how to make a rilly big ice rink in your own backyard, 2008

[dynomax666]

What I can't seem to get is get my ice level. I have never built a rink before, am I being impatient or what? I have one low area, and i'm trying to build it up.. maybe it just takes more time than I"m giving it. And I have a few boot prints and other various holes that have been repaired as you mentioned.

[ThePc31]

why are there no snow in south dakota that weird.

[WarriorHockey68]

You spelled "rilly" wrong you retard

[MikDonsen]

Bah I remember singing like that was I was a kid it was only to be obnoxious and annoying.

[OwenRogersCanada]

the video would be better if the singing didnt hurt my ears

[joneymacaroney]

OMFG! the lalalala music in the backround is sooo annoying!Disliked god dam!!!!

[lizzie2374]

the music at 7:34 is a song we play in band : )

[BKrandomvideosKB]

Change the title of your video from rilly to "really"

[ProTuner06]

@BKrandomvideosKB Did that really need 2 posts?

[BKrandomvideosKB]

can you correct your grammar error in your title of your video ? can you please change rilly to really ? thankas :D

[PianoXfan1]

OMG THE DAH DAH DA DA IS SO ANNOYING!@!!!@@!!! DISLIKED!!! GOD DAMN

[ProTuner06]

@PianoXfan1 That's why they invented the mute button...................

[shaqdaddy11]

I was wondering what is a good thickness for a finished rink? 5 to 6 inches thick ice?

[shaqdaddy11]

Question why do ya use hot water for the zamboni? why not cold water?

[unclejohnthezef]

@shaqdaddy11 that was the old rink: i was trying to be like the zamboni at the ice rink! but now we just use cold water, and it smooths out the ice just as well (but if it's below zero and the ice is real rough, i could see where hot water might smooth out the bumps better)

[shaqdaddy11]

@unclejohnthezef Ah thanks for the info.

[kanadianrivirboy]

@shaqdaddy11 And hot water freezes faster than cold water. It also slightly melts the top layer, making the ice surface less chippy

[shaqdaddy11]

this was awesome.

[Edawg649]

lol the singing totally throws away the professionalism of this xD

[nolang32]

what the fuck is the singing repeating shit god damm cant get it out of my head duh duh duh duh duh duh dhuhhhh

[djmoto13]

That is awesome!, Keep up the good work.

[lalala19801990]

First Off Learn To Spell.

[jjcasper1]

I did nearly the same thing in my yard this year with absolutely no poly or boards. Just used the bountiful snow we have here in Canada. My only concern is killing the grass for the summer months... What has your experience been?

[unclejohnthezef]

@jjcasper1 one year when it was ice right on grass, it took a few months for the grass to come back (like may!) And that year, the ground stayed frozen (and raised a little) through spring... but when it's on snow, it doesn't seem to affect the grass much.

[beoutside]

one tip if you can pack snow first depends on weather, really pack it down can you get a car in the back yard? then use the mist feature on the hose end once saturated it makes a great first layer and base and insulates from the heat of ground and that actually occurs from ice itself, yes ice creates heat crazy, keep laying thin layers on top as you say works great ! also makes a great side barrier to keep water in GOOD JOB!

[MrRookie26]

could you do this above the freezing point.. by just spraying very cold water on it

[unclejohnthezef]

@MrRookie26 i think if you have decent shade you could make skateable ice at night that would last during the days... it does have to get below freezing at night) after several coats, it should hold kids skating!

[theryancomedy]

Never make a video with your mentaly chalenged kids in the background signing.

[a154james]

Making one (: 35' x 15'

[videoteacher87]

My ice is almost ready to skate and then a big storm hit and I was unable to scrape the ice immediately. I now have lots of slush. What is the best way to combat it?

[unclejohnthezef]

@videoteacher87 that snow/slush is a killer... if it's too much to shovel and you can't get a snowblower back there, the slush should freeze eventually, so as a last resort, maybe try to flatten out the slush as best possible, then start with thin layers of ice on top of it once it freezes. lots of wierd blizzards this year...

[paupotter16]

I loved it! I wish I'd live in a city that is not warm I 'd love to my own rink in my yard, nice zamboni

[BOBBYJ33333]

I hope his real name isn't Gunther. Poor kid

[unclejohnthezef]

@BOBBYJ33333 no, it's jojo... i don't know where they come up with these song lyrics

[ppgfilmz]

tell those kids in the background to shut the fuck up

[somasmith]

That was awesome! Your kids ave vrey lucky to have a dad like you! I liked the singing.. Feel good and know that you are makng the world a better place. :-)

[unclejohnthezef]

@somasmith wow, super thanks!

[jm338]

how cold is it there? is this feasible in england where its currently -2/3?

[unclejohnthezef]

@jm338 it can survive pretty well at -2, -3, but it freezes initially much better if it's a little colder. you can probably do it if your yard is pretty flat and well-shaded and you build it up slowly at night if it's a good bit colder than -2. we're trying a new twist this year that might help too: update coming soon

[morraar]

My name is Gunther, My name is Gunther! Thanks for the great video, I will be trying my own this winter. Can't wait!

[jeesfreek]

I live in southern california so I will probably never make an ice rink in my backyard.... but I ran onto this video by accident and just wanted to let you know I really enjoyed it!!! Especially your next winters' video about the even bigger rink. Thanks for posting it.

[unclejohnthezef]

@jeesfreek yay! wahoo!

[pa5232]

Your lawn will be VERY brown come spring if you do not put down plastic everywhere you hose down for the rink.

[pa5232]

Your lawn will be VERY brown some spring if you do not put down plastic everywhere you hose down for the rink.

[nathninetyone]

What are you talkin about its great dragging frozen hoes into the kitchen.

[bruinsboy17]

gunther?whats up with the music and random kid voices?

[sublimeknight129]

14x14 I misspelled it 14x1r

[sublimeknight129]

14x14 mispelled

[sublimeknight129]

I have a few questions... 1. If ny rink is 56x56 could I just take four 14x1r tarps and put them down? Question 2.Around what tempature does it need to be? Celsius or farenhieight? And 3. If the rink is smaller is it easier to freez like if its 30x30 can it be 21 degrees farenheight instead of 56x56 and it taking it to be -6?

[unclejohnthezef]

@sublimeknight129 if you're building up one layer of ice at a time (no more than an inch or so) i think the temp can be as high as 25 F at night. If you're filling in a deep pool of water, i think it needs to be a good bit colder to freeze, but i've never done that tarp method. if you want the tarps to be waterproof, i don't think the 4 14X14 tarps would hold water (but you could build up ice slowly on them with no trouble)

for rink size,

[unclejohnthezef]

@sublimeknight129 i think it's the rink depth that matters most: a large shallow rink might freeze almost as fast as a smaller area, but if it's above freezing most days, i'm not sure how the tarp method would work out: you can still make thin layers at night if it's just above freezing during the day (of course, a little shade helps too!!

[lalaleni123]

I like the backround music.

[unclejohnthezef]

@lalaleni123 thank you!

[Deadfox7777]

WOW thats cool i wish i could do that but i live in south carolina...

[snowman11686]

damn i wish my dad woulda let me do shit like this when i was a kid

[redsfan269]

SLIDE DOWN THE SLIDE!! SLIDE DOWN THE SLIDE!!!!! MY NAME IS GUNTHER, MY NAME IS GUNTHER!!! SLOSH DOWN THE SLOSH!!

Seriously. I think kids are taking drugs these days.

[MISTADANMAN360]

dude this is stupid y did u put the litle kids singing that makes me not want to watch the video

[rminb010204]

Hahah what a good dad.

[x23hockeyboi23x]

oh shit. the kids got a staple gun

[dowens2005]

Awesome rink. Wish that it was cold enough here where i lived to build one of those.

[unclejohnthezef]

thanks everybody!

we tried a few new things this year and made an even bigger rink! (our 2010 video is out now~)

[kidpunk333]

when should i start the whole process? also my backyard is pretty small and i have 4 doberman dogs, who need space to do their buisness so im only gonnna use half of the yard, i mainly want a rink to practice my shots, so im fine with a small rink.

[unclejohnthezef]

@kidpunk333 we put the boards in around thanksgiving, but sometimes it doesn't snow till christmas... but if it's getting down around freezing, (and gets well below freezing at nights) you can start it up even in november (this year, it was in the 40's and 50's till after christmas...)

[TSuperChallenge]

Nice vid, thanks for posting. CK.

[Dave51262]

Thanks for the ideas. This does seem like the best backyard rink ideas that I have seen yet. I plan to start it this week.

[Vankoconut]

The best rink video I've seen! The sound track is a work of art. great idea using the liner too. I think i will incorporate it in my rink next year. Happy New Year

[mariorules56]

you have to put a tarp down then spray the tarp

[BigBen12120]

GET NEW SINGING, IT SUX. But good ice skating arena

[puma5390]

4:33 december 24th, 2009 hasn't happened yet.....

[unclejohnthezef]

oops! well, i think we got it straight in the new video for 2010

[SthealthRaider]

so i don't need a tarp underneath?

[unclejohnthezef]

it depends on how many days stay below 25 degrees or so: if it stays around 32, the tarp rinks can become useless: if you have a big slant, you probably want something (plastic or cloth, etc.) at least on the downhill side, but you can also just build up snow-walls inside your boards: the bottom ground freezes up and becomes waterproof easily: the sides are trickier on a hill, but if you do the sprinkler at night, it can make waterproof ice-walls: then even if it gets warm, ur still skating

[julandfrank]

can i use cold water in your mini zamboni??

[ooxcfhxoo]

December 24th 2009 hasn't happened yet....Are you from the future? Is it Cool. Do Cars Fly? I have so many Questions. Where Do I Start. Who Wins Next Monday December 14th The Bruins or the flyers.

lol just kidding. but seriously its only the 11th

[joecirone]

What a wonderful how to video.

[prorobo]

This was waaaay too long to watch the whole way through. But what are the dimensions of the ice surface? Nice job!

[shizzlemynizzle44]

do you live in nj? im gonna make one this year! in nj

[davester32]

Great video!

[Buffalosabskis]

I do this every year in Buffalo. I use a tarp though. My friend does it for 0$ haha he just slaps the snow down in a bowl shape and sprays it with water then keeps adding it. Every open area around here in winter has alittle ice patch dug up from kids trying to find where the water ran down in fall and froze.

[tfer717]

this guys voice is very soothing. you should do audio books for children! haha thanks for the vid im gonna try this this year! i live in philly tho so it may not work, all depending on the winter weather

[StopMotionCars]

the singing was a bit, odd

[stryker0040]

i saw this video last year, but it was too late, i already made my rink, but it was too small and i have a huge backyard. i am definatly using this meathood this winter! thanks

[latinheataintbeat911]

sweet man i wish it was like that here in houston! screw it im moving 2 canada whenever i get older, home of my favorite sport, HOCKEY!

[blast2hart37]

good choice canada kicks friggin ass.

Too bad my backyards small..

[chaucy9]

good choice eh?

[latinheataintbeat911]

helllllllllllllll yeaaaaa

[es540kickflip]

i wish that it was consistently cold enough to do that on long island

[piethingy7]

i live on long island i do it every year im sure this year it will be very cold to

[unclejohnthezef]

ok, that big bump in the back yard where the rink used to be is finally flattening out, slowly but surely now, and the grass is JUST beginning to show green... i'm sure it was ice just now melting (it's partially shady back there)... i wonder if plastic or tarps on the ground would prevent some of that water from going into the earth, or maybe make the grass come back faster?

[anthonyhiscox]

@unclejohnthezef

Tarps will help with this. You can also siphon to different areas that are a bit more equipped for draining easily. Also with a tarp if the weather gets warmer, the ice cannot melt and drain off the bottom, it remains and can refreeze at night. If it melts and drains, then an air pocket can form and the ice can crack. This winter will be my first ice, but I've spent a fair time now looking at others work, and it seems that tarps work out the nicest in most ways, but snow works.

[unclejohnthezef]

april 25 update:

1) staples in boards: maybe NOT the greatest idea: kind of annoying to pull out 100 staples (didn't want to risk losing any in the grass) I'll probably find some other way to hold the plastic down next year maybe even just rocks and tarps

2) the ground under the rink is a LOT higher than the other grass now and it still crunches when you step on it: I assume it's got a lot of ice still, but it is getting lower every day. the grass is pretty brown (would tarps protect grass?)

[crossover3479]

lmao 4:32, december 24, 2009

you might want to fix that

[unclejohnthezef]

oops... it's that crazy time paradox again... bangor-time is definitely non-linear...

[unclejohnthezef]

as promised, we put on movies of the kids skating to show the ice as weeks went by ("Hows the ice holding up?") the uphill ice is too thin and grass is poking up in spots. next year i'll definitely know to make it all thicker to account for the slope. we all had a LOT of fun with it.

again, i say; wa-HOOO!

[bearbear607]

boo

[unclejohnthezef]

alright! way to go

[kandtwoodworking]

Nice rink. I've been using the liner method for about 10 years. I setup my boards and liner and fill it full of water...takes about 6 hours. That's it. We skate on it two days later and for about 8 weeks. When the warm weather hits, I take the downslope boards off and let the water run off. Your method produced skateable ice, but the amount of man hours of watering and rewatering is rather labor intensive. We do, however, have -15C weather all winter. Thanks for posting the video.

[unclejohnthezef]

thanks! it's not quite as cold as Alberta here, but I think we can keep working around that with multiple small waterings (with below freezing nights). i like any excuse to get the hose out, since the garden won't be back for a while...! our neighbors down the road have a liner rink and the park rink is made in a recess: i'll report on how all three do with this warm weather coming (but our ice is pretty good so far!) let us know when your ice is done for the year, ok?

[cheesemonkey421]

Where do you live?

I'm not asking in a creepy way, I am just want to know to get an idea of what your climate is like. I live in a place where we get a bunch of cold spells, and a lot of time where we have REALLY cold temperatures over night, but above freezing temperatures during the day. Lots of ice does stay put in above freezing temps (as you said). We get enough freezes for enough ice time, but i'm not totally sure i should try to set it up.

and why did you write "rilly?"

[unclejohnthezef]

Hi! "Rilly" is how my little guy used to write really. We live in Bangor, sort of close to the ocean, so we don't get eternal winter like they get up north in the County (Aroostook County), but it IS still Maine. Depending on where you live, I'll bet you could build up some decent ice just with overnight freezes: enough to have some fun on, anyway, and during good cold spells, you could build up several inches (the more, the better!) and as it melts, you can just build it up again

[unclejohnthezef]

but remember not to "Zamboni" the ice during warm days (it takes forever to freeze) just do it at night. we've had some warm rainy 40 degree days, but it doesn't seem to change the ice much so far: it stays pretty flat and we get NO SLUSH AT ALL (the melting water must just run off down the grass)

[unclejohnthezef]

and you definitely do not NEED a liner... the boards just help shape the big block of ice, so i'm sure you can also build up a thick block without boards: maybe you can pile up snow along the edges and let them freeze to ice borders (get them wet with the sprinkler or hose nozzle, then shape the slush and let it rise up several inches over the finished ice) i still say shoot for as thick as possible (mine is from 6 inches on the uphill to about 12 inches downhill)

[unclejohnthezef]

absolutely: two thoughts are 1)depending on how deep your snow is (ours is about 3 or 4 feet right now) you can just dig your boards down into the snow for support (maybe with some stakes dug in behind them, not necessarily screwed into the boards) and 2) just go for it without boards: if you can stomp down your snow (with snowshoes, skis, boots, sleds or snowmobiles) and make a rim of snow around the rink, you can just start with your sprinkler right on top of the packed snow.

[unclejohnthezef]

but i think a barrier is a very good thing, if at all possible, to help you build up a big block of ice (and to rebuild it each time it gets low)

[unclejohnthezef]

i've heard those tarps do work, but i think you will get a pool of water each time it thaws: with the block of ice on the grass alone, i think the melting water will just run off, leaving you with skateable (but smaller) ice, (which you can then build back up again when it gets cold enough again) so far, the ice has been great with the brief days over 30, but i'll tell you more as we get into march and april

[tiedstick]

LETS GO STEELERS!!!

[naanak]

thanks a LOT on your VERY detailed response.

right now in our city, the temperature is around 5 digrees, should i start buliding my rink (forcasts show itll go down to about -14, then back up)

i heard it takes about 2 days to freeze over, what could happen if i just flood the rink to the top at the start, would it still freeze?

also, is there any risk of the large ice block moving, or cracking at the end? i dont wana go throught so much work to just see a cracked block.

thanks a lot!

[unclejohnthezef]

1) sure, go for it, the sooner you start building it up, the better! even around zero, the sprinkler works, and it freezes pretty quick too! once the ice builds up, each coat probably freezes in under an hour

2) if you don't have a liner, flooding it to the top won't work (it will leak out)

3) i don't think there's any risk of the block MOVING, but CRACKING... there's a good question: i see several cracks below the surface, &I don't know if they will reach the surface in the spring (or a thaw)

[unclejohnthezef]

P.S. i've started rolling up the hose in one of those big round toy buckets and bringing it into the basement after each use: that's working just fine!

[naanak]

AWSOME VIDEO.

hey, just a question, will this rink work on heavily slanted yards? my yard has a slant of almost a foot and a half from the highest point to lowest.

and also, AWSOME VIDEO.

[unclejohnthezef]

this should work fine for a foot and a half drop, but your downhill side will have at least 16 inches of ice (and the boards will have to be at least 16 in, plus more if you want hockey boards) when you just start with the sprinkler after the early coats of ice (maybe an inch or two of ice all over the grass)sometimes it doesn't freeze as quickly at the bottom of the hill, and you may see channels of melting water: that all stops as your ice gets thicker. If you patiently let the bottom fill in

[unclejohnthezef]

and let it freeze between "coats" of ice with the sprinkler, the downhill ice slowly rises up and covers the whole rink. if you make ice right up to the top, the overflow water just runs right off too. it might help the skaters if you can build up a big pile of snow outside the 16 inch drop (sometimes they fall out of the rink) When the weather warms up, I think the ice will stay level and melt slowly as a block (the melting water drains away down the hill): let us know how it goes!!!

[chimchar817]

this video is soo creepy!! but VERRYYYY helpful!!! thanks!!

[marlo916]

show us how you made the time machine to go forward in time to december 09!!!

[adridram77]

btw december 24 2009 hasnt came yet...

[cnev237930]

Great video, I wish I lived there!

[Godzilla54554]

LOLZ