How to make snowshoes with your own hands. Homemade snowshoes for hunting Do-it-yourself snowshoes from plastic pipes

The direct purpose of snowshoes is to provide comfortable movement for a person along snowy trails. Snowshoes reliably protect the feet from diving under the snow, preventing falls and making it easier to overcome the intended path along the snow floor. The variability of snowshoes is due to the difference in the technologies and materials used in the manufacture of these unique devices. They are produced in industrial production, but some prefer to make snowshoes with their own hands.

Characteristics and variability of snowshoes

In the manufacture of snowshoes, a priori, the climate and terrain for movement were taken into account. Taking into account the geographical conditions, a certain shape of snowshoes is modeled from the right material. All designs, regardless of their variability, have a common characteristic.

Snowshoes are a fold of components that artificially increase the size of the human foot. Due to the increase in the covered area, a person does not fall under the snow cover. The pressure produced by a person is distributed over the entire area, and is not focused at one point.

Snowshoes have a very similar characteristic with skis, especially with hunting ones:

  1. They cover a larger area of ​​the surface on which pressure is applied.
  2. The design is identical in terms of base and fixation.

Only unlike wide skis, snowshoes are more comfortable to use because they are lighter and smaller in size. Accordingly, it is faster to move on snowshoes, and it is more convenient to carry them with you than skis.

Important! The size of snowshoes is determined in accordance with the weight and ergonomic features of the person.

Basic snowshoe models

  1. With a solid base without holes. Material for production - plywood, wooden block or plastic. A hard plastic deck (base) is used primarily for following ice and firn. The rigid deck facilitates movement on mountains or the frozen reservoirs.
  2. The base is completely or fragmentary of mesh, with holes, wood or bone frame. Modern version frames are made of plastic or aluminum. Synthetic or mesh deck - perfect solution for driving on loose snow. It is mainly used for hiking in the forest.

Previously, leather straps, ropes, wicker rods were used to make the net. The designs came in various shapes, but an oval frame, like a tennis racket, was preferred.

Considering the type of footwear used, the mount is selected. Deck mounts are made:

  • under boots with a welt;
  • for any type of footwear.

If you plan to go through icy areas, crampons are installed on snowshoes - special claws that prevent slipping.

Advice. To make the movement quick and easy, you need to choose snowshoes for their intended purpose. Flat decks will make it difficult to move on loose snow, but will make it easier to travel over mountains or ice crusts. For comfortable climbing and descending snowy hills, models made of synthetic or mesh material are most appropriate.

How to make snowshoes with a wood frame

To make a wooden frame for snowshoes yourself, it is advisable to choose a beam of optimal thickness - 7–9 mm. A thinner beam can crack or break, and a too thick one will significantly weight the structure.

An oval frame of the appropriate size is made from a bar, calculated according to the size of the leg and taking into account the weight of the person. For the manufacture of transverse components, bars of the same thickness will be required. Wooden components must be treated with a water-repellent agent to protect them from swelling and cracking when dried.

Important! When making snowshoes, take into account individual characteristics person - weight, height, shape of the feet. Standard deck width parameters are 20–25 cm, lengths are 50–100 cm.

The beam is converted into a frame, the ends of which are not fastened together. In advance, holes are made in the bars for threading the rope. It will take about 20 holes. A rope is pulled through the holes crosswise, forming a grid. The finished mesh is optionally covered with a tarpaulin. Then a fastening is made from belts, taking into account the size of the boot. Shoes must fit freely. Straps are fixed in the middle of the deck.

Snowshoes made of plastic pipes

To make snowshoes plastic pipes the following is required:

  • 2 plastic polypropylene pipes 1.5 meters long, about 20–30 mm in diameter;
  • nylon cord or any suitable rope 4–6 mm thick;
  • an elastic band that will hold the leg.

Materials for such snowshoes fit within a thousand rubles.

How to make snowshoes from plastic pipes

  1. We cut off 20 cm from each plastic pipe.
  2. We take long pieces of pipe and give them a semicircular shape. This can be done by heating the middle part for gas stove. To give the correct shape, you can use improvised objects of a rounded shape. A kettle, for example, or something about the same size, will work well.
  3. Cool the pipe in cold water
  4. We bend the toe of the resulting snowshoe blank by 120-130 degrees.
  5. We bend the ends of the pipe so that they can be tightly connected to each other, and the snowshoe has taken its completed shape.
  6. We wind the rope around the snowshoes. To better fix the rope, you can treat the surface of the pipe with sandpaper.
  7. We fix the pieces of pipe cut off at step 1 with a rope across, in the middle of the resulting snowshoe.

Attention! It does not take much effort to give the pipe the desired shape. If the pipe does not lend itself to deformation, it means that it is not warm enough.

Plywood snowshoes

To overcome short distances, simple plywood snowshoes are suitable. Plywood structures can be used for winter fishing, when it is supposed to go from the car to the lake.
The deck is made from a sheet of plywood No. 7–10 using a jigsaw (preferably electric), a drill, screws, ski mounts or straps, two drills, glue and two small boards measuring 20x50.

The preparation of the deck consists in marking two elongated ovals on a sheet of plywood. Instead of an oval, you can draw a rectangle, the edges of which need to be rounded. The outlined shape is cut out with a jigsaw, marking the place for the foot.

Planks are attached to the underside of the deck along the foot, which will strengthen the structure. Then the plywood will not break when stepping on pits and other irregularities. The length of the plank is selected identical to the length of the deck. Having correctly fixed the board, the line of the center of placement of the foot is marked and the future holes for the screws are indicated by dots. Plywood holes are made a little narrower than the diameter of the screw, and block holes are wider. Small holes are filled with glue, followed by twisting the reinforcing fasteners with the deck.

Fastening. Stepping back a little, holes are drilled along the markings of the foot, into which ropes or laces are threaded. If wide straps are used, the holes are enlarged with a jigsaw.

Advice. The easiest option for fixing is to equip the decks with mounts, like on skis for hunting or for children. Only the heel on the skis is weakly fixed, you will have to think about fixing it.

Plywood construction is variable. Plywood is plastic for drilling, equipping with spikes. Plywood snowshoes - the simplest and most fast option, not devoid of alleged functionality.

For a good example of how to make snowshoes, watch the video.

Snowshoes
The direct purpose of snowshoes is to provide comfortable movement for a person along snowy trails. Snowshoes reliably protect the feet from diving under the snow, preventing falls and making it easier to overcome the intended path along the snow floor. The variability of snowshoes is due to the difference in the technologies and materials used in the manufacture of these unique devices. They are produced in industrial production, but some prefer to make snowshoes with their own hands.

In the manufacture of snowshoes, climate features and terrain for movement have always been taken into account. Taking into account the geographical conditions, a certain shape of snowshoes is modeled from the desired material. All designs, regardless of their variability, have a common characteristic.

Snowshoes are a device for artificially increasing the area of ​​the human foot. Due to this, a person does not fall under the snow cover. The pressure produced by a person is distributed over the entire area, and is not focused at one point.

Snowshoes have a very similar characteristic with skis, especially with hunting ones:

They cover a larger area of ​​the surface on which pressure is applied.
The design is identical in terms of base and fixation.

Only, unlike wide skis, snowshoes are more comfortable to use because they are lighter and smaller in size. Accordingly, it is more convenient to move on snowshoes, and it is easier to carry them with you than skis.

Important! The size of snowshoes is determined in accordance with the weight and ergonomic features of the person.

Basic snowshoe models


Snowshoe - platform.

With a solid base without holes. Material for manufacturing - plywood, wooden block or plastic. A hard plastic deck (base) is used primarily for following ice and firn. The rigid deck facilitates movement on mountains or the frozen reservoirs.

Snowshoe - racket.

The base is completely or fragmentary of mesh, with holes, wood or bone frame. The modern version of the frame is made of plastic or aluminum. Synthetic or mesh decks are ideal for loose snow. It is mainly used for hiking in the forest.
Previously, leather straps, ropes, wicker rods were used to make the net. The designs came in various shapes, but an oval frame, like a tennis racket, was preferred.



Considering the type of footwear used, the mount is selected. Deck mounts are made:


under boots with a welt;


for any type of footwear.
If you plan to go through icy areas, crampons are installed on snowshoes - special claws that prevent slipping.


Advice. To make the movement quick and easy, you need to choose snowshoes for their intended purpose. Flat decks will make it difficult to move on loose snow, but will make it easier to travel over mountains or ice crusts. For comfortable climbing and descending snowy hills, models made of synthetic or mesh material are most appropriate.

How to make snowshoes with a wood frame
To make a wooden frame for snowshoes yourself, it is advisable to choose a beam of optimal thickness - 7–9 mm. A thinner beam can crack or break, and a too thick one will significantly weight the structure.

An oval frame of the appropriate size is made from a bar, calculated according to the size of the leg and taking into account the weight of the person. For the manufacture of transverse components, bars of the same thickness will be required. Wooden components must be treated with a water-repellent agent to protect them from swelling and cracking when dried.

The beam is converted into a frame, the ends of which are not fastened together. In advance, holes are made in the bars for threading the rope. It will take about 20 holes. A rope is pulled through the holes crosswise, forming a grid. The finished mesh is optionally covered with a tarpaulin. Then a fastening is made from belts, taking into account the size of the boot. Shoes must fit freely. Straps are fixed in the middle of the deck.

Important! In the manufacture of snowshoes, individual characteristics of a person are taken into account - weight, height, shape of the feet. Standard deck width parameters are 20–25 cm, lengths are 50–100 cm.

Snowshoes made of plastic pipes
In order to make snowshoes from plastic pipes, you need the following:

2 plastic polypropylene pipes 1.5 meters long, about 20-30mm in diameter;
nylon cord or any suitable rope 4-6mm thick
rubber band to hold the leg
Materials for such snowshoes fit within a thousand rubles.

How to make snowshoes from plastic pipes
We cut off 20 cm from each plastic pipe.
We take long pieces of pipe and give them a semicircular shape. This can be done by heating the middle part on a gas stove. To give the correct shape, you can use improvised objects of a rounded shape. A kettle, for example, or something about the same size, will work well.
Cool the pipe in cold water
We bend the toe of the resulting snowshoe blank by 120-130 degrees.
We bend the ends of the pipe so that they can be tightly connected to each other, and the snowshoe has taken its completed shape.
We wind the rope around the snowshoes. To better fix the rope, you can treat the surface of the pipe with sandpaper.
We fix the pieces of pipe cut off at step 1 with a rope across, in the middle of the resulting snowshoe.

Attention! It does not take much effort to give the pipe the desired shape. If the pipe does not lend itself to deformation, then it is not heated enough.

and can be like this
Plywood snowshoes
To overcome short distances, simple plywood snowshoes are suitable. Plywood structures can be used for winter fishing, when it is supposed to go from the car to the lake.
The deck is made from a sheet of plywood No. 7–10 using a jigsaw (preferably electric), a drill, screws, ski mounts or straps, two drills, glue and two small boards measuring 20x50.

The preparation of the deck consists in marking two elongated ovals on a sheet of plywood. Instead of an oval, you can draw a rectangle, the edges of which need to be rounded. The outlined shape is cut out with a jigsaw, marking the place for the foot.

Planks are attached to the underside of the deck along the foot, which will strengthen the structure. Then the plywood will not break when stepping on pits and other irregularities. The length of the plank is selected identical to the length of the deck. Having correctly fixed the board, the line of the center of placement of the foot is marked and the future holes for the screws are indicated by dots. Plywood holes are made a little narrower than the diameter of the screw, and block holes are wider. Small holes are filled with glue, followed by twisting the reinforcing fasteners with the deck.

Fastening. Stepping back a little, holes are drilled along the markings of the foot, into which ropes or laces are threaded. If wide straps are used, the holes are enlarged with a jigsaw.

Advice. The easiest option for fixing is to equip the decks with mounts, like on skis for hunting or for children. Only the heel on the skis is weakly fixed, you will have to think about fixing it.
Plywood construction is variable. Plywood is plastic for drilling, equipping with spikes. Plywood snowshoes are the easiest and fastest option, not devoid of supposed functionality.

For a good example of how to make snowshoes, watch the video.

Classic snowshoes consist of an oblong or fusiform wooden frame with one or two crossbars inside and a braid of leather or strong cord.

Modern snowshoes practically repeat this design, only the frame is made of durable and lightweight metal pipe, and the role of the braid is now performed by a plastic membrane. There is also another type of snowshoe, with a one-piece plastic deck.

The first walk through the winter forest on snowshoes usually becomes a real revelation even for seasoned lovers of winter tourism. The ease of walking in deep snow, the absence of the need for a ski track, complete freedom in choosing a direction are very pleasing. And even the fact that it is impossible to roll on snowshoes, sliding like on skis, does not detract from their merits.

And how convenient it is with snowshoes in transport! They are fastened to a backpack or simply held in the hand, without disturbing others at all. With skis, they are unlikely to be allowed into the minibus, and with snowshoes, no one will pay attention to you.

Snowshoe selection

First you need to decide how and under what conditions you will use this projectile.

Framed snowshoes are the most versatile and are easy to repair even in field conditions. The springy tubular frame makes it easier to run and jump over obstacles. They can be used everywhere, but are especially useful in lowland forests and low-mountain terrain.

An all-plastic deck is typically used for snowshoes in small areas, for high altitude conditions, and is often equipped with additional firn teeth and a heel counter to make it easier to climb a steep slope. These all-plastic snowshoes are usually compact and are especially popular with snowboarders for freeride trails. And also sometimes used by climbers.

Snowshoe size is given in inches or centimeters.
The length should be approximately 2.5 - 3 the length of your foot, and the width should not be more than 1 foot.
Do not choose oversized snowshoes. They are inconvenient for active maneuvering in thickets and during transportation.

An important indicator is the carrying capacity of snowshoes. It is indicated in kilograms and indicates how reliable this projectile will be under your weight. Indeed, when running and jumping, snowshoes experience serious loads! Try not to exceed the weight limit for the snowshoes you choose.

Pay attention to fasteners. They are universal and welted.

The former can be fastened to almost any type of shoe. These bindings, slightly reminiscent of soft snowboard bindings, are the most common.
The second type of mounts is suitable only for ski and climbing boots with a welt for ice crampons.

First steps

Unlike skiing, where at least minimal skills are required for skiing, anyone without exception can put on snowshoes and immediately go confidently in them.
Modern trekking snowshoes are used with special shoes. But it's not at all required condition, for starters, even ordinary winter boots with a high top will do.
Walking will be much more comfortable with ski poles in hand. The technique is very similar to Nordic walking.

The step in snowshoes is very soft. This makes walking enjoyable even for people with sore joints. This sports equipment It is quite suitable for a measured walk through a snow-covered forest or park. The weight is smoothly and evenly transferred to the entire surface of the foot. And when lifting the leg, all the muscles below the knee relax, since there is no need to direct the snowshoe in any way, its nose itself emerges from the snow.

Walking on the plain, in the language of skiing, “alternately two-step” - for one step there is one push with a stick. When climbing a steep mountain, it is more convenient to switch to simultaneous-two-step walking, when one synchronous push is made with both sticks for two steps.

If sticks are not available, walking is facilitated by wide arm movements. Have you seen Bigfoot walking in the famous newsreel footage? Feel free to copy the Yeti's movements. This is exactly the dynamics of calm walking in snowshoes without sticks ...

Where can you go snowshoeing?

In any forest outside the city, in the same place where they ski. Only the choice of routes with snowshoes is much more extensive. You don't need a ski track, go wherever you want. Never get lost, follow your own footsteps. And, of course, in the nearby mountains. Those places where it is difficult and even impossible to move in summer (due to swamps, tall grass and midges), in winter snowshoes turn into a park for walking and active training. There will be no inaccessible places for you, you can go straight through any forest.

On winter holidays or during hunting, specific equipment can be useful that will help you move freely through snowy areas. It is quite expensive, so most people try to make snowshoes with their own hands. This will require minimal knowledge, a small amount of materials, as well as a few hours of free time.

General information about snowshoes

Before you start making snowshoes, you need to consider the main advantages of this equipment, as well as study its characteristics in detail. The information obtained will help to understand not only possible options the use of finished products, but also ways to create them with your own hands.

Main types and their advantages

Snowshoes are very handy devices that make it much easier to get around in difficult terrain. Specialists distinguish 2 types of such products used in a given situation:

  1. On a dense base without holes. In most cases, such equipment is used to move on ice in the plains or in the mountains. It is made of wood, plastic or plywood, which can significantly reduce weight without losing strength.
  2. On a mesh frame. Such devices are made with a partial or full base, which can help overcome any snow-covered areas. Most often they are made of aluminum or wood, and synthetic threads are used for weaving.

Both types of snowshoes have a number of positive qualities. Thanks to this, they can be used everywhere and easily cope with the difficulties of the cold season.

Advantages of any models:

  • ease of use;
  • good maneuverability;
  • high speed of movement;
  • uniform weight distribution and reduced pressure on the surface;
  • excellent stability;
  • the ability to adapt products to specific conditions (with the help of special parts - crampons and hooks).

Required characteristics

A self-made snowshoe will do its job well only if it has standard characteristics. If these requirements are not met, various difficulties in operation will arise.

The main qualities that all snowshoe models must meet:

  1. Strength. This indicator should be at the highest possible level so that the finished product can withstand continuous loads.
  2. Reliability. In most cases, snowshoes are used in remote places where there is no way to repair broken equipment. Because of this, it should be one that will not let a person down in difficult times.
  3. Light weight. The maximum allowable weight of the finished product is 1 kg. Exceeding this indicator will lead to the fact that the equipment will fail and make it difficult to move.
  4. Standard size. The snowshoe should have such dimensions that will allow you to stay on the surface of the snowdrift and will not interfere with movement. All devices are calculated based on the size of a person’s legs, as well as his body weight. In most cases, the length varies from 50 to 80 cm, and the width from 25 to 30 cm.

Manufacturing options

There are 3 main models of snowshoes for hunting. It is quite simple to make them with your own hands, so even a beginner can do the job. In this case, you will not need to spend a lot of money on the purchase of the required materials.

From a polypropylene pipe

Snowshoes from polypropylene pipes are the most versatile and often handmade. They can be used for movement in open or rough terrain, as well as in a forested area. With a simple upgrade, you can convert the devices and use them to overcome icy areas.

To make such a model, you will need the following materials and tools:

  • polypropylene pipe 1.5 m long and 20 to 30 mm in diameter;
  • synthetic or nylon cord with a cross section of at least 4 mm;
  • technical rubber bands;
  • hacksaw;
  • metal teapot;
  • protractor;
  • tape measure or metal ruler;
  • sandpaper;
  • fasteners.

The materials used must be purchased with a margin. Otherwise, the slightest mistake will lead to a stop in the manufacturing process and the need to re-buy pipes, rubber bands or cords.

  1. They take 2 identical polypropylene pipes and cut 20 cm from them with a hacksaw.
  2. The remaining parts are alternately bent into a semicircle. To do this, heat the middle of each of them over the stove.
  3. Then the parts are carefully rounded, wrapping them around a metal teapot.
  4. Finished elements are placed in a basin with cold water where it is cooled to room temperature.
  5. The blanks are bent in the same way, forming the toes of the snowshoes. In this case, it is important to use a protractor, with which you can achieve the desired bending angle (from 120 to 130 degrees).
  6. The edges of these parts are connected to each other and securely fastened.
  7. The contact point is treated with sandpaper.
  8. At the next stage of work, a nylon cord is taken and wound around the structure.
  9. Cut off pieces of polypropylene pipes are attached to the almost finished equipment. This is done with a synthetic cord.
  10. Technical rubber bands are installed on these elements, and they are fixed with any fasteners.

With wooden frame

Due to their appearance, wood-based products are often referred to as "Bear's Paw". They are used during winter hunting or walking through a snowy forest. Due to the peculiarities of the material and design, the equipment has springy properties that allow you to move, jump and run as quickly as possible.

For work you need to prepare:

  • a tree trunk with a diameter of not more than 15 cm;
  • fiberglass tape;
  • nylon cord;
  • steel rope;
  • foot mounts;
  • sandpaper;
  • epoxy adhesive;
  • polyurethane varnish;
  • skobel.

For snowshoes with a wooden base, it is best to use ash. It needs to be harvested in winter or late autumn, since at this time there is practically no juice in the wood.

Equipment manufacturing steps:

  1. The trunk of an ash-tree is divided into 4 equal parts (longitudinal).
  2. The blanks are carefully planed with a scraper until their cross section is 40 x 40 cm in size.
  3. Structural elements are placed in a steaming chamber, where they are kept for 3 or 4 hours (depending on the degree of dryness of the tree).
  4. After the specified time, the blanks are bent as carefully as possible, giving them the shape of a drop.
  5. In this form, the products are placed in a dark and dry place at room temperature.
  6. After a week, the edges of the blanks are split.
  7. Epoxy glue is poured into the gaps formed and the parts are spliced.
  8. The junction is tightly wrapped with fiberglass tape. It is important to carry out this operation before the adhesive composition hardens.
  9. Small crossbars are cut out of wood, which are inserted into the frame. This will give it extra strength and rigidity.
  10. The finished base is cleaned with sandpaper.
  11. Then it is covered with polyurethane varnish and left for a day to dry.
  12. After 24 hours, a nylon cord is wound around the wooden frame. Do this so that weaving is formed in the form of a grid.
  13. In those places where the greatest pressure will be exerted on the base, a steel cable tie is made.
  14. At the very end, fastenings for the foot are put on.

Plywood products

Snowshoes made of plywood are often used by skiers and climbers who use them to climb mountains. The design feature allows you to get maximum emphasis on the heel. This not only increases the comfort of movement, but also prevents slipping.

Before you start creating plywood snowshoes, you need to prepare the following items:

  • plywood sheet;
  • wooden boards;
  • synthetic or nylon cord;
  • fasteners for straps;
  • electric drill;
  • set of drills;
  • jigsaw;
  • screws;
  • sandpaper;
  • marker or marker;
  • epoxy adhesive.

Experts recommend taking sheets of plywood with a thickness of 7 to 10 mm. A thinner material will not give the desired strength and elasticity, and a wide one will significantly increase the mass of the structure. In the classic version, it is advised to use plywood 8 mm thick.

Work procedure:

  1. First of all, they take a sheet of plywood and cut out a rectangle 50 cm long and 20 cm wide from it. This work is easiest to do with a jigsaw. If there is no such tool, then you can replace it with a manual wood jigsaw.
  2. The edges of the workpiece are rounded and processed with sandpaper.
  3. After that, a foot is placed on the plywood and circled around it with a marker.
  4. 2 wooden planks are attached to the bottom of the workpiece parallel to each other. Their size must exactly match the length of the base. Such an action will help strengthen the structure and increase its strength characteristics.
  5. The center of the foot placement is determined and a line is drawn in this place.
  6. Then they outline the places where the straps will be attached to the base.
  7. Holes are drilled using an electric drill. Their size should be slightly narrower than the diameter of the screw.
  8. Before attaching the straps, the holes are filled with epoxy glue, which will improve the quality of fixing the part to the base.
  9. Holes of small diameter are drilled in pre-marked places.
  10. A synthetic or nylon cord is threaded through them, which will fasten the snowshoe to the leg. If the product provides for the use of special belts, then the finished holes are expanded to the desired size using an electric or manual jigsaw.

Terms of use

In order to learn how to walk on snowshoes, three hours of practice will be enough. At the same time, during the movement, it is necessary to take into account general rules, which will help speed up walking and reduce the load on the legs.

  1. In order to put on devices for moving on snow or ice, it is necessary to place the foot on the base and combine the location of the heel with the fulcrum. After this, the fasteners are alternately tied or fastened. At the very end, the reliability of fixation and comfort for the human feet are checked.
  2. While walking, you need to put your foot on the heel, and then smoothly move the center of gravity to the entire foot.
  3. The speed of movement should be approximately the same as without the use of useful devices.
  4. Don't lift your leg high with every step. Otherwise, the muscles will quickly get tired, which will lead to cramps.
  5. When walking on loose snow, only the toe should be raised above the surface, and then slide on the heel.
  6. While walking, it is better to use assistive devices - sticks. You can also make them yourself or break off branches from any tree. At the same time, the length of the sticks should be such that it is comfortable for a person to move with a straight back.
  7. Moving uphill, it is necessary to hit the toe on the snowy surface with force. This action will make it possible to use the snowshoes as a lever for lifting.
  8. Going down the slope, you need to walk narrowly and slowly. If it was not possible to maintain balance, then it is better not to run down the mountain, but to sit down and slide down.
  9. Moving along the slope, it is necessary to drive the side surface of the equipment into the snow. For greater stability, it is recommended to use sticks.
  10. Several hikers or snowshoe hunters must move in formation. This will help reduce the burden on the team member walking last. However, periodically it will be necessary to change the leader, as he will get tired much more than the others.

Snowshoes are an essential piece of equipment to take on long winter hikes. Thanks to them, it will be possible to avoid various difficulties and easily overcome deep snowdrifts.

Plywood is used not only in construction, but also in design.


The plywood constructor allows you to solve two important tasks - self-realization, as well as the assembly of very useful and sought-after items:

  • from household trifles and hobbies;
  • to furniture and vehicles.

This article is devoted to the basic principles and methods of working with the material when assembling various items.

General principles lead to particular results


Whatever you plan to collect, the principles of working with the material remain the same. You can change the configuration of parts, change the system of fasteners, completely abandon the proposed color solutions, but only knowledge about working with plywood will allow you to do this with absolutely no loss in quality.

For your information!
Whatever manipulations you do with plywood, remember that the hardened resins that are part of the adhesive mixtures blunt and wear out the cutting surfaces of the tools very quickly, so carbide tools are preferred.
In addition, it would be useful to decide in advance the issue of sharpening these assistants.

Now we present the entire basic set of manipulations, which allows you to create the entire spectrum with your own hands, up to the boat.

So:

  1. Croy. This is a fairly simple and at the same time responsible operation, since the clarity of the assembly of the entire structure depends on it.
    At this stage, special attention should be paid to three aspects:
    • Clarity of drawing the contours of parts on the material;
    • Placement of docking grooves and spikes in case the design assumes just this type of fastening;
    • Compact placement of all parts to minimize waste and at the same time, providing the most convenient access for the cutting tool to separate the fragment from the sheet.

  1. Sawing. The principle of material processing will be announced in a separate section.
  2. Drilling . A seemingly simple event has nuances that require special consideration, in addition, it is in this section that we will talk about the figured cutting of material not only with the help of special machines, but also with ordinary tools.
  3. Slice alignment.
  4. Part connections. There are several types of connections and all of them are in demand, used quite often, almost mutually irreplaceable.
  5. Sanding and painting.

step march


This is not a digression from the topic, but a completely logical continuation of the conversation, with an offer from which you are unlikely to refuse: go through all the stages step by step. And we start all the same with cutting the material and its subsequent sawing.

Although we have voiced the main points of plywood cutting worthy of attention, nevertheless, small practical additions will not hurt:

  • In many designs, there are paired parts with curvilinear cuts, an example is a do-it-yourself plywood bread box made and completely copying the industrial counterpart, where the side faces are semicircular in shape.
    No less indicative is a do-it-yourself plywood guitar, where the two main parts of the body of the instrument are made in the form of a figure eight. In this case, you can use one pattern, just apply it to the sheet twice, thrice or as many times as necessary;
  • The cutting of these parts can be carried out either separately from each other, or by applying one part to another in order to prepare the parts for processing and grinding as lapped to each other as possible.

And now specifically about cutting plywood:

  • Certainly, thin plywood, which is pressed from several layers of veneer and which is a sheet up to 2 mm, can be easily cut with a knife;
  • Up to 6 mm - these sheets are for a jigsaw. You can of course use a manual jigsaw;
  • Everything over the six is ​​​​everything for a circular saw, you can use a band saw, but curly with just such tools will be extremely problematic, so our recommendation:

Advice!
For curly cutting plywood, you can use the services of workshops equipped with CNC machines.
This equipment will allow not only to make a figured cut of any complexity, but also to provide the product with figured carving, which, of course, will add attractiveness, the price of such a product will already be higher.
The second solution to the problem will be manual sawing of the workpiece according to curvilinear patterns using a jigsaw.
If you want to make, for example, a plywood butt with your own hands, then a jigsaw is quite capable of doing this.
Let's even say more, by assembling the stock from several equivalent parts, in the outer ones, you can still make curly cuts with the same jigsaw, here you have the thread.

There are additional rules for working with plywood, namely:

  • cutting band saw carried out from the front side, and with a power tool from the inside. The cutting should be along the fibers of the outer layer;
  • If cutting along the fibers is not possible, especially when cutting curved contours, then the outer layer is cut with a knife along the contours of the cut, a so-called weakening groove is made, which will prevent the formation of cracks in the outer veneer layer;
  • The use of a power tool often gives a torn edge, this is not a problem if, for example, you need a do-it-yourself lid for an aquarium assembled from plywood. In this case, the lid is most often pasted over with a decorative film that matches the color of the wood and hides small defects. But there are very few such cases, so when working with a power tool, you need to remember a simple rule: the speed is high, the pressure is minimal. This is what eliminates the possibility of chipping.

We drill, we plan - we process, it means


Running a little ahead, I would like to note that in connecting plywood to each other, attaching this material to others, for example, to wood or metal, nails are rarely used. In the case of their use, holes are drilled in plywood, and this is also done in details when using an electric jigsaw or a conventional jigsaw (the holes are just needed for the normal installation of the cutting blade).

Drilling has its own nuances:

  • To obtain a smooth hole without chips, two conditions must be met:
  • Use only sharp carbide drills;
  • Place a backing sheet under the part. Usually, unnecessary scraps of plywood are used for this.
  • And about the processing of the edge. Quite often there is a need to process the edge of the product in a final version. The most banal case - you solve the problem of how to make a plywood table with your own hands. It is clear that you can glue the ends with a special tape to match the color of the main coating, and the coating can be safely glued, but the appearance will please the eye only when the corners and saw cut are even. In this case, you have two ways to solve the problem:
  • First. Bring the product to the ideal manually with sandpaper, gradually moving from coarse to zero.
  • Second. Use special equipment. The simplest and most interesting is the plywood grinder - assembled with your own hands. A little more about him.

Interesting to know!
The grinder is a very simple and effective machine.
The principle of its operation is to scroll the tape from the same sandpaper at a certain speed.
As a result, wooden or plywood parts are adjusted to the desired dimensions.
The machine works as a belt drive, as the “heart” of the machine, an ordinary angle grinder is used, which transmits rotation to a movable, tightly fixed roll using a belt.
Adjustment occurs by means of a tension of a mobile roll.

Types of connection of parts

In matters of connection, everything depends on the loads that the finished product will experience, as well as on the environment in which this product will be used.

Let's explain:

  • You decided to make a chest with your own hands from plywood. It is clear that this chest will not be subjected to heavy loads, and wood screws can be used as a connection. By pre-drilling holes of smaller diameter in the parts.
  • If the same chest is planned for additional loads, for example, as a stool, then self-tapping fasteners will not withstand. In this case, it is better to change the design of the entire box and make a spike-in-groove option, the same applies to the decision to build a plywood bed with your own hands. Joints for reliability can be glued with PVA glue or epoxy;
  • If the products are designed for medium loads, for example, you decide to make a chair out of plywood with your own hands or a chest of drawers, then furniture screws are quite suitable here, which are screwed into the prepared holes at the rate of half the diameter of the screw without penetrating into the outer veneer of plywood.
  • And about the use outside the air. Plywood products can be used in water. If you want to make a do-it-yourself plywood catamaran, or a boat or boat, then the usual fastening of parts will not work for you. In addition to the fact that the fragments are fastened with clamps or wire, all joints are literally filled with epoxy resin.

Finally

Processing plywood is very simple, sanding with sandpaper, to give the product the appearance of wood, you can use stain and varnish. In general, a lot of interesting and useful things can be made from plywood, the video in this article is also ready to present the topic.

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