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

Our local outdoor ice rink had only 6 good days of skating all year last winter. Ive never made a skating rink before and our backyard is on a small hill, but i figured it would be good for my kids to be able to skate every day, and they could have friends over. So in late november, i decided to try to find out how to make a rink the easiest and cheapest way i could. I asked a canadian friend who told me how his dad just stomped down snow and watered it with the hose, building up layers of thin ice. I combined that with my observation of how long a big block of ice seemed to last (when you dump out a frozen bucket, etc), especially in the shade. Ive seen people build strong wooden frames and use water-tight liners, but some winters here things dont seem to freeze up like youd expect.
Heres the project: im trying to find out the easiest and best way to make a thick block of ice for this climate: one that is flat and strong, and lasts a long time. I made it using boards as guides to build up the ice a little at a time (not to support 10 inches of water all at once). Its working really well and it hasnt been any trouble: weve just had a whole week (feb 21-28) of 30s and 40s, but the kids are still skating (except when its raining). The melting water just runs off the sides. I know some people with liners say they cant skate when its warm ( because of pooling water). Maybe next year i can find a way to combine both: use a liner to make 12 inches of ice easily, but then get rid of the downhill side to let excess melting water run off? And whats the best way for people in PA or NJ? If they use a liner, it will be a pool half the winter (but if they just build it on the grass, it might melt completely several times). I think the warmer places will do well building up the ice intensively when it IS cold (nights, cold fronts) as thick as they can, then trying to keep it thick during warm spells by building up ice with the sprinkler at night . But maybe theyre better off just leaving a liner-pool sit out and freeze when it may (and just skate then) I guess it depends on how badly you want to have skating time in the backyard. You have to find what will work best for your climate (obviously, having a big pond in Minnesota would be a good starting point...)
Heres what I did:
1)Location: is there a part of your yard that stays frozen the longest? That keeps snow till well into spring? Thats your spot! The yard can be sloped or flat.
2) while the ground is soft, buy a bundle of grade stakes, and some wood 1X6s or 1X8s for flat terrain, but maybe 1X10s if you have a big slope, or if you want bigger boards for hockey (21 1X6s cost only $51!). get a roll of thick white plastic 2 or 3 feet wide (also pretty cheap!) the plastic is just to seal the seams, not to make a water-proof pool: just to hold a half-inch or so at a time: this is a variation of the time-honored tradition of dads stomping down snow, then hosing it every two hours till its thick enough to skate on.
3) attach the boards to your ground stakes with screws (1 ¼ in., 1 ½ in., etc.) remember, you dont need a tight seal anywhere. Also, remember, if you have a sloped yard, you have to build the downhill side much higher (try to make it level now, its much harder when its 10 degrees and snowing)
4) put your white plastic liner over the boards to seal the spaces between boards, and attach it with a few staples (if you want to hold it down with rocks, etc, you may not even need any staples!)
Thats it for the construction. Now, a real Dad's job: Water the Ice Rink!!! Yahoo!!
5) you dont have to wait till it is below freezing all day to start making ice: if the weather is hovering around 35 during the days and is in the 20s at night, you can start to build up a nice ice bed: just sneak down to the rink at nights and water with a nozzle or with your sprinkler until you see puddles. (I bring the hose in now in a big bucket every night)

6) Another key Dad-job! The Zamboni crew! A nice fellow has a great site called myfamilylovesit.com, and he has good instructions for making a Zamboni-rink rake with a few pieces of PVC pipe http://www.myfamilylovesit.com/blog/i...
i use a big push-shovel (my friend has a Wovel (a wheeled-shovel) that is a lot of fun to use) then pull the zamboni slowly over the ice (I use hot water when the ice is rough or its too cold out)
Next year i think ill make the ice thicker (at least 12 inches) and maybe experiment with a liner I can break down after it freezes... ill take pictures every few weeks this winter and show them after the last day of skating (sigh) hope the groundhog knows his stuff.
Have fun!!!

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• diy
• do
• it
• yourself
• how
• to
• make
• ice
• rink
• backyard
• skating
• winter
• fun
• build

[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)

[lalaleni123]

I like the backround music.

[unclejohnthezef]

@lalaleni123 thank you!

[RockTheEmilie]

why are they singing in the backround it's stupid!!!!!!!!!

[x23hockeyboi23x]

oh shit. the kids got a staple gun

[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 : )

[ProTuner06]

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

[ProTuner06]

@BKrandomvideosKB Did that really need 2 posts?

[BKrandomvideosKB]

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