Hobbies And Interests
Things You'll Need
Instructions
Preparation
Measure 6 feet from the top down one sheet of plywood. Make marks with the pencil 6 feet down, near both edges. Use the straightedge and pencil to draw a line between both marks.
Measure and cut a 20-inch piece of string.
Nail the string along the line in the center, 20 inches from either end.
Moving the pencil with the string, keep the string tight while moving it in an arc from one side of the plywood to the other. Move the pencil toward the nearest end, not the farthest one.
Cut along the arc with the jigsaw. The plywood will be flat on one end and curved on the other.
Repeat Steps 1 through 5 with another sheet of plywood.
On the uncut piece of plywood, draw a circle the same size as the hole you will be cutting in the ice. This piece will constitute the floor of the shack, so place the hole according to your preference. Cut that hole out with the jigsaw.
Construction
On one of the cut sheets of plywood, draw a door of your preferred size and shape. Leave space on the curved end for a ventilation opening. Leave 5 inches clear on the squared end as a snow guard.
Cut the door out with the jigsaw.
Draw the space for a small hole near the top of each wall (the curved top pieces). It should be big enough to allow fresh air in, but small enough that it does not weaken the wall. If you plan on using a propane heater or light, draw out a similar hole in the bottom of the back wall (the one without the door) for a carbon monoxide vent. Cut all the holes out with the jigsaw.
Use the electric drill to screw two of the hinges onto one side of the door, at the top and the bottom. Position the door onto the door hole and screw the other side of the hinges into the wall. Attach the handles to either side of the door by drilling in the screws provided with the handles.
Screw the other four hinges into the base (the uncut piece of plywood), two at each of the shorter sides. Screw the other sides of the hinges onto the bottom of the walls.
Lift one of the walls up so that it is hinged at a 90-degree angle with the floor. Verify this by butting the square up against the hinged wall. When the wall is in position, use the string to measure about 2 feet from the wall to the floor, forming a triangle between the wall, floor and string. Mark where the string touches both the floor and wall. Keep holding the string at the exact length.
Putting It All Together
Measure out a unit of the chain as long as the string in your hand. Cut the chain. Measure and cut another piece of chain exactly as long as the first piece.
Screw the 2-by-4 brackets into the tops of the walls. The should be high enough that the 2-by-4 resting in the brackets will be flush with the top of the wall but not higher.
Lift one of the walls up, butting it up against the square so that it forms a 90-degree angle with the floor. Drill screws through the end links of one chain to attach it to both the floor and the wall. When pulled tight, the chain should be positioned so that it is able to hold the wall at 90 degrees. Repeat with the other wall.
Pull the two walls up, laying the 2-by-4 into the brackets on top of the wall. If the brackets are small, screw a single screw in each end through the bracket (there should be a hole in the metal for this) into the wood. This will keep the post and the walls from falling down, and can be easily unscrewed when the shack is taken down.
Bring the edge of the tarp to the edge of the flooring plywood. Staple the tarp to the flooring. Lift the tarp up, and push it tight against the walls. Staple the tarp to the edge of one wall and then the other. Staple the tarp to the curved tops of each wall, but not to the 2-by-4 beam. Continue stapling all the way down the other side of the walls, and to the opposite side of the flooring. Cut off any excess plastic with the knife.
Take the central beam down and fold the walls inward for transport.