Snow sled for my boys

rmpater, member

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Inspired by the massive snowfall this year, I decided to build this sled for my twin 2 1/2 year old boys.   I searched online for plans but was unable to find anything I liked so I designed this project to fit my needs.  The sled is 20" wide by 53" long and is made of ash, maple and oak scraps I had left over from other projects.  There are only two mortise and tenon joints where the side rails meet the nose piece.  The rest of the sled is held together with stainless steel machine screws.  I soaked the curved ash pieces in the bathtub for about an hour then clamped them around a MDF form and let them sit for a few days.  The finish is two coats of wipe on poly and wax.  I added 1/4" thick UHMW polyethylene sheets to the bottom of the runners for speed and abrasion resistance.  The sled is almost effortless to pull on packed snow with 60+ pounds of children aboard.  I am considering producing a set of plans for this project if there is any interest.  My unheated shop is in the background.

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Comments (8)

KJT82 writes: Hello, I am new here but i love this sled, would very much like to get the plans for it if you drew them up and are willing to share.
Great Job!
Posted: 1:49 pm on March 17th

Thoronymous writes: A plan for this would be great! How thick and wide is the bent piece on the back?
Posted: 5:24 pm on November 27th

newday89 writes: love this design i will purchase plans from you if you offer them ... beautiful job
Posted: 10:55 am on November 12th

rmpater writes: Thanks for the comments,

The ash back piece and runners are all 1/4" thick. I re-sawed all three pieces from one piece of 5/4 ash. The sled is very fast on packed snow! When the boys get older, the backrest can be removed so they can lay down head first. I think by then I will have to make another one or two!
Posted: 11:36 am on March 10th

woodchip3703 writes: I have been looking for a great looking sled to build for my new grandson, he is in Wyoming, I am down in Houston, (I don't know what makes a great sled, never needed one till now.) Can/would you share any details, this looks like a great design, will make it now so it is ready for next winter. Thanks in advance.
Posted: 8:03 am on March 10th

Scummings writes: Fantastic!
How thick is the bent ash backer? But, more importantly, how fast is it on the big sledding hill?
Posted: 11:50 pm on February 22nd

Yukoner1 writes: The sled looks great. I'd love to have your plans if you draw them up!!
Posted: 7:22 am on February 22nd

4545 writes: That's quite a pleasing design. I'm too far south or I'd build one for my grandchildren.
Posted: 2:51 pm on February 20th

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