BUILD A SLED FROM SHIPPING SKIDS!

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Here's traditional Christmas toy that you needn't spend a mint on.

If the idea of a sturdy homebuilt sled strikes your fancy (and it well might, considering the prices of today's brand name models), you may want to take a close look at the snow scooter that MOTHER's woodshop "elves" pieced together for the holiday season. Believe it or not, this attractive white-oak-and-steel slider was built largely from odds and ends . . . but it works just as well as the "benchmark" models that are the envy of every kid on the hill. In fact, its maneuverability may even be superior because of the unique isolated steering design!

Before your skepticism gets the better of you, we'll have to let you in on one of the secrets behind the cutter's high quality and low cost: Every bit of wood in this sled was salvaged-free-from a discarded oak freight pallet. Now it's true that the older hardwood shipping skids are a bit difficult to find these days, but some are still around . . . at warehouse loading docks, manufacturing and printing plants, behind "chain" retail stores, or even in the local dump. Seek, and (with luck) ye shall find.

At any rate, if you can locate a hardwood pallet in good shape for a reasonable cost (or for free), half the battle is won. To prepare it for recycling, carefully remove its fluted nailseither by unscrewing them with a pair of ViseGrips or by hammering the decking planks so they separate from the three larger stringers, thus exposing the fasteners-and then free the boards of any staples, strapping, or what have you that might still be attached. (Try not to split the wood as you work with it, or you'll end up searching for a second pallet to make up for breakage.)

CUT AND TRIM

With the lumber laid out, you're ready to determine which pieces to use for the various components. The organic portion of the sled is made up of several parts:

[1] the lengthwise frame, consisting of two 1-1/4" X 1-1/4" X 61/2" pieces, two 1-1/4" X 1-7/8" X 31" sections, and one 1/2" X 1-1/4" X 25" central spine,

[2] the cross braces . . . three 1/2" X 11/4" X 12" ribs,

[3] the decking, made of one 1/4" X 3-1/4" X 38-1/2" plank and two 1/4" X 2-1/2" X 36" tongues,

[4] the handlebar, simply a 3/4" X 3-1/2" X 23" board (to be formed to the desired shape), and

[5] the nosepiece, a 1/2" X 1-1/4" X 12-3/4" strip.

Since not all pallets are constructed in the same way, we can't tell you exactly which part of a skid to use for each sled component, but common sense should be your guide: If a hunk of salvaged wood looks as if it might yield the handlebar, the three cross braces, and the nosepiece, then go for it!

If you'll notice, every piece of wood in the cariole has formed or rounded edges, which can be duplicated with a coping saw.

We should point out, though, that we've specified 1/4" material-stock that's not found in most pallets-for the sled's decking. The strips can be made by planing down the thicker boards (which is what we did), or-to save a bit of work-the 1/2" to 3/4" planks can be used as is. By the same token, the longer frame sections-which are a full 1-7/8" highcan be either cut from a 2"-wide board (a relatively easy process) or "blocked" by gluing 3/4" X 1-1/4" X 2-3/8" spacers to these rails where they require width and then contouring them (a tech nique that we quickly learned is not particularly easy).

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