Well, I made it through the evening keeping one eyeball on the Weather Channel while cooking dinner, and then I tried to lay down and sleep for six or so hours but I was so engrossed in design problems relating to how to convert a beach chair into a workable sled that I gave up about 12:30 AM and got up and got dressed and came down here to the shop.
Since then I've been making sawdust, managing to set the smoke detector off a couple of times grinding my way through some 45 degree bevel cuts with the only old carbide blade I have in the building.
This is what I have come up with so far. Remember that I started out with a used version of one of these:
and then I cut it apart and started fooling around with some scrap lumber I had laying around in the shop and an old reflector off of a 4' two lamp florescent shop light that had died.
upside down mounting the main skis/runners:
Things started taking shape and just kept growing and growing until I had this silly looking thing when I was finished...
It ain't pretty but it is definitely strong.
I have a couple of cans of green spray paint to color the bare wood but I'm too lazy to put it on there right now and I don't want to get paint on me and my clothes since it looks like I'll get to give it a test ride/slide in the next 48 hours.
As you can see it has a steerable front end and even a brake function to keep me from breaking the sound barrier or knocking down people and trees hopefully.
I'd like to be able to say that I insist that anything I ride on or in weigh a few thousand pounds more than I do (remember I have a Chevy Suburban) and, while if I keep adding wood and bolts this monstrosity could come close to my 240 pound bulk I think that by restraining my enthusiasm it's still going to actually end up a few hundred pounds less than me in the process.
Still, I may need to call the Tennessee DOT and see if I need a tag or some sort of permit or possibly a "wide load" sign and an escort truck with a flashing light if I ride the thing down the nearby hill on David Lane.
Pay attention to the national news and the ASSociated Press story's on the storm because there may be something written about them having to pry me out from under a tractor trailer or hoist me out of a tree or off of the roof of a house if this thing works like I think it will.
If we get ice or sleet instead of wet snow I may just be able to set some sort of downhill land speed record.
Anybody want to take up a collection to buy me a ticket to the Winter Olympics?
2 comments:
That looks really neat!
I am picturing you flying down a hill Chevy Chase style as in Christmas Vacation.
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