Repairing Guides

how to repair a toboggan

by Jany Braun Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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  1. Check all straps for wear and the footman loops for looseness. If the footman loops are not securely attached to the toboggan shell they should be repaired. ...
  2. Check strap ends. If they are frayed, heat weld (melt) the ends on the nylon ones then dip in catalyzed resin (thinned lightly with acetone). ...
  3. Check the Tourniquet Buckles. If they show excessive wear, replace them. All tourniquet buckles should be lubricated prior to being put into service each year.

How do you fix a toboggan that won't go down?

Start by using a soft rag to remove any debris from the bottom of the toboggan, and tighten any bottom-facing hardware to offer as much clearance over the snow as possible. If the result still isn't fast enough for you, you can add a coat of glide wax just like you'd use for cross-country skis.

How do you remove wax from a toboggan?

Remove any old wax buildup with a plastic ice scraper. If you use liquid wax, cover the toboggan's bottom, wait 10 minutes and then buff the wax with a soft nylon brush. With solid wax, apply and then burnish it with a ski cork or use a hair dryer to help melt it.

How do you keep the bottom of a toboggan from freezing?

A traditional treatment to keep the bottom slick was to cover it with pine tar, but wax is most often used today. Treating the bottom of your toboggan to a wax coat will make it go faster. A thin layer of water forms from the snow beneath your toboggan as you speed down the slope or drag a load across the frozen landscape.

How do you fix waxed up toboggan grips?

This fix is relatively short-lived, but that's a good thing if you find the waxed-up toboggan is too fast for you. For a longer-lasting solution, apply a solid glide wax -- not grip wax -- just as you would with with actual skis.

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How do you care for an old toboggan?

With solid wax, apply and then burnish it with a ski cork or use a hair dryer to help melt it. Cover the surface evenly and fill any imperfections. Preserve the top of your wooden toboggan with furniture oil. Always wipe moisture off the toboggan when you're done using it and store it inside in a dry spot.

What kind of wood is used for toboggans?

You'll need to source high-quality ash, birch, oak, or maple lumber that is straight-grained and without major knots. This lumber will ideally be green, or at most air-dried for less than a year. The kiln-dried lumber available at most lumberyards won't take the curl of the toboggan's prow.

What kind of wax do you use on a toboggan?

Liquid glide wax, which you apply directly to the bottom of your toboggan with a sponge applicator just as you would with cross-country skis, is by far the easiest and quickest way to wax your toboggan. Let the wax dry, then buff with a soft brush to make it even smoother and faster.

Do I need to refinish my toboggan?

A well-varnished toboggan will maintain the integrity of the wood. Depending on your usage, you may need to refinish the boards more than once. The varnish will wear down as you use your toboggan. A broken board on your toboggan does not mean you have to throw it away.

Do you need to wax a wooden toboggan?

Turn your wooden toboggan into a real rocket sled by simply getting a good coat of wax on it. You will need some paste wax and a couple of cotton rags, as well as a bit of elbow grease.

How thick are toboggan slats?

After selecting straight grained 8/4 Ash, I crosscut the piece to 72" long (Longer if you want a longer toboggan. Then, using a thin kerf blade on the table saw, rip the slats to 5/16" thick. Cut 8-10 slats(I used 7, but cut extra in case of breaking during bending!), depending on how wide you want your toboggan to be.

How do you apply ski wax to toboggan?

0:352:51How to Wax a Toboggan - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipYou find one of the screws. Coming through the back and so Julie important to make sure that thoseMoreYou find one of the screws. Coming through the back and so Julie important to make sure that those are all filed down before starting on the wax just use a an old sock. And dip it into the.

How do you make a toboggan go faster?

3:176:59This household hack will make your toboggan go the fastest - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipIt's bacon grease bacon grease so here's the deal. Like. So here's the thing we've tested all kindsMoreIt's bacon grease bacon grease so here's the deal. Like. So here's the thing we've tested all kinds of things like frozen water on the bottom of the sleds slippery surfaces the truth is the best type

Does waxing a sled make it faster?

That works great.” Car wax is another strategy for speed. Some brands even have a foam applicator to make quick work of covering a large surface. Some people swear by spraying on W-D-40, but King says over time it degrades rubber, so it's best not to use a lot of it on a blow-up snow tube.

How do you restore an old sled?

0:0016:10Antique Sled Restoration - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipTogether most of the fasteners holding this together are metal rivets the easiest way to get theseMoreTogether most of the fasteners holding this together are metal rivets the easiest way to get these apart is just drilling out the center. And then the two halves will come.

Can you wax a sled?

0:132:08How to wax your Ice Fishing Sled! CHEAP! - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipThere's many types of way some guys like these snowboard wax some guys warm up the wax and melt itMoreThere's many types of way some guys like these snowboard wax some guys warm up the wax and melt it on slides. I'm just going to show you the easiest way it's really simple his thing of wax.

How do you make a toboggan slide?

0:032:15Homemade Toboggan Slide - Made From Pine Logs and Used Plywood ...YouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo decided to build a toboggan slide this weekend all out of pine trees that we cut down on some oldMoreSo decided to build a toboggan slide this weekend all out of pine trees that we cut down on some old used plywood. So I'll give you a little tour of it.

What size a toboggan is?

Widths can include three board toboggans at 18 inches to four boards at 24 inches. The length of the toboggan represents the full length of the wood. A 13 foot toboggan makes contact with the ground for roughly 9 feet, with the curl taking up roughly 4 feet.

How wide is a toboggan?

The flat sliding surface is generally about 18 inches (45 cm) wide and from 4 to 9 feet (1.2 to 2.7 m) long. The toboggan is light in weight and will support a heavy load on soft snow.

Handle Locks

1. Check the sled handle for travel. If there is too much handle travel it can impair the patrollers’ ability to work (control) the sled. There should be little more than 2-3 inches of upward/downward travel at the end of the handles.

CHAIN BRAKE

Check to see where the chain falls on the sled bottom. If it is too long or too short modify it by adding or subtracting quick links. Ensure that the Chain Brake Guards are still in place and in good condition. Replace if necessary.

TAIL ROPE

Check for fray where the rope goes through the sled shell and repair or replace rope if necessary. Ensure length is appropriate to the demands of the area. It is usually 18" to 24 feet in length.

HANDLES (or Traces)

Check the handle attachment ends for cracks or other excessive wear or stress. Use common sense here. If the end of the handle that bolts to the toboggan is excessively worn, cracked, split or otherwise damaged – Replace the handles.

FINS (or Skags or Runners)

Check the fins for bends, gouges, and rounded edges. If bent, pound the fins so that the edges are straight and square. This can be best accomplished by backing one side of the fin with some form of anvil while pounding the other side with a hammer to straighten the bend. Straight fins track better and handle (edge) better on ice and hard pack.

LIFT HANDLES

Inspect all lift handles for fraying or excessive wear at their attachment points. Inspect Lift Handle Tubing and replace as necessary.

COMMON SENSE

At the beginning of each working day, all toboggans should undergo a visual inspection to insure that no damage has occurred the previous day. This should include a quick scan of:

How to preserve a wooden toboggan?

Cover the surface evenly and fill any imperfections. Preserve the top of your wooden toboggan with furniture oil. Always wipe moisture off the toboggan when you're done using it and store it inside in a dry spot. Laying it flat will help preserve its shape for the future. References.

How to make a toboggan go faster?

Treating the bottom of your toboggan to a wax coat will make it go faster. A thin layer of water forms from the snow beneath your toboggan as you speed down the slope or drag a load across the frozen landscape. Waxing creates a barrier between this water and the wood so you'll slide over the ground faster.

How to remove wax buildup from toboggan?

If you use liquid wax, cover the toboggan's bottom, wait 10 minutes and then buff the wax with a soft nylon brush. With solid wax, apply and then burnish it with a ski cork or use a hair dryer to help melt it. Cover the surface evenly and fill any imperfections.

What is a toboggan made of?

Modern toboggans are made of many materials ranging from plastic to aluminum, but the classic material for making one of these sleds that originated with the native peoples of Canada is wood, typically larch or birch.

Step 2: Wax On

Just like the karate kid, get the wax on, about 3 coats if it is the first time the toboggan has been waxed.

Step 3: Wax Off

once the wax has had a chance to dry and harden up a bit, about 30 minutes, buff the wax off with a clean dry cotton rag.

Step 4: Chill Before Serving

After you have buffed the wax set the toboggan out side in the cold to chill down. Find a hill and start shredding on your super fast rocket toboggan.

Step 1: Cutting the Slats

After selecting straight grained 8/4 Ash, I crosscut the piece to 72" long (Longer if you want a longer toboggan. Then, using a thin kerf blade on the table saw, rip the slats to 5/16" thick. Cut 8-10 slats (I used 7, but cut extra in case of breaking during bending!), depending on how wide you want your toboggan to be.

Step 2: Soaking

I have found that pre-soaking the slats in water for 2-3 days greatly increases your success rate while bending.

Step 3: Steaming

The slats now need to be steamed, you can make a steam box out of many different materials. You can also produce your steam in any number of ways. We built ours out of 2x10 spruce and we use an old electric kettle for our steam. Insert into steam box and steam for 30-40 minutes.

Step 4: Bending

It is now time to bend your slats around a form. The form we use is made from a piece of PVC water pipe. It allows us to bend multiple slats in one session. Work quickly and be careful, steam can give you a nasty burn. Let sit in the form for several days. You could use a moisture meter to track how dry the wood is.

Step 5: Building the Cross Members

Cross members and can now be cut. Mine were 1 1/4 x 5/8 for the deck members and 1 x 2 for the top cross member. Any hardwood will do, I even saw a company build them out of small branches flattened on one side. Pieces are milled, rounded over (router) and sanded. The Top cross member has a 1/2" groove routered into it to receive the slats.

Step 7: Finishing

After careful sanding, we applied two coats of exterior grade spar varnish. Open the doors or do this step outside!

Step 8: Rope

We started at the top and and used a nut and a washer for backing, we also melted the ends of the knot to prevent slipping. It was threaded through the cross members and attached to the back member. We the used the back member to apply tension to the rope attaching the piece while applying tension.

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