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Upcycling your old friends, need your advice

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
OK, we've all seen the postings, what can you do with old skis? I also get the impression that many folks have a set of old beloved first skis that are just taking up storage space, but you can't bear to get rid of as they are 'old friends'. So my brother has made a prototype that we wonder if you can give us your thoughts on please?

IMG_2669

IMG_2668

IMG_2667

IMG_2670

He reckons they could be produced for £80 if the client supplied the skis or £100 if he needed to source an old set - is this price reasonable? It took a whole day to make!

This is just a prototype, he perhaps sees the 'improved version' with extra leg struts for strength and maybe shorter runners for longevity. He could also add two 'eyes' at the front for a towing rope. Obviously they could be customised for colour and maybe even a design on the seat. They are boxed and angle iron metal and marine plyboard construction. It's a fair weight, but feels plenty sturdy to me. I am actually quite impressed by it.

Bro would welcome feedback from anyone that might know regarding whether things like this need any form of safety certification or could he sell them for use at own risk? NB. He is a previously coded welder, so the welds are 'done right'.

Any thoughts would be most welcome and obviously if you fancy the idea (rules and regs notwithstanding) let me know.

I thought I'd post this in equipment as it seems to fall into that category for discussion, ultimately it might end up in buy and sell depending on what folks think of the idea and obviously I'd have to sort out a percentage of sales to SH if he went ahead and offered them for sale through that route.


Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Sat 8-11-14 18:37; edited 1 time in total
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
He did all that without even posting a half-baked survey? Shocked
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
not exactly a new idea...
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@under a new name, I don't think I said it was. He just has the skills, facilities, design and time to make them up, many folks don't. Very Happy
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
I built something similar for the kids, using a cut down stacking chair for the frame. Worked really well, a bit too well actually. It was stupidly fast Toofy Grin To stop the kids wiping out half the people on the sledging hill I added steering with a pair of 80cm kids skis on a pivoting bar at the front (had to add fins to to the base to make it steer - Raxski rolling eyes )

I think there would be a market for them, especially if you market them as recycled.
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@landlockedpirate, Toofy Grin They are largely recycled, the plyboard supply is also on its second use. I suspect the metal work, might be new/er as this is where the most of the strength comes from and it needs to be fairly clean to weld easily. Do you think the suggested pricing is fair? I hope from the pics that it is clear that the only wood in the design is making the seat, the rest is metal and the skis.
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Enterprising.... My worries about this, having done a fair bit of toboganning with kids, is safety. They do fall off and roll over - and an encounter with any part of this very robust construction could be unpleasant. It would be even more unpleasant for somebody further down the hill if it hit them. It would also be heavy to pull back up the hill (which with little ones is usually my job....).

Sadly for your brother's idea, I suspect that it would be hard to compete with cheap plastic toboggans (the little bum ones are so cheap that I bought one each for grandchildren who would otherwise have had to take it in turns!) which are also easier to store when not in use (which is almost all the time, obviously).
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
@Megamum, well done your brother Very Happy That thing will go like a rocket I imagine Shocked Laughing
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
@pam w, thanks for this. You are right, 'robustness' if the key term and I take your point about needing a fair pull back uphill, perhaps it is not a very young child's sledge.

In terms of falling off this is up to the rider, but what I did like about it was the fairly low profile and fairly wide width coupled with the noted weight means that it could actually be fairly stable on the hill. I have ridden classic expensive wooden sledges on mountain sledge runs and actually did myself quite a mischief when said lighter sledge was bumped viciously and threw me skywards I then landed and it felt as though I was lucky not to end up with narrow wood inserted somewhere strategic Shocked . I think with Bro's sledge it would be more stable in a similar situation. So perhaps what it loses in one direction, it makes up for in others?


Last edited by You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net. on Sat 8-11-14 19:00; edited 1 time in total
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@Megamum, yes, it does look stable - and very fast. When it snows in Essex I hope you will post some video!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Needs a wax 😉
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 And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
The edges will be fairly lethal for kids, but as an adult sledge it should be very quick.

He'd be better off selling the frame as a separate item, if people then choose to bolt it to a pair of skis it is their problem.

I'd suggest he makes the legs shorter, will make it a whole lot more terrifying for adult riders.
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 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Nicely made piece of kit, but I'm not quite sure what the point is. I fear it would be hard work and horribly dangerous given it's weight. You can buy cheap plastic ones that steer, have brakes and even the smallest child could lug around. For an adult trying to beat a speed record you could be on to a winner, but otherwise I'm not sure.
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
ever watch Speed with Guy Martin?


http://youtube.com/v/XKSR3ocfIIw

Happy
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
My immediate thoughts are that it would be so fast, hard to steer and heavy (with sharp metallic corners) that in inexperienced hands it could do either the rider or an innocent party standing on the slope some very serious damage. I wouldn't want to be anywhere near anyone using something like that Shocked Shocked

He should add a safety chord that when he jumps off - as he will surely have to as he loses control that the sledge is tied to him so that it does not career on down the hill.

Maybe having the skis pointing slightly outward rather than perfectly straight would aid steering?
But my best advice would be to scrap the whole idea.
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Ray Zorro wrote:
My immediate thoughts are that it would be so fast, hard to steer and heavy (with sharp metallic corners) that in inexperienced hands it could do either the rider or an innocent party standing on the slope some very serious damage. I wouldn't want to be anywhere near anyone using something like that Shocked Shocked


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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Mine which i made a few years ago, you do need a tether though...not for those below you, but because it goes for miles down hill if you come off and it saves you walking after it. Loads of fun and fast as you know what. Made mine from aluminum to keep the weight down when carrying it and left the skis long for speed. Someone should design one which clips into bindings Toofy Grin




Looks like its getting ready for a wax & service and a couple of base repairs Smile


Last edited by Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person on Thu 13-11-14 8:15; edited 1 time in total
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
BEHOLD! Breadcrate1: featuring padded pilots seat, low-friction underbase, SnowHeads Tm. side branding, triple-weave assisted forward propulsion powertrain AND 5* EuroBreadCAP rating crash test

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@Megamum,

It is a good idea yes been done before but always nice to see people try and create something from old stuff.

My two pence worth.

It looks way too heavy and corners are potentially dangerous, how about lower legs, and wrap them in foam tube or bike bar wrap etc, remove the upper metal part of the frame and replace with wood to reduce weight plus round off the front quite a bit and the rear just a little bit to soften the corners ( if not wanting to use wood for the front curve try thinner diameter metal and wrap in rope as foam would damage too quickly ). Replace the plywood with material and use car seatbelt as strengthening webbing.

A tether could be more dangerous even with the reduced weight it may pull the rider for a distance that though not long may just be enough to encounter danger. How about welding handles on them and a bike brake release to that which connects to a side brake ( can be used for very basic steering as well ). If you release the brake handle then the brake drops down ( possibly use the springs from bindings ? ). This last part could be on a deluxe model but if he welds the mounting points on each he could sell it retrospectively to those buying the base model. lots of option for upgrading this sort of brake system to improve stopping power and steering ( each brake handle controls front and rear brakes maybe 2 or 4 per side) so lots of potential aftersales business.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
After considering the ultra reliable snow conditions we get in Manchester I decide to buy the kids one of these wink

http://www.blackwelladventure.co.uk/grass_sleds.htm
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Richard_Sideways wrote:
BEHOLD! Breadcrate1: featuring padded pilots seat, low-friction underbase, SnowHeads Tm. side branding, triple-weave assisted forward propulsion powertrain AND 5* EuroBreadCAP rating crash test



I'm not one for pics with babies and toddlers but that's probably the best snowHead photo ever Laughing Laughing
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
^ Totally irresponsible!! No helmet, no MIPS system etc. Very Happy Very Happy
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
@foxtrotzulu, I agree - plus off-piste with no beacon, shovel, probe or balloon-backpack thingy. And he's being guided by an unlicensed, untrained, and probably drunk guide!
I blame the parents...
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
Many thanks for all your continuing interest in this project and I will pass on your comments to my Bro. and report back.
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897sma wrote:
Mine which i made a few years ago, you do need a tether though...not for those below you, but because it goes for miles down hill if you come off and it saves you walking after it. Loads of fun and fast as you know what. Made mine from aluminum to keep the weight down when carrying it and left the skis long for speed. Someone should design one which clips into bindings Toofy Grin


Looks like its getting ready for a wax & service and a couple of base repairs Smile


At frst glance that looked like a central heating radiator - wasnt sure if there should be an additional attachement for a boiler to make sure there was running hot water in the radiator Very Happy
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 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
MogulMonkey wrote:

At frst glance that looked like a central heating radiator - wasnt sure if there should be an additional attachement for a boiler to make sure there was running hot water in the radiator Very Happy


It was part of our disabled access ramp at work, luckily we've never had need of it before or since Smile
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 And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
Bro has taken a read of the thread and said that if we get snow in Essex this year then he'll have a bash at Guy Martin's record! Laughing
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 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Why don't you cut them in half, put some fins on them, and hey presto, you have the best new thing to happen in the ski industry for years Toofy Grin

Cheers

Tom from Swindon
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
@Timberwolf, Laughing

Incidentally in case anyone was wondering they aren't a set of my old skis - he actually got them off the internet!


Last edited by You know it makes sense. on Wed 12-11-14 18:50; edited 1 time in total
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
@Megamum, i think he may need a run up, oh and some snow Happy
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