving me fits when I first started the project... it was about 8 - 12 months old, not sure that makes a difference. I know old stick doesn't burn well at all. Anyway I changed spools a short way in to a better grade, non-HF wire.... wow what a difference!
|
|
gcrank1
Member
|
# Posted: 8 Dec 2021 04:11pm
Reply
If its good welds ya want.....
cleaning the metal is a good place to start 
|
|
Nobadays
Member
|
# Posted: 16 Dec 2021 02:03pm
Reply
Well the skis are working well! On deep enough snow..
I pulled a 125gal load a week ago, before this last storm. Worked OK but it was rough as the skis/skegs kept hitting rocks that were sticking up... you could feel every one. Bogged the rig down. I packed the trail yesterday and all the rocks are covered on our road and the main road (grader coming today to plow, hope he leaves a good cover), the only exposed rock was on the steep hill coming up from the spring. I only put in ~100 gal the first load and pulling up out of the spring was a task... I could feel the tracks clawing. The second load I only put in 80 gal, it was still tough coming up from the spring, just doesn't slide well over rock/dirt.
IMG_6867_resize_29.j.jpg
| 
IMG_6866_resize_99.j.jpg
| | |
|
|
jsahara24
Member
|
# Posted: 16 Dec 2021 03:39pm
Reply
Very nice!
|
|
|
