Fishnwire

I'll PM you.

The wife had me helping out around the house and running around doing X-mas shopping the last day and a half. Didn't get any work done on the shack since Friday. She released me from my duties today just after noon and I went with my Father-in-law to pick up the stove at my Brother-in-law's, then we bought the lumber for the roof and the rest of the insulation for the walls. Now I'm back at home making the lasagne I promised I would for my wife. It's back to work tomorrow...four 12 hour shifts. Then we're right on top of Christmas so I don't know how much progress I'll make before the new year. Trust me, if I had the time, I'd be working on the shack right now.

If I wait as long as that guy did to get mine off the ice..."shack" or "palace"...I'm going to have problems. The ceiling was made higher than need be for that exact reason. After the roof is on, insulated and paneled...There will be about 7' 4" clearance. It's gonna be shelves, shelves, shelves. Maybe even an upper sleeping bunk some day.

Thanks. Pm sent.

I was planning on doing exactly that. Cool...I didn't know they were a dollar store item. That works out perfectly.

First of all Bob, make no mistake...I'm building an ice SHACK. Secondly, I know you're eager to see photos/video of me struggling to overcome obstacles and encountering near (or outright) catastrophe...and I'll do my best to capture that and promise to share it here with everyone...I only worry you may be a little disappointed. Then again...I'm worried even more that you won't. Regardless, my camera does have video capability so I'll try taking some if something interesting comes up. If you were closer to me, I'd invite you to come check things out for yourself, and maybe lend a hand when an extra one (or two) is required. Anyone who is nearby and interested can feel free to shoot me a PM...especially if they have access to a tilt and load tow truck.

The florescent fixture I'm looking at is 32W and only costs about $50. I've seen some amazing 120 V LED fixtures around that use less watts and give better light, but the price is prohibitive. I don't think I'll bother with a solar panel because I wouldn't feel comfortable leaving it set up when I'm not there. I'm also not planning on leaving the batteries, charger or inverter (we drive our trucks right to the hut) so it's easier to just bring charged batteries and have the generator for when they need to be topped up. It's not like I can count on getting the power I would need for an all-nighter from a solar panel set out during a winter's day, so I'd need the generator regardless. There will be no shortage of reflectors affixed to this shack. Of that I can assure you. I will absolutely take lots of photos when this thing is set up, and a bunch between now and then.

I'm not a big fan of them. I think they look sort of "tacky". To each their own, right?

It's possible you're joking...but I'm going to wire the hut (I am an electrician after all) and bring a generator. I'll have a couple of batteries, a charger and an inverter. I'll run the generator until the batteries are topped up and then turn it off and use the inverter. When the batteries get low, I'll fire up the genny until they're good. I figured on a four foot dual lamp, T-8 florescent fixture for the inside, and some kind of flood light on the outside to illuminate the area in front of the viewing window. If I can get my hands on some cheap solar garden lights I'll put a couple on top so even when I'm not there the drunken snowmobilers will see it a mile away. Regardless I'm going to cover the thing in reflectors.

You have no idea how right you are. The only thing you didn't get quite right is that we need more PEOPLE like her in this world. I had always thought she treated me special because I was her grandchild (which I'm sure she did) but found out talking to those who knew her that she treated everyone special. She had nothing but kind words even for those who absolutely didn't deserve them. She lived almost her whole life married to an avid fisherman and raised two of her own. Several of her grandchildren enjoy the sport but the passion for it her husband had that I inherited was something she always recognized and indulged. She'd be happy knowing what became of her gift. Thanks for getting me to take a few moments to really think about her, Bob. I'll try to do that more often.

First off...at this rate I'm not sure Sudbury will see solid ice before about the middle of January. Secondly, the shack already has a name. Ice9. It's a nod to writer Kurt Vonnegut Jr...who my buddy Jamz and I were somewhat obsessed with as younger men. Also, my grandmother recently passed. We called her "Nain" (pronounced nine) which is the Welsh word for grandmother. She left each of her grandchildren a little something with strict instructions that it be used for pure frivolity, and not stuff like bills or household obligations...and also with the understanding that it goes to us, and not our spouses. My wife is pretty cool and lets me do my thing most of the time...she probably wouldn't have kicked up too big a fuss either way...but because of my Nain's thoughtful gift the wife can say nothing.

I spent a couple hours after the floor was done with a chalk line, measuring tape, magic marker, mock bench and jigging rod trying different layouts out. Also I've been in lots of huts with different layouts and I knew what I liked and what I haven't. Several sleepless hours in bed were spent agonizing over things like hole placement...what I'm saying is that a lot of thought went into just where the holes would go. The three in a row (each about two feet apart) along north wall are situated so that anglers seated at the bench along the south wall (about half of which will be permanent and the other half will flip up making room for a table and chair(s)) can jig from them and watch outside lines through the long window. The space down the middle acts as a walkway. The holes may seem a little far from the seats, but they are actually just about right. I'd have liked them maybe 6 inches closer but the runners are in the way. To move them to the insides of the runners would have created holes practically between one's feet. I'd rather have to stretch out a little to jig than be all cramped up the whole time. If the holes were in the middle, you'd have to walk along the sides of the hut to get from front to back. I'm going to have shelves and stuff hanging on the walls...I've been in a hut where you had to scoot along the inside wall to move around and we were always knocking stuff off the walls or from shelves with our bulky cold-weather gear. You may have to step over a rod or two when you are at the back of the hut and blast through it to the door when you see a tip-up flag pop...but you won't risk a wet boot or broken ankle from holes in the middle of the floor...which, as far as I'm concerned, there is no worse place to put them. It's all about preference though. If you're laying out the cash, you get to have your preferences...or at least be the one responsible for screwing things up and making it so no one has their preferences. I'm fairly certain I haven't made too many HUGE mistakes yet...but if the hole placement was one of them, everyone here will learn about it by about the end of January.

The long window is at the perfect height to see outside lines while seated at the bench jigging an inside line. The low slider is so I can open and close it from bed...also the height just above that window is perfect for a folding countertop to prepare meals on or whatever. The high slider is placed so that it won't be blocked when the bench in front of it is in the folded up position. I might put one in the door, but probably not this year.

Had another good day today. It was almost 10 degrees above zero yesterday, and almost 10 degrees below zero today. I added a few layers to my ensemble and got to the site about 9 am. My buddy Jamz and my Dad joined me and my Father-in-law shortly after and we formulated a game plan. It was rainy yesterday and cold all night so there was a pretty decent sheet of ice on the floor. We were worried that the walls would slip off the edges as we put them up, so with a bucket of hot water and some rags we melted and soaked up the ice where the footers would go. The first wall was the hardest...we nailed braces to the sides and the four of us grunted it into place...three guys held and one guy spiked the braces in place. Then we screwed the footers down. That's Jamz pretending to work...I'll admit we "staged" that shot. Once we had that wall in place and secure we took the brace off one side and put another wall up. Then the third... And finally the last one, which was a bit of an effort, but eventually went into place. Yeah, it's pretty big...I know. With the walls all up we cut the plywood for the sliding windows, and fit them in. You'll notice that on this one I didn't stain far enough in...I don't know why I did that, but I'll have to touch it up in the spring. Then we started fitting insulation. It's 2 inch Plastispan foam board. We just used a handsaw to cut it and the electric knife for the occasional trim needed. We finished the 12 foot north wall and 8 foot east wall that will have the door on it. With a little less than half of the insulation to go, I'll soon finished that and then start on the roof. Once that is on I can insulate it and then panel the walls. Then I'll have a heat-able space to work in for the bulk of the remaining work. I found out today that I've got a free stove and stove pipe waiting for me at my Brother-in-law's. He was debating putting it in his garage but decided against it. I'm hoping to pick that up tomorrow, along with the 2x4s and 1/2 ply for the roof. I need a few more sheets of 2 inch foam board for the walls as well. If I get that far by Sunday night (Gotta be back at work on Monday) I'll be quite happy.

Yes, but have you ever been in a hut whose floor you would consider sleeping on?

Most do not. At least most I've been in do not. I figure that's why even hours after the stove is lit and it's comfortable enough to take off your mitts and coat there is still ice and snow on the floor that never melts, let alone dries up. I don't want that.

Thanks Dan. I will.

Awesome info from everyone. Dubluz...you are quite the source on your own. Thanks to you and everyone else. What I'm hearing is that using a GPS to be able to find an old hole that is frozen over and covered in snow is probably not going to happen, let alone help me drill a hole in that (nearly) exact same spot year after year. Dubluz...one quick question if you don't mind. What you said about immobilizing the unit and averaging several waypoints taken in the same location makes perfect sense (not that I would have thought of it) but a buddy once told me that a GPS is most accurate when it is moving. Did he have no idea what he was talking about? It wouldn't be the first time with this guy.

I was trying to fly low under the radar on that one Bob...otherwise I'd have mentioned something about how "hard" the job will be.

We got a fair bit done today, but I didn't take as many pics as I normally do. My Father-in-law was not feeling well so he took the morning off and rested. I got so into working alone and not stopping to confer with a partner that I forgot to document things with the camera. I started by cutting out the jigging holes. There's going to be four...three on one side and one on the other. I put them as close to the joists as I could and still have room to work the sabre saw. I actually used a jigsaw for most of the hole, using the sabre saw only for the tight sections. I tested them with the pails I'm using as inserts and was happy, so I began fitting insulation. I used the jigsaw to cut the insulation...it didn't make nice edges, so I cleaned them up using this baby here... It's an electric knife from my kitchen. I got it when my grandmother gave up her apartment a few years ago and have almost never used it. It was great for shaving off a little bit at a time to get a good fit. I think I dulled up the blades or burnt out the motor a bit...because by the time I was done it wasn't working so great. Oh well. The sections that had jigging holes were a little more effort. I fitted them in and them laid down in the mud and traced the edge of the hole in the floor board. Then I popped them out and used the jigsaw the cut the hole. It sounds easy...and by the fourth one it was, but it took some friggin' around to figure it all out. It took a while and generated a fair bit of mess, but I finished the fitting the insulation and cutting the four holes. I was ready to skin the bottom with 3/8s ply. By this time my Father-in-law was feeling better (or just left out) and came out to help. I cut the ply to size, laid it down and (on the sections with jigging holes) marked them from the bottom. I used the jigsaw to cut the holes and then screwed 'em down. We finished just at dusk, so I needed the flash for the last pics. Then with the help of the my Father-in-law's neighbour (who I happened to attend high-school with) we flipped 'er back over. I stuck the inserts in and they all fit like gloves. Check out the Old Man with a jigging rod pretending to fish. We were both feeling pretty stoked. Tomorrow, it's all about a massive erection...the walls go up. Finally I will have something resembling an actual edifice. I'm pumped to see that and take a few pics to post here. Then the roof goes on and once that happens I'll have a dry, heat-able space to finish most of the work. I'm still eager for suggestions, questions, or criticisms...thanks for those and thanks for checking out this episode of "Ice Hut Build".

I had thought maybe I'd hire a tilt and load tow truck, but today I was offered the use of a double axle landscapers trailer that will (just barely) accommodate the hut. It will only see the highway one time, I'll put it on the ice via a frozen boat ramp, and I just have to pull it up on my buddy's lawn in the spring. I can't promise video but you'll get to see a few pics.

I have a low budget GPS a friend gave me because he is too techno-idiotic to learn to use. I've seen it on sale at CTC for about a hundred bucks. I can mark a spot on it and later it will tell me I'm right on that same spot when sometimes I'm about 20-30 meters away. It's just a cheap unit but I'm wondering how much the accuracy increases as the price point goes up. I can remember times crappie fishing that I (or my partner) would be getting fish steady out of two or three holes grouped together and 5 or 10 meters away lines would sit all day with barely a bump. We'd fish there for weeks and certain holes (regardless of the offering) would consistently outproduce holes very close by. I guess there was a sunken tree or weed edge or drop-off or something there they liked...the point is I'd like to be able to mark a spot and find it the next year within a couple meters or less...is this possible with better quality GPS units? Thanks for your input.

Slower than I'd like...and a bit more $ than I planned. But thanks. I realize these updates are painfully slow and contain way more detail than anyone is likely interested in, but I'm using it like kind of a personal journal documenting the build...something for me to look back on. If others get some insight that is useful in their own builds...that's great too. The questions, comments and criticisms from everyone have been invaluable at times too. I really appreciate them. I look forward to being able to post pics of the finished product in its intended location for those that have followed along. I also promise that I'll let everyone know how things like transport to the ice, moving it around, freezing in, and other problems are handled, should they arise. I want this to be the report that I'd have wanted to read before I started this build. If I screw up huge in some way (many ways?)...you will all know about it.

Hey Folks... I've been working (for a living...not the fun kind) quite a bit lately so the progress is not great. Last time on "Ice Hut Build" we finished the walls and door, including stain, and were ready to start insulating them. We tried cutting the 2 inch "Plastispan" foam boards with a utility knife, but it was a bit "hacky", so we used the circular saw and straight edge. It worked great and we did the door and west wall it will hang on. We had planned on using foam board adhesive. This stuff... But we soon found out it is terrible stuff to work with. Its consistency is nothing like regular PL Premium construction adhesive, which spreads easily but (I've been told) burns through foam board. You also need to apply "mechanical support" for 24 hours while it dries. We had to weigh it down and were running out of heavy stuff to do so with. I decided to forgo the adhesive, knowing the paneling I'll use will keep the foam board from going anywhere. This also meant I couldn't use it (count on it) to keep my foam panels on the underside in place. I had previously considered skinning the bottom with 3/8s ply, so that made up my mind. The ply will sandwich the foam board beneath the floor ply. The other thing we found out is that cutting foam board with a Skilsaw, while allowing for a perfect fit, creates a lot of foamy sawdust. That stuff (unlike wood sawdust) just flies around when you try to sweep it up. I didn't want to generate that kind of mess in my Brother-in-law's normally pristine garage. Knowing we didn't need the heated space for foam board adhesive to cure, we decided we were done there. We loaded the 4 walls on my trailer and brought them to my Father-in-law's driveway. It's pretty big. He promised my Mother-in-law we'd have it done and out of there by Christmas...which he agreed to knowing full well it will never happen. He wonders why he gets into trouble with her. Then again, I've pulled similar stuff on his daughter, so I can't judge. Then we made a second trip for the base. That's my buddy whose place the hut is going. The three of us and my Dad just picked up the base and put it on the trailer, no problem. It wasn't as heavy as I thought...not nearly as much. The walls are really light. I think this thing is not going to be quite the pig I had imagined. We unloaded at the new site. You'll notice there's little sign that winter has arrived in Sudbury. At least it takes the pressure off of the build schedule knowing there's nothing resembling an ice surface that will accommodate it within at least a hundred kilometers. Flipping the base was not as hard as I thought it would be either. "My Two Dads" and I did it ourselves, with only a moment's grunting. I picked up some 1/4 puckboard cut into 4 inch strips, 8 feet long. It cost me about $70 tax in. I had a few lines on free alternatives...but none seemed to pan out and I just needed something so I could get it done. I picked up a number 8 bit with a collar that allows counter-sinking of the screw head, and put about a million 2 inch screws in. I tried one inch screws but they spun instead of "sucking in" slightly. I wanted to cut the jigging holes before I fit the insulation and then the underskin, figuring it would be easier to do it one layer at a time. Ideally I'd like them about 6 inches closer to the bench than where they will go, but the runners are in the way. My other option is to move them to the insides of the runners, but they'll be way too close for comfortable jigging...almost between ones' feet. If I'd have moved the runners further out, I'd have needed another east/west joist between them, so this was the best option. Also this leaves a nice, wide walk-way through the centre of the hut. I bought some pails from Lowes to insert into the holes to cut down on draft and provide a "catch-ridge" for items accidentally kicked around or dropped on the floor. My father in law had a bunch...but they were of a variety of sizes and current condition. I figured it would save a lot of hassle to just get four the same size and that are easily replaceable. They were about $4 each, so they're far from a big ticket item. They came with lids which I'll glue the insulation I'll cut out for the holes to the underside of. They also have a nice big lip on the outside a few inches down that will allow them to fit nicely and flat even if my hole cuts are not perfect. I turned them upside down and cut the bottoms out with a jigsaw. Look at the Old Man...he's in his glory. I can't seem to find a pic of my Mother-in-law from today with a similar look on her face. Oh well. It was raining pretty hard by now, so we didn't want to bust out the power tools in it. That was the end of things for the day. Tomorrow I want to cut those holes, fit the insulation and underskin for the floor (cut those holes) and flip it back over. The following day the walls go up. Thanks for checking in... FISH'n'WIRE

I spent a fair amount of time in North Bay in the early 90's when I was single and my best friend was attending Canadore. I had a lot of fun there and better than normal "luck" at the bars. You almost certainly have a more favorable nice-house-to-low-mortgage-payments ratio than those in Sudbury right now, so you've got that going for you too.