ice boat question

[Jim Budde]

Some plans specify stainless steel runners, some do not specify metal. Here's my question. Will use this new toy a few times eash winter .. and some winters none at all. Any reason to use the more expensive stainless over the less expensive flat 1/4 inch steel?

[NormMessinger]

No need to use stainless steel. If mild steel rusts too much just put on new. But we should hope to live so long.

Hey, wait a minute. I know nothing about ice boats.

[Jim Budde]

Norm ... I'm building a two seater that will sail very nicely on Cunningham. I'll call ahead .. see if one of the grand neighbors have a helmet .

[davef]

Jim,

Web site: www.iceboat.org (http://www.iceboat.org)
email: debwhitehorse@iceboat.org

You may want to give this mob a shout. I'm sure someone over here knows the answer to your question - although they're probably at least as cranky as this bunch. Living here in Madison, WI we have the scourge of horrible winters which is offset by the enormous fortune of being located at the epicenter of ice boating. For those of your forumites not lucky enough to have exposure to this amazing sport, I think many of you would find the intersection between the sports fascinating.

Here's a wonderful specimine If you have a minute go check out their photos section.

http://www.iceboat.org/Images/VintagePhotos/VinPhotos/20-40/MaryB.jpg

[davef]

Sorry for clogging this post, but I love this one... You guys should get a kick out this. Notice the labor rates for a "Yacht Builder's Helper" Seems like the pay hasn't changed much...

http://www.iceboat.org/Images/VintagePhotos/VinPhotos/1896/Fritz_List_1.jpg

http://www.iceboat.org/Images/VintagePhotos/VinPhotos/1896/Fritz_List_2.jpg

[Todd Bradshaw]

You don't need stainless, in fact it's probably less desirable than most other types. Most runners are carbon steel. The real hot-shots (guys who will spend $1,000 or better just building their runners) use various expensive grades of plate steel and then have it ground absolutely flat and chrome plated. The standard runners for small-to mid-sized iceboats are DN runners both because they're available and because they're good runners and most of them come from Sarns
http://www.sarnshardware.com/
They list them as black carbon steel.

Smaller boats can use thinner, cheaper blades and work fine. One of ours had 1/4" thick , plain steel blades about 15" long with no side stiffeners and worked just fine.

[Bob Smalser]

Seems like the pay hasn't changed much...
Will have to see if sister back east can dig out Uncle Paul's old records to see if 20 years later, I was the "boatbuilder's helper @ 4hrs/day @ $.75/hr"

Bet like in my case, the "helper" was a kid or relative after school and Saturdays.

[brian.cunningham]

Originally posted by Jim Budde:
Norm ... I'm building a two seater that will sail very nicely on Cunningham. I'll call ahead .. see if one of the grand neighbors have a helmet .:confused: which one?

Nice boat Dave, thanks for sharing!

[Dan McCosh]

Carbon steel is easier to keep sharp than stainless. It hardly rusts, particularly with a few wipes with an oily rag now and then.

[Jim Budde]

Brian .. a friend bought plans and asked me to build it ... www.cherrywoodmedia.com, (http://www.cherrywoodmedia.com,) the double seat one.

Now all we need is a few weeks of cold weather

Thanks for everyones' comments