MAKE YOUR OWN SNOWSHOES

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Leave the bow to dry in the jig for at least two weeks . . . after which it should be completely "cured".

ADD THE EXTRAS

Once a frame is totally dry, it's ready to be made into a sturdy snowshoe. The Trail Blazer, as I mentioned earlier, has a 5" tail for added traction and weight distribution in deep snow. Before you fasten the frame's protruding ends together permanently to form the tail, be sure to remove any bark that didn't peel off in the steam, and then varnish the inside surfaces of the to-be-joined section ... since you won't be able to do it later.

The traditional method of connecting the halves of a snowshoe's tail is to drill two pairs of holes in each side and lash the tips together with rawhide. A more modern technique uses copper nails and washers as rivets: Simply drive in nails that are just a bit longer than the width of the tail, then bend the end of each one back over its washer with several light blows of a ball-peen hammer.

I sometimes use a third system that employs four 1/4" dowels . . . glued and driven into diagonally drilled holes that form a pair of X's across the tail.

The final important element of a snowshoe's frame consists of a pair of crossbars, which will provide strength and help the bow hold its shape. To make these pieces, split the wood that's left over from the bow, and trim the two halves to the proper dimensions: One, to be mounted near the toe end, should be 1/2" X 1-1/8" X 8" .. . the other—which is placed about 16-1/2 inches farther down toward the heel—will measure 1/2" X 1 " X 6-1/2 ". (The crossbars will be perfectly positioned by finding the place where—if the frame is balanced on a thin board crossing at the midpoint between them—the tail of the shoe is a few ounces heavier than the toe . . . to balance the forward weight of your foot and keep the "prow" of the footwear slightly higher in snowdrifts.)

Measure 3/16 inch in from each end of each crosspiece, and shape the tips into projecting tenons. Next, mark the correct positions of the bars on the inside of the frame, and chisel out matching mortises at those spots. Finally, spread the bow and fit the crossbars in place.

FINAL FRAME TOUCHES

All that's left to do on the frame, at this point, is to bore holes for the lacing and thoroughly varnish the whole assembly to protect it from the elements. Using a 5/32" bit, drill three holes along the front crossbar and two in the rear one (as shown in the lacing diagrams). The holes around the toe and heel sections should be made in pairs (with 5/S inch between the members of each pair and 2 to 2-1/2 inches between the pairs) and—at least around the toe of the shoe—countersunk to protect the lacing thongs from abrasion.

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