Winter projects

[Black_Fly]

What’s your winter projects? Besides the perpetual getting in shape fallacy, I’m outfitting a new canoe, and hopefully testing some load configurations

I guess my biggest project will be helping Bogan recover from ACL surgery. It’s a pretty nasty deal where they saw off the top of the tibia and slide it forward, then refasten the knob to the shaft by scabbing a metal piece on the side. Poor guy will be in a pen in the house for 8 weeks, out on a leash in the yard only. This is pretty sedentary for a dingo who runs everywhere, inside or out.

Besides that, once the new canoe gets here, I’ll need to fiddle with the normal stuff, seat pad, Backsaver, possibly a footbrace. I’ll install the obligatory waterproof lining holes once some warm weather occurs and I can get the loaded waterline marked. The pollution in the lake helps in that regard, leaving a nice crusty mark.

The wife’s new car comes next week so I’ll be roof racking that. The main thing is not to hurry on these projects. Plenty of time.

I’m devoting an entire room to trip planning. Turned my mom’s hospital bed into a dedicated map table. I can leave maps laid out on a sheet of plywood with all my gadgets and reference materials right where I can find them. The hard part is keeping the cat out, as she destroys maps and causes havoc in general. Yesterday, she got closed in there and tore up the carpeting at the bottom of the door. After finally getting the door open to release her, I had to clean up the carpet pile and reinstall the frayed carpet under the threshold transition strip. Darn cat.

When the snow gets good up north, I’m planning a snowshoeing trip to the UP, or wherever I can find a good base and some trails, a warm room. Much will depend on Bogan’s recovery.

Anyway, that’s what I have going on to keep busy now that the cold moons are here. Interesting to hear what other outdoor enthusiasts do during the winter. I envy guys with a heated shop or garage.

 

[Gamma1214]

Not much planned here but I try to stay flexible.

I have one boat to finish and I'm hoping to build another stripper. I'll make some paddles and cut up a bunch of trees for future use (I've got some unusual species rounded up and I'm curious to see what the wood looks like).

Other than that, I just plan to make sure everything is in order so that I can get out again in '26.

 

[RTowner]

I’ll be planning a few trips on the rivers in Northern Michigan. I also am looking at the creeks close to home for a few “camping” trips for me and my boys so they can you their youth canoes for something more than plunking around the channel their grandma and grandpa live on.

 

[Robin]

Interesting to hear what other outdoor enthusiasts do during the winter. I envy guys with a heated shop or garage.

I am lucky to have a single car garage attached to side of my house that I have converted into a canoe shop with heat. I have been off and on busy this fall working on a few projects that I mentioned on the site previously. This old Wenonah Spirt11 is finished and I was supposed to deliver it to my son in Connecticut on Thanksgiving but my wife broke her arm shortly before we left home so I left the canoe home. Now it’s here till spring and It’s been in the way since. When my grandson comes by he will help me get it stored properly.


I’m still working on an old wood canvas 16’ Chestnut canoe, somewhere from the 1920’s. I recently picked up some 3 & 3/4” planking from George’s River Canoe shop in Warren, Maine. All my Chestnuts have had 3” plank, this wider plank is a sure giveaway to the canoes old age. I also picked up the canvass and stem bands needed to complete the canoe.


Unfortunately, the canoe went back up on the rack, my 1987 John Deere 750 tractor’s power steering went out so I’ll be trying to fix that in the next few days.


I still have that JR Robertson 16’ courting canoe to finish. It’s got closed gunnels which will be a first for me. It’s a really nice old canoe that will be a joy to paddle next spring. Besides the gunnels, I need to Cain the seats which is not my favorite part of canoe work.



I also have a few canvas packs that need attention, some new straps and patches


I have a pair of snow shoes that I want to make replacement bindings, I already have most of the material. Im also going to refurbish my old landing net, varnish and leather handle. I like the old school net so that will stay.


Finally, my work bench needs a makeover, not sure how much time I’ll devote to it.

 

[Neophyte]

I'm planning on getting the dog out for a lot of day hikes. The winters in the greater Philadelphia area are pretty mild and we don't get a lot of snow, so that's a little depressing. But getting out and moving definitely keeps me happier and healthier, and any time away from the suburban sprawl is good.

I went in on a project *cough* kayak *cough,* I'll be working with some friends to get that up and running. It's wood and needs to be refinished, should be starting with sanding this weekend. I'm not really sure what we're getting into, whoever built it made a real mess of things. But it floats and it's fun to paddle.

Other than that I'll be reading and playing guitar.

 

[PortageW/Cerberus]

Funny, I was just making a list.

My DIY Portage pack now has about 10 trips and 70 days on it, and I need to make some repairs and one or two modifications to it.

I have some outdoors clothing that similarly needs some repair.

I may start tinkering with some carbon-fiber projects. Have several canoe-related things I'd like to try to make.

 

[Penns Woods]

My trip with lowangle al this past fall convinced me that I need more organization in my tent. Plus, I can use it as a much-needed table. So, I guess I'll be building a wanigan this winter. I'm not sure the exact size yet. I'm still trying to figure out what I'll be placing in it.

 

[stripperguy]

Winter projects? Where should I start?
My son is building his house between us and our daughter and S-I-L's house. I've been making their window extension jambs as well as all their window and door trim. Just today finished installing the kitchen sink drain, garbage disposal and plumbing in the drains. Finish trim will take about a month. I've previously helped install all the plumbing, heating, wiring rough ins.
My 1977 Jeep CJ5 needs a new frame, I'll weld up a new one from 3" x 4" tube, that's the easy part. Switching the body and running gear will take a while...
The carbon copy Sawyer that nephew, son and I built the other year needs help. We did a lousy job adhering the H80 foam and suffered a bunch of delamination. Gonna try to salvage most of that hull, all of the outer layers are in great shape.
Once our son (and D-I-L and grandkids) move out of our house and into theirs, MDB and I have a ton of updates and repairs on the list for our house. Mostly wall repairs and painting of walls and trim.
Finally, but not lastly, skiing. I've been lift served alpine skiing in VT twice so far, and just this week skied back country after a nor'easter dropped 12" of powder on my favorite abandoned ski area.
In a good year, I'll get out at least once a week back country. If the snow is lousy, I'll ski lift served just to keep my ski legs under me.
Other than that, I'll continue to heal from my bike vs pick up truck collision this past July. Broken ribs and C7 vertabra have healed well, but the separated shoulder continues to limit my activities, as well as cause a fair amount of discomfort. (yes, the dude was ticketed)

 

[Steve in Idaho]

Well, I just finished project #1, which was installing a pellet stove. No more firewood cutting for me. But now, what do I do with my shop scraps and all the pinecones around the place?

Just some minor little canoe related projects. In spite of what Wenonah says about it, I want to put a foot bar in the Moccasin. A while back, I was discussing my intent to rig a batten for the spray cover on the Solitude, and frustration over not finding suitable batten stock. Someone here suggested I should take a heat gun to some PVC pipe and flatten it. That part, I got done weeks ago - including giving it a slight bend. Still need to cut it to length and install a snap.

I have 15' of bare wall that needs to be covered with cabinets. If I get that done between ski trips (if we get snow) maybe I'll use up some of my pile of mill ends to make some extra paddles.

 

[gumpus]

My first winter project, following our second late November snowstorm. We now have a portable, earthquake-resistant mailbox that's been approved by my wife and our mail carrier Barbara.

 

[Penns Woods]

That is a darn good design. I have to give you three attaboys for that. I have a problem with snow plows and my mail boxes. With your permission I'd like to borrow your design for my mail box.

 

[dutchlennart]

Winterprojects
1 getting back inshape. The water stays wet over here most of the time. But the darkness is not nice for after work paddling. There is more wind in winter making freestyle not easy. It is a good time to get to know your boat trimwise and get your forward stroke better and get rid of and speed losses in for example slow getting from the end of your catchfase to the next one..

2 getting my kayak ( epic 16 x) optimal for longer sea tours. I bought it last month second hand. The hull is good the outfitting can be done a lot better.

3 getting the shed better organized. And getting rid of some canoes and bikes that are not used much.

 

[gumpus]

That is a darn good design. I have to give you three attaboys for that. I have a problem with snow plows and my mail boxes. With your permission I'd like to borrow your design for my mail box.

Thank you. I just cut off the bottom of the post to square it up, then drilled holes through the post at top of bucket height, then used 3 long wood screws to attach the bucket to post and keep the post base stable, then drilled holes in top edge of bucket and added the dowels and filled the bucket with genuine Lake Michigan sand.

 

[Black_Fly]

Next time, my mailbox will stop the plow in its tracks! Concrete and rebar! My grandkids gave me a big plastic fish mailbox for the cabin. It lasted a few months before someone in a side by side ATV took it out. I’ve lost two here at the house in 20 years to snow plows. Next one will outlast my house, by god!

 

[Steve in Idaho]

Next time, my mailbox will stop the plow in its tracks! Concrete and rebar! My grandkids gave me a big plastic fish mailbox for the cabin. It lasted a few months before someone in a side by side ATV took it out. I’ve lost two here at the house in 20 years to snow plows. Next one will outlast my house, by god!

I have a funny story about that, which I thank you for bringing it to mind. Gives me a good chuckle to start the day.

When I first moved in to this house, I was having an ongoing problem with the local fad of drive-by mailbox bashing. So I determined to build a bash-proof mailbox. I had this long piece of heavy 6"x6" steel that was going to be a bumper for a truck that never happened. I had that cut and welded so it had a covered platform protecting my mailbox. I dug a hole and set that in concrete. No more bashed mailboxes. There was evidence that someone tried. That must've hurt.

But that's not the funny part. Fast-forward to years later. Some new young drivers decided that my street was a good place to hold their impromptu nocturnal drag races. That went on for awhile until one of the racers lost control and ran over my mailbox. I woke up to the scene of my uprooted mailbox with a thoroughly destroyed rice rocket on top of it. The driver survived but the car did not. That was the end of the street racing here to this day.

Oh - other than being uprooted and paint scratched, my mailbox was unscathed. Neighbors were highly amused. We replanted it, and gave it new paint and new reflectors. That thing is like a monument.

Our street almost never gets plowed.

 

[Pseudonym]

I’m building a set of “K-Wans,” or kitchen wannigans, based on Gil Gilpatrick’s food pack design. I’ll post a thread when I get the chance. Here’s my progress so far:


I also have some @Conk seats to install in my latest OT Tripper, new float bags to rig in an old Tripper, and Fir gunwales to oil in the RX Yellowstone/Wildfire. Plus lots of paddle maintenance and a lean-to shed to complete that qualifies as a canoe project because it houses paddles and PFDs.

I’m sure I’ll get it all done next winter.

 

[ppine]

I bought a 10 year old rPod travel trailer that was kind of beat up and cheap. I am refurbishing it. It extends my camping season to almost year around. We have some state parks that are open all year. It is small but perfect for me and my best dog Ruby Begonia.

I have all of the system working now. New tires, new lithium battery, solar system. It is starting to look a lot better. Fun project and very personal. I can sell it for more than I paid for it. This trailer will help me keep going out there.

 

[Penns Woods]

Your travel trailer sounds nice. A few pictures would help make it even better. Thanks

 

[scoutergriz]

I have a funny story about that, which I thank you for bringing it to mind. Gives me a good chuckle to start the day.

When I first moved in to this house, I was having an ongoing problem with the local fad of drive-by mailbox bashing. So I determined to build a bash-proof mailbox. I had this long piece of heavy 6"x6" steel that was going to be a bumper for a truck that never happened. I had that cut and welded so it had a covered platform protecting my mailbox. I dug a hole and set that in concrete. No more bashed mailboxes. There was evidence that someone tried. That must've hurt.

But that's not the funny part. Fast-forward to years later. Some new young drivers decided that my street was a good place to hold their impromptu nocturnal drag races. That went on for awhile until one of the racers lost control and ran over my mailbox. I woke up to the scene of my uprooted mailbox with a thoroughly destroyed rice rocket on top of it. The driver survived but the car did not. That was the end of the street racing here to this day.

Oh - other than being uprooted and paint scratched, my mailbox was unscathed. Neighbors were highly amused. We replanted it, and gave it new paint and new reflectors. That thing is like a monument.

Our street almost never gets plowed.

I had an uncle who did similar- he took piece of 6" drill string about 10' long, let me practice my mig welding on it by making false ridges along the top 3' as well as false fissures with a grinder, and welded a 3/8" plate for the box on top. He then dug a hole about 1' by 3' deep, and used his excavator to drive the whole thing about 7' into the ground, filled the hole with concrete and a tube of hog panel for reinforcing, and let it cure. Meantime we took some 1/4" plate and torches to bend it into a U about the same size as a standard mailbox, cut and welded a back on, and did the same on the front, except only the bottom 1" was welded and the top reattached with a welded hinge,the whole contraction was welded to the plate on the post.
My cousin, a commercial artist, painted the post and base with a fake woodgrain pattern, and the box in Postal Red...
within the first week my uncle had collected 2 smashed wooden bats and one badly bent aluminium bat, there also was a lot of broken glass on the road beside the box (I suspect from bats getting bounced back into a rear window) My cousin missed the driveway one night and clipped the mailbox, all I can say is mailbox- 1, '69 mustang fastback- 0
Several years ago he sold and moved to a seniors' condo, but in the meantime that box is still there, and still the occasional eater of baseball bats. Long- time neighbors slow down by it regularly to see if there's any new signs of errant youth taking a new physics lesson (law of momentum- objects at rest tend to stay at rest)

 

[Patrick Corry]

Like Robin, my winter projects are focused on wood/canvas canoe repair and restoration:

1938 Old Town 50 pounder being restored for a gentleman in Yorktown Heights, NY. Shown here after 24 ribs replaced, new inwales, lots of red cedar planking and mahogany outwales being prepared prior to canvassing:

New Ash seat frames and thwart for the 1938 Old Town; it was delivered by Old Town without seats-kneeling thwarts only:

1927 Old Town 50 pounder requiring all the rib tips replaced, new stem repairs scarfed on, and awaiting new Spruce inwales:

And, two more Old Town 50 pounders found their way to the barn, both from 1957. This one, just gently power washed, mostly requires some sanding, varnish, canvas, and paint. Interestingly, it has unusually decorative D-shaped outwales in mahogany.
Before:

After washing:


And this one, on the left, which will require pretty much the same treatment plus new outwales:


Good thing I just bought a 90' roll of fresh canvas! Now if only the barn was heated; I guess I'll either have to suffer or wait for Spring.