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My "to do" list for the weekend sadly includes putting away the canoes for this year. So in addition to putting some new gear on my Christmas list, I'm starting in on a few DIY projects, and am interested to see what anyone else might be working on / planning to try.
1) Sleeping bag liner - new flannel sheets for the wife and I means an old but still cozy top sheet just became available. Hoping I can add a few degrees of warmth and comfort for spring trout trips.
2) 30L barrel table top - no table/log bench space sucks, especially for kids to try and eat in a camp chair without getting food everywhere. I just picked up a 30L barrel for short trips with my son, so trying to fashion a lightweight folding table top that will easily wipe clean
3) Beer can stove - I primarily rely on my canister stove, but am going to broaden my horizons, and try to make an alcohol stove. Not for group use, but might see some solo action. Also a handy emergency item with a few ounces of fuel . . .
None of these are original ideas, but there is something satisfying about a do it yourself piece of gear (if and when it works well of course) but hey, prototypes are part of the process!
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Me and a friend did a 4 day trip using only a beer can stove. Worked great. I did bring two though because if your stove runs out of fuel before you are done with it you have to wait for it to cool down before refilling. Have another handy keeps what your cooking from cooling down too. Easy to make also. .
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My Big DIY -
I made a hot tent last fall and used it over the winter
I need to move the stove jack in the tent - I had it just inside the door in the front corner - which worked well but
I'm moving the stove rear and centre - it'll give a better footprint inside the tent .
the NEW stove jack is made I just need to close the old stove jack and install the new one - Cant wait for the cold to get the tent back out :-)
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Neat thread 
I'm going to make a little table for the inside of my hot tent. Nothing fancy at all. I'm thinking a 12 inch by 24 inch board with a couple 2x4 ends as "feet". I find I'm always looking for a clean place in the hot tent to put my plate, cutlery, coffee cup, etc etc..
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Nice DIY projects, currently I'm working on restoring an old Bastien Brothers huron cedar canvas canoe I'm new to this type of project so any suggestions are appreciated. The canoe needs new canvas, gunnels and decks but the planks and ribs are in good shape it should be a good leaning experience. I find that way too many of theses old beauties are cut down and turned into book shelves so I figured I'd try to bring one back to life.
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Making a paddle or two each winter can help to refine things a little, without the expense of actually buying one, or several. Paddle oreference from individual to individual seems to be somewhat subjective and I am not going to say what makes for a better paddle, still this will become apparent as more paddles are made and the quest for the perfect paddle becomes an obsession... be prepared to spend several years on this. Those winter nights are long and you might come up with something that's better than what's available in the stores.
PS... searching for the perfect board is part of this... visiting lumber yards, sawmills. Even Home Depot and Rona can have some pretty good pieces of clear cedar, given some pawing through the pile. This will not be popular with the sales staff, but what do they know about paddling...
Last edited by frozentripper (11/17/2015 9:44 am)
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Steve's "wood turned saw" and discussion of the trailblazer saws reminded me, has anyone "manufactured" a replacement trailblazer blade? My only one is getting worn, will try and get it sharpened, but and going to attempt to source a suitable bucksaw blade, and add some pins to the ends . . .
I have some concepts, but seems like one of those easier said than done kind of adaptations . . .
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Should be doable with a cheaper replacement blade eg. CTC with holes at the right length... and two short bolts about 3/8 to 1/2 inch long with nuts. Tighten the nuts and bolts in the right holes and file down threads so they don't loosen (or use locktite or a center punch), then replace.
If you can't find a replacement blade with holes the right length, buy a longer blade and cut to the right length and drill holes where needed.
Sharpening saw blades yourself is easy in a vise and with a thin file... mount the blade upside down in the vise and sharpen each tooth, keeping the file at the right angle. Try and keep all the teeth the same size and mark your progress with a felt pen as you go so you don't oversharpen any. Saw blades last a long time this way and you can keep your saw sharp regularly.
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