Built a smitty

Picked up some new gear this year and needed a bigger sled. Figured I’d do a medium otter sport smitty sled. Made if so the otter can come off easily and be used for other stuff as well. Pulled it on the yard a bit and makes a huge difference. Can’t wait to use it!

Built one this week and tried it out today. Worked awesome,  easily a 50% reduction in effort needed. Should have built it years ago! Have about $40 spent on it.

Thanks for the advice, Kylme. I might try that if I build another one.  The size bolt I used for it wouldn't even allow me to get two of them in there without there being hardly any wood left.  Perhaps I used a slightly larger bolt than needed? :-)

I did try it out Saturday with my flip over ice shanty.  Pulls with one finger through 5 inches of snow easily!  I did make it a little too long for fitting my flip over but it fits the otter sled well. I think I'll be moving the 2X6 back a little further so that it'll fit the shanty better.  The Otter sled should still go on top of it just fine, it just won't be as balanced as well.  There's an 8 inch difference in length between my flip over shanty and my Otter sled, but the width is only 2 inches different.

Fish, you may want to put two bolts instead of just one for the cross members. Even with the cut outs in the risers for the cross members to nest in, with one bolt you will get some canting. Two bolts will lock the whole thing together a lot better. At least that is my experience. If you have not used a smitty, you will be amazed at the efficiency of them. 

Here are my plans, all drawn up, for my smitty sled I made.  I have had a heck of a time finding plans for one of these.  Hopefully this helps a few who want to try one out!  I'm gonna try mine out in the fresh snow around my house today and see how it pulls! More pics of that to come soon.

I built my smitty sled yesterday. I learned when you have very few tools to work with it's difficult to cut in a straight line with a jigsaw while holding onto the board with one hand and cutting with the other hand! Also cutting that notch out was more complicated than I thought. Lastly drilling the hole in the front of the skis to put the rope was nearly impossible!  I'll try to draw up some plans with dimensions one of these days (I have notes written down but noone would be able to read them besides me). I couldn't find any dimensions anywhere, just videos on how to assemble them. There are so many versions out there!

Thanks Fishlovme , but I can't take full credit for the idea. I spotted it somewhere on the net. surfing last winter. I also seen the one nihif suggested . Thanks nihif for that , if I go that rout.I think I'll  go to a 4" or 6'' wheels. I also seen somewhere , what looked like  a heavy 1.25" steel strap bent to clear the ski  with a steel wheel hub w/ bearings wheels. This pivoted from end and used a pin to hold it in position. Kinda like the idea of pulling rather then wheelbarrowing  it.I'm weighing my options. Using D Hill skis and thinking going 12" to Bucket height risers . Getting the shanty a little closer to the tailgate.  lol

Grizwalg, where did you get the wind break from ?

The first smitty I built I used cross country and they were fine for a few years then the tip broke off of one ski. I have since built 2 more using down hill and they seam to be more  durable.

I've heard that downhill skis are better than cross country skis to use on a smitty sled, since the increased width/surface area of the downhill ski makes it sink less into the snow. Would a smitty with 4 cross country skis be worth the effort? 

here's one, searched ice smitty with wheels

https://www.iceshanty.com/ice_fishing/index.php?topic=333848.0

Roscoe, that ain't a bad idea at all!  I might try that as well. I have an extra set of training wheels laying around right now because my daughter doesn't need them anymore. It'll be trial and error for me if I use them though.  I did see one smitty build somewhere where they had wheels attached to it and they easily were removed once they got to the ice, but I don't remember where I saw that.

  I'm presently building a Smitty . Thinking about portable wheels attached to pull across parking lots , etc. looking at a pair of adjustable training wheels from Walmart. the wheels are plastic hubs . Just wandering if anyone has tried these and if they hold up. Or if anyone has any suggestions.

Built one last winter and it is great. Can't believe I didn't make one years ago.

If anyone is looking to make one, ad for free downhill skis was just listed on Craigslist

https://appleton.craigslist.org/zip/d/waupaca-down-hill-skis/7174542154.html

Funny.... Grizwald your sled is the exact same I did..  same otter sled as well!! I used 2x8s for my clearance however.   These things pull great even on uneven ground 

Just used cedar deck boards, 5 1/2 inches wide. Suprised at how well it floated on snow. Even loaded with gas auger, vex, thermos, tackle and cooler for fish. That was through foot of snow. Maybe sunk 3 inches max. Running the drag rope through skis did help a lot. I used x- country skis and counter sunk deck screws in bottom of skis. No drag on screws.