Polymer pipes are a universal material that is perfect for installing water supply, sewerage and heating systems in a house or apartment. However, in the hands of a home craftsman who has remarkable imagination and an insatiable desire to make something on his own, PVC parts can turn into quite intricate, but no less useful products. For example, in a snowmobile sled made of plastic pipes, the manufacturing process of which will be discussed below.
You can make a sled from plastic pipes yourself
Types of sled trailers
It should be noted that you will not find a universal model.
There are many factors that influence which sled to use:
- the specifics of the route to be overcome;
- height and density of snow cover;
- terrain features and so on.
Let's look at a few of the most common types.
Freight
The design of these sleds is quite complex. For sliding, skis are used, which can be connected to the frame using shock absorbers. There are varieties designed for transporting heavy and oversized cargo.
Sometimes a special box is placed on cargo sleds, with which you can go on long tourist trips.
The main advantage of cargo sleds is their large load capacity and excellent maneuverability. These parameters depend on the size of the frame (the wider, the more stable the sled will be) and the area of the sliding surface (the type of runners used).
It is also desirable that the platform is high from the snow crust. This way the cargo was protected from getting wet. But you should not make the sled too high, otherwise it will often tip over when turning.
Photo of cargo sleds
Volokushi
A very common type of sled. Their design is extremely simple. They are sold in all specialized travel stores and are relatively inexpensive.
Dragging trucks have one big drawback - due to their characteristics, their leading edge and coupling device are often damaged.
But there are also advantages:
- little weight;
- low center of gravity;
- fast loading and unloading of luggage;
- no freezing of the body;
- the ability to transport small cargo by water.
Volokushis are absolutely not intended for transporting people. The entire surface of the body is in contact with snow, and therefore it is not possible to install shock absorbers. In addition, unlike models with skis, these sleds absorb the impacts of stones, snowdrifts and unevenness with the entire body, which undoubtedly affects comfort.
Sleigh-drag
Passenger
They are not very common in our country due to the lack of appropriate infrastructure (equipped snow trails and parking areas). Often such sleds are made independently by winter fishing enthusiasts.
They are a plastic or plywood body mounted on skids. The cabin can be equipped with a heater and lighting fixtures.
The disadvantage is the heavy weight, so for transportation you need to use powerful snowmobiles equipped with a four-stroke power unit.
Passenger sled for snowmobile
DIY sled on skis for a snowmobile
When a snowmobile is supposed to transport cargo or adults, the sled is made durable and can withstand heavy loads. For cross-country ability they are placed on skis. Good runners will be made from a thick-walled plastic pipe. You will need only 7 m of it. The pipe diameter is 230 mm, the wall thickness is 25 mm. A piece 3 m long is cut off for the skis. The pipe is unraveled lengthwise with a jigsaw or grinder. It turns out two stripes.
From a sawn piece of pipe 3 m long, two runners for skis are obtained
The remaining 4 m of pipes are cut into pieces 1 m long. These will be the jumpers between the runners. Part of the body of each pipe needs to be cut out, and rings left on the sides. They will act as shock absorbers.
The runners are connected by jumpers cut from a similar pipe
The runners are given the curved shape of skis. To do this, the edges of the pipe are heated over a fire and bent to the desired angle. The jumpers are fastened to the runners with furniture bolts, and they are placed with the cutout downwards so that while the sleigh is moving they do not cling to obstacles.
A metal frame with a towbar for a snowmobile is installed on top of the plastic platform.
When the plastic platform is ready, a frame is welded to its size from a profile pipe. It is equipped with jumpers. A towbar is welded at the front for hooking up to the snowmobile. The metal frame is bolted to a plastic platform. To ensure that the curved ends of the skis retain their shape, they are also bolted to the end of the frame. The metal frame is covered with plywood on top. You can lay thin boards.
Design features of the sled
Before you begin design work, you need to understand what basic elements the sled consists of. The fact is that the manufacturing process includes several stages, at each of which some key part is made.
It is necessary that you have a good understanding of the purpose of each of them:
- The main part of any sled is the frame, which is the basic supporting element for the entire structure. It must be as durable as possible, since it depends on:
- safety of operation of homemade sleds;
- duration of trouble-free operation;
- reliability of the device as a whole.
Considering that the snowmobile sled will be used in difficult conditions, the frame must be able to withstand negative ambient temperatures, as well as the impacts that the sled is constantly exposed to when driving through forests or bushes.
Sleigh design: 1 – frame, 2 – runners, 3 – racks, 4 – soldering point
Otherwise, you will be unpleasantly surprised when the loaded sleigh falls apart while riding and dumps all your belongings on the snow in the middle of a forest clearing.
- The second important element is the runners. Strength is also very important here, however, another important detail is ease of control. This determines whether the sled will tip over when cornering or not.
The last point is the dimensions of the structure. This parameter is selected individually based on the tasks that are supposed to be solved with its help.
The sled may be small, but maneuverable and light. Or it will be a durable, reliable structure designed to move significant loads. You decide.
We make the sleigh ourselves
Before moving on to the practical stage, draw up a drawing of the structure being manufactured. The drawing needs to be worked out in detail - schematically depict the product, indicate the dimensions (height, length and diameter) of the frame elements, the width and bend of the runners, the distance between them.
To make a sled with your own hands, without any design experience, use one of the diagrams presented in the article:
Rice. 1.1: Snowmobile sled
Fig: 1.2: General purpose sleds
Making a sleigh
Tools and materials
Once you have decided on the sizes, you can start working.
In order to make a snowmobile sled from PVC pipes, you will need the following tools and materials:
- polymer pipes for sleds (they can be purchased at the store, but you can also use old ones left over after repairing or dismantling an old water supply system);
- a hacksaw or special scissors for cutting plastic pipes;
- apparatus for welding pipes and fittings;
- an industrial hair dryer, with which plastic pipes will be heated and bent;
- sharp mechanic's knife;
- sanding paper, file;
- marker for marking parts;
- bolts and nuts for securing parts;
- metal corners that will strengthen the assembly points.
Plastic pipes for making sleds
Operating procedure
It’s not difficult to make a sled from plastic pipes with your own hands. The price of the material is low, which will save a significant amount of money that you would have spent purchasing ready-made models sold in specialized stores.
The manufacturing instructions consist of several sequential steps:
- The first step is to mark the lines on the pipes along which they will be cut . It is necessary to pay special attention to careful adherence to the dimensions, otherwise the sled will turn out asymmetrical, and the work will need to be redone. The ends of the pipes should be fused or connected using fittings. If you are not going to do this, you can saw the ends of the parts at an angle of 45 degrees and fasten the frame using metal corners.
One of the frame options for a sled
- Considering that the sled, as a rule, has a rectangular shape, the frame will need two long and two short parts . After marking and cutting, the ends must be thoroughly cleaned with sandpaper or a file.
- After this, the frame is placed on a workbench or floor and checked again to ensure compliance with the design dimensions . Then it is welded. If you do not have a special soldering iron, the connection can be made using bolts and nuts. In this case, metal corners are used to add strength.
It is advisable to use a special soldering iron for welding polymer pipes
Advice! Using a welding machine is preferable. With its help, stronger connections are obtained, and it will take less time to work. If you don't want to buy specialized tools, you can rent them from a specialized hardware store.
- To give the frame strength (especially when you are making a cargo sled), it needs to be reinforced with additional cross members . For this purpose, you need to cut several pieces of pipes of suitable length and process their ends with a file, giving them an oval shape corresponding to the diameter of the pipe. Next, they are inserted into the frame in the form of spacers and melted or secured with metal corners. Remember, the strength of the sled will depend on the quality and thoroughness of the frame assembly.
- The next stage is the manufacture of racks . The height of the sled above the level of snow crust will depend on their length. In this case, it is advisable to take into account the following nuances:
- a sled that is too tall will often flip over when turning due to its high center of gravity;
- a platform on low racks will have difficulty passing through deep snow, and the cargo located on it will get wet.
The size of the racks is selected based on the height of the sled
Advice! The optimal height of the sled is from 20 to 30 cm. The racks connecting the frame to the runners should be exactly this length.
- The number of supports depends on the length of the sled, but for strength and reliability they need to be made larger . It is advisable that 6-8 pieces are mounted on each side. They should also be processed with a file (round section) for a tighter fit to the frame. As you work, constantly try on the part to the place where it is welded. The lower part of the racks can be different:
- flat - if you plan to use flat, wide runners (for example, from large cut polymer pipes);
- semicircular - if the runners of the sled are round (from ordinary plastic parts of small diameter).
- After adjusting the dimensions, the runner stands are attached to the frame using a soldering iron or corners . Make sure that they are all installed smoothly, without distortions.
- Now it's the turn of the runners . To do this, you need to decide on their shape. The easiest way is to make round skis from ordinary pipes. However, this option is less comfortable to use, since the sled will often fall through the snow crust and turn poorly.
For the runners, a large-sized PVC pipe is used, sawn lengthwise
Homemade sleds made from plastic pipes with flat skis are more stable and maneuverable. When the snowmobile turns at high speed, it will not tip over sideways.
- To make flat skis from round pipes, they must be cut lengthwise and bent . A hair dryer is used for this. As a last resort, you can heat the part over an open fire, but this must be done carefully, as the plastic may melt. After heating the pipe with a hairdryer, place a board with a weight on top of it and leave until it cools completely. The fold in front is done in the same way.
- In order for the sled to pass through deep snow, the bend of the skis must be made large and the upper end must be secured to the frame, forming a semicircle . A seat, a box for transporting things and other accessories of your choice can be installed on top of the frame.
Any design can be installed on top of the sled
Don't forget to attach a drawbar, with which the sled will be secured to the snowmobile's towbar.
Advice! It is recommended to assemble and install a simple electrical circuit with a light bulb that is mounted on the dashboard. When the sled is separated from the towbar, the circuit will open, which will be signaled by the light coming on. This way, you won't lose your sled while driving through the forest.
Required tools and materials
The design is based on plastic pipes (PVC). They are distinguished by strength, durability, resistance to moisture, light, frost and other adverse factors. Plastic pipes are inexpensive, they are lightweight, so the whole structure will not be massive: even a child can lift it.
For manufacturing you will need the following materials and tools:
- PVC pipes of two types: for the frame they take products with a diameter of 30-40 mm, and for runners - 110 mm;
- fittings of the required diameter are selected for them;
- grinder or hacksaw;
- apparatus for welding plastic elements;
- construction hair dryer or blowtorch;
- plywood 1 cm thick (the seat is made from it);
- steel corner profile (it will strengthen the joints);
- roulette;
- stationery knife;
- marker;
- file;
- sandpaper.
Important! Since fastening the sled must be done very precisely, observing the dimensions and angles according to the drawing, it is recommended to work at a large table or on another flat surface.
Cargo homemade sleds for snowmobiles
A special feature of cargo sleds is their resistance to heavy loads. This is achieved by using durable materials, such as metal. Skis are made wide. Due to this, the runners do not fall into the snow. Improves maneuverability and stability when the snowmobile moves at high speed. Shock absorbers are sometimes provided between the runners and the platform frame. They smooth out impacts on bumps. The sled bounces less, which reduces the likelihood of damage or loss of cargo.
Shock absorbers smooth out impacts when riding a snowmobile on uneven terrain, thereby improving cargo safety
READ ALSO: Which brand of polypropylene pipes is better to choose? Prof Pipes
The snowmobile sleds shown in the photo are made from metal with your own hands. The platform is covered with plywood. The sides are welded from tubes. They won't interfere with cargo sleds. It is convenient to secure the transported cargo with straps over the sides.
