How to build a backyard Zamboni

Now that you’ve built your backyard ice rink you need the most important tool to get the best ice…a Zamboni! Actually, the smallest Zamboni you can buy is a tow behind unit for your tractor.  For small backyard rinks the solution to getting smooth ice is much simpler and cheaper.  There are numerous hand held ice resurfacers you can buy on the internet.  After looking over the options and prices I decided I could build one myself and went to Lowes looking for parts. The entire project cost only $15 and took about 15 minutes to complete. Here’s what I did:

Ingredients

2 PVC 3/4″ x 5′ plain pipe ($1.97 each) 1 PVC 3/4″ adapter ($0.27) 2 PVC 3/4″ caps ($0.23 each) 1 PBC 3/4″ tee ($0.37) 1 plastic garden hose shutoff valve ($2.97) 1 4oz PVC primer ($2.52) 1 4oz PVC cement ($3.24) NOTE: When trying my first test run I discovered I bought the wrong PVC adapter.  I bought a female unthreaded to male threaded adapter when I should have bought a female unthreaded to female threaded adapter.  I’ll need another trip to Lowes to get an adapter before I test it out.

I didn’t see any threaded PVC at Lowes so I decided to try using PVC cement for the first time. As you can see a big chunk of my sale was buying the cement and primer which I used very little of. I’ll have to think of some more PVC projects now that I have the glue :)Test fit everything at the store to make sure you have the right sizes. The adapter should be threaded on one end and fit on a garden hose. The shutoff valve is optional. At right is the picture of all the parts prior to assembly on my dirty garage floor. The PVC cement is foul stuff with lots of warnings so do this project in a well ventilated area.

Assembly

• Cut one of the PVC pipes in half. I also made the pieces a little shorter.
• Start priming and cementing. Follow instructions on jars and put the pieces together.
• Let cement cure per instructions on jar (2 hours in my case)
• Drill 3/32″ holes along top of your T 1″ apart. Lay the T flat, drill down from ceiling towards floor, but be careful not to go all the way through.
• Test it out!

Here are pictures of my finished Zamboni. Excuse the dirty garage floor and the sloppy purple primer. Final dimensions are 5′ wide and 5′ 6″ long.

Some posts from Halloweens past!

I love October and Halloween has definitely become my favorite holiday. Being so pregnant this year with baby #4 arriving exactly one week before Halloween, I am not going quite as crazy with Halloween unfortunately (no party). I figured we’d start early decorating though just so I didn’t “forget” or get too pregnant. Ethan and I got out a bunch of decorations the last week of September and for days he kept asking to put up more (I guess we got out about 1/2 to 2/3 of what we normally put up). I tried to hold him back because I am not looking forward to having to pack it all away with a newborn in tow but it was hard to say no! Anyway, I’m not sure how much new Halloween things we’ll do this year so I figured I’d share some things we have done previous years:

Halloween ghost window curtain

Bat making

Spider cookies I better do these again since they are EASY

Monster cupcakes

Our favorite Halloween book

Pumpkin bread

Unplugged Project: Planes & Sunset

At first I had no idea what we’d do for the “SKY” themed Unplugged Project this week and then I thought that the boys were so into planes since the model demo and big airshow we went to last month so we decided on paper airplanes. I downloaded some plane plans online but the standard one was the only one we ended up making (oh and one of the whirly helicopter ones too). Ethan wanted to cut out his own plane designs and made some that way also. I didn’t end up with many pictures of our project so I was VERY excited when we had a gorgeous sunset a few nights after. We actually get lots of nice sunsets in our front yard but this one was extra nice.

Under Construction!

John ALWAYS has some project going and this time its a big one! He has been working hard every day after work and weekends to build our pool deck and its starting to come along very nicely. The curved angle around the pool and figuring out just how we wanted things were the big things and now he can go crazy decking and building the railings. We are really looking forward to the upcoming 3 day weekend so he can get a lot done. It will be so nice to get to the pool from the deck and I know the kids will soon be running and jumping into the pool. All 3 kids have been having fun playing on the work in progress though so they’re already happy. Ben and Jamie will have their birthday party on the 12th and the deck should be usable if not all done by then. Once this is done John is under strict orders NOT to start any more projects until further notice, like well AFTER I’ve had this baby and we are adapted to being a family of 6! He can take down some dead trees and finish up some small projects that he already started but thats it. I’ll definitely have to watch myself also so that I don’t think up any new “ideas” for him to do.

Unplugged Project: OLD sculpey clay

This weeks Unplugged Project is OLD and I imagine there will be a huge range of projects made with such a theme. I decided to use this as an opportunity to use up some VERY old sculpey clay. John and I used this is college and I know we haven’t bought any since but for some reason we still have a pretty huge supply of it. Ethan has been wearing this necklace that makes him look like a little surfer and so I thought the boys might like to make beads. I of course was wrong (no beads) but they did love the sculpey and made a bunch of little dinos. This kept them busy for a long time and I even left the 2 of them alone at the table for maybe 1/2 an hour after I got tired of it. Ethan (the one who actually knows how to wear a shirt) really did well with it and his dinos came out really cute. He even got the sculpey out the next day and made 4 more on his own. Ben only made 1 dino that we baked but he just had lots of fun playing with the sculpey (he made some dinos that he then “turned to fossils” and luckily he didn’t mind when I didn’t bake the remains).

Unplugged Project: Plastic Caps and Soda Bottle Terrarium

I was very excited when I read that this week’s Unplugged Project was PLASTIC because I knew I wouldn’t have to buy anything (not that I have for any of the projects so far actually) and there are so many great things to do with plastic items you would otherwise recycle or have to throw out. I mentioned in the “Metal” project post about how I save odds and ends of things that I think we could use for some kind of project. You’d be surprised at the neat caps that different products you use have, like my Ban deodorant has these see through green plastic caps that I picture the kids using to make eyes for a 3-D alien someday! I have a collection of caps from our seltzer bottles, OJ and 1/2&1/2 containers, and various other products we use and I was planning on giving them to the boys for the project this week but we didn’t get to it yet. I did get a picture of Jamie with a bath toy she loves: the cup-like caps to my Skintimate shaving cream. We also made a seltzer bottle terrarium (mostly done by me though). Jamie helped me add the dirt and plant some cilantro we grew from seeds. We’re planting the rest in a pot and will do a little experiment to see which grows better.

Although its pretty straight forward here are my bottle terrarium tips:

• leave the label on at first and use it as a guide to cut the bottle more evenly
• poke a hole in the bottle with a razor to get started but then cut it apart with a pair of scissors to get a cut thats cleaner, more straight and with edges that are less sharp
• cut some slits all around the top part so that it fits more easily into the bottom
• poke or drill some drainage holes in the bottom or else things will be way too wet

How to build a snake house

A few years ago I decided to make our backyard be a little more nature friendly. We don’t use any chemicals, we’ve put up bird houses, and I created a branch pile in an out of the way spot for critters to call home. I have also kept a pile of scrapwood by our back porch that was more for my own laziness than for the critters, but Spikey and his friends love to hang out there. Unfortunately, this woodpile is pretty ugly and we’ve also been concerned about climbing kids causing a collapse that could injure one of our snake friends.

While working on our porch extension I decided to make a safer house for the snake. The end result is not very pretty, but it provides a safe habitat for the snakes. Next summer we plan on doing some landscaping and at that time I will revisit the snake house and make something more pleasing to the eyes.

For now this is what we have. The top pile is the snake house, the bottom is one of our unsafe wood piles (now removed). The design is simple. I simply stacked my scrapwood making sure to create openings for snakes to hang out and put a few screws into each piece. The top I covered completely to keep rain out, but there are multiple entrances from the sides and bottom.

Pencil was the first snake to come back and check things out. He slithered right over to Ethan and then went looking for an entrance into their mansion. He didn’t at first and left, but Ben and I saw him return later and find his way inside. I was surprised by how big the fork in his tongue is. He looks big in this picture, but Pencil is no fatter than my pinky

While taking apart the pile we also found a new snake, a beautiful baby eastern milk snake. These look like something dangerous at first, but that is by design. Their pattern is similar to a copperhead, but the coloring much different. We’ve seen these around the backyard a few times (and once in the garage), but this is the one was the smallest we’ve seen. Ethan named this snake Spotty and he was about 12 inches long and as skinny as a pencil.

Of course Spikey was hanging around too. He wanted nothing to do with all the commotion so he hung out pool side. Spikey is getting pretty fat. Not sure if he’s finding a lot to eat or if Spikey is really a she.

Here’s a bottom view of the snake house. I left lots of space on the bottom level to help the pile dry out after rain. You can see how the second story has a gap in the middle. Each level has gaps like this so snake can find places to hide.

Ethan also found a snake skin. We could also see that Spikey’s eyes were getting clouded. This is a sign that he is getting ready to shed. No matter how friendly your backyard snake friends are, give them their space when they are preparing to shed. The loosening skin acts like a cataract and they can’t see very well. This makes them shy and defensive.

DIY Dad Gift Ideas

Here is a quick list of Father’s Day gift ideas for DIY Dad’s. Tools are great gifts because as a DIY Dad I want to use them. Which usually means I’m building something Heather wants, but I’m happy to do it because I get to use my tools. This is a list of tools I own and love and are available from Amazon for last minute ordering.

Cordless Impact Driver
	I got one of these and instantly fell in love with it. After years of using a standard Dewalt drill/driver I heard about how well these impact driver work on driving screws. After seeing them being used by contractors on TV all the time I decided to try it out. Wow! Not only are they more powerful, but they do a better job of driving a screw without stripping it. They also don’t have the annoying chuck for changing bits and instead have an easy quick release making changes a breeze.
Dewalt DC330K 18V Cordless Jigsaw Kit
	I bought myself a Dewalt 8 piece cordless set with some of our tax return money and really love the cordless jigsaw. I got a lot of use out of it while building the chicken coop. Being cordless makes it so much easier and fun to use and I find it just as powerful as a corded jigsaw.
DEWALT Heavy-Duty Ballictic Nylon 18 1/2-Inch Tool Bag
	My Dewalt kit came with 2 of these contractor bags. I wasn’t sure if I would a soft sided bag versus the usual hard plastic case, but I’ve been using them all the time. I love being able to throw all the tools and parts I’m going to need for a project into one of the bags and taking it to the back yard. Cleaning up is easier too. No more juggling 10 things in my arms while trying to open a door.
Cat’s Paw Nail Puller
	I had previously written about the cat’s paw, my favorite DIY remodeling tool, and it’s only fitting that I put it at the top of my list. This is a tool most people aren’t familiar with, but is a MUST for every home remodeler’s tool box. From pulling small nails, prying off molding, to lifting stubborn tile this tool does it all and will withstand whatever punishment you put it through.
Quick-Grip Clamp/Spreader
	A home handyman can never have enough clamps. My favorite are these Quick-Grip bar clamps from Irwin. They allow me to easily clamp and release items with one hand which is essential when working on projects by yourself. I use them for everything from large outdoor deck projects, small repair jobs, to simply securing a piece of wood I’m cutting. The link is for the 12″ size, but there are numerous sizes available and all are needed to handle different sized projects.
Ratcheting Wrench Set
	I recently received a Lowes gift card and went looking for a new tool. After much browsing I decided on a ratcheting wrench set. I’d never tried them before, but was getting tired of always changing sockets on my normal ratchet set. I brought them home and immediately put them to work repairing our old tractor. Loved them!
Japanese Fine Cut Saw
	My father was the first one to introduce me to these wonderful saws. Japanese fine cut saws are wonderful for performing flush cuts or any job were detail is important. The cuts are clean and the saw blades are flexible, cut faster, and are much easier to control.
Random Orbit Sander
	A DIY gift list isn’t complete without a power tool! An orbital palm sanders is a great gift for a beginner woodworker. The sandpaper simply velcros on making changes quick and easy. Most of the dust is collected in the attached bag. Simple to use and control and produces great results.
Non-contact Voltage Tester
	This is another item I’ve written up before. A voltage tester is a necessity for anyone planning home renovation. Even if you don’t plan on working on the electric it is always nice to know where the electric lines are located before you start taking down walls.
Mechanix Gloves
	Several years ago I got tired of my hands getting dried out and cracking from working with drywall. Normal work gloves were too bulky so I went looking for something more form fitting. I found these Series 3 Mechanix gloves at Lowes for $25 and never regretted the purchase. They’ve held up well considering all the work I’ve done wearing them and provided me the protection I needed while still allowing me to perform the finer jobs that bulky gloves prevent you from doing. These would be a great treat for a DIYer who may not buy it for themself.

Unplugged Project: Sticky Glue Goop!

When I read that this week’s Unplugged Project was “sticky” I wish I had taken a picture of the roll of scotch tape that Jamie had gotten a hold of and turned into a big sticky tangled mess the day before! I decided to make some glue paint with the kids but they just wanted regular paint so we did that and as soon as they were done we made some goop instead (not as sticky as I would have thought but FUN, my other option was going to be homemade glue and that would have been very sticky). I had gotten a recipe online and changed it slightly, here is what we did:

First add 3/4 cup water to your bowl and then squeeze out as much glue as you can easily get from two 4 oz bottles of glue.

Stir and then add some squirts of washable paint.

In a separate bowl mix 1 tablespoon of borax and 1/4 cup water then dump this into first bowl.

Stir until a blob forms and remove blob. Then add an addition portion of the borax/water mixture and you’ll get a second blob.

This made plenty of goop for the 3 kids and I was very surprised and how long it kept them busy.

They used cookie cutters and playdoh scissors with it.

They loved it and had fun seeing how far it streched and how it broke apart if you pulled it fast. It has kept nicely in a sealed container for days of play now.

At some point Ben lost his shirt, he has that problem daily!

Free Project Plans

The latest issue of The Family Handyman included a link to download 50 of their favorite project plans.  These are only available on their site until July 11th, so check them out now and download the pdfs of any you like.  The projects are for everything from Adirondack chairs and sheds to bookcases and workbenches.

If you’re looking for something to get a DIY Dad for father’s day, I recommend Family Handyman.  I’ve been subscribing for years and really enjoy.  Lots of tips and small projects with a bigger project each month.  My favorite part is reading the goofs on the last page.  Another magazine I enjoy is Workbench.

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