Author Topic: 50' Homemade Watersliiiide-------PICS ADDED------- (Read 2585 times)

Ironwood · « **on:** June 21, 2009, 08:55:06 pm »

I just wanted to share. Perhaps someone out there can use this idea to make one of their own. A few years back I made a 20' or so waterslide for my then 4 year olds birthday party. It was next to the house in the swale that directs water around the house. I padded it with an old wrestling mat (stinky) but I hid it all (and the odor) under some strips of recycled road side advertising tarps. I get these from the local advertising folks (#$%^ I hate those signs, blight on our beautiful state), but their tarps sure are handy!

.

Well, today I used the same kind of tarps and a reclaimed training mat that the Steelers used to use at their training camp (St Vincent College), I got it from a maintainance facility that was torn down by a friend of mine (I bought the 2x from the 1870's structure). Anyhow, I got my "better" newer tractor out and tilled and trenched a nicely concave trough in our hillside below the house and put the 7' wide mat in the bottom topped by the tarp, nailed the edges w/ some "friendly" monster spikes and YEEE HAW, this thing rocks. The runout needed some work

Junior has a few scratches to prove it

I'll get some pics in the next few days. Man, what fun. Some of the pics my son is half way down, the others he is at the bottom.

Ironwood

Frickman · « **Reply #1 on:** June 21, 2009, 09:41:24 pm »

Sounds like fun. I wish knew what you were up to Ironwood as I drove past your place today.

Ironwood · « **Reply #2 on:** June 21, 2009, 10:37:03 pm »

Never pass up an opportunity to stop, you never know what has shown up around these parts.

. Inventory changes daily, attitude usually remains the same.

Iornwood

woodmills1 · « **Reply #3 on:** June 22, 2009, 06:53:48 am »

sounds like good fun

I made a water slide for a party we had years ago expecting a bunch of kids to attend.

I used a thick plastic roll and doubled its thickness. I set it up a month or so before the party and tested it and it worked very well

come the day of the party, I forgot how dry it was for the month. I gathered the kids turned on the water and went down head first.

When I got up there was screaming children running for their parents.

seems the dry grass poked through the plastic, and with the water the supeficial cuts on my chest made it look like I had been fataly wounded.

Ironwood · « **Reply #4 on:** June 22, 2009, 07:14:59 am »

My overly excited seven year old went down on his chest and when he got to the end he found out I had not yet put the runout pad and plastic down= multiple chest scraps, but no real sharp rocks that time

Perhaps he will wait next time, he slide down through the muddy slosh for 20'or so

Ironwood

JAMES G · « **Reply #5 on:** June 22, 2009, 07:44:45 am »

cant go wrong if the SIX TIMES WORLD CHAMPION STEELERS used parts of your slide.

Meadows Miller · « **Reply #6 on:** June 24, 2009, 07:27:59 am »

Gday

Top job ironwood

Dad use to make our slippery dips using plastic timber wrap from the sawmill but like that poor kid you have to watch your landing

Good times

Reguards Chris

Ironmower · « **Reply #7 on:** June 24, 2009, 08:46:20 am »

Sounds like a blast on a hot day. Do you use your garden hose, or do you do somethin different?
Thanks, can't wait to see some pics.

GO Steelers!!!!!!

Ironwood · « **Reply #8 on:** June 24, 2009, 08:07:10 pm »

Just a water hose, it takes very little water(and much safer than a pool). Big party tomorrow w/ son's friends. Should be fun.

Ironwood

Meadows Miller · « **Reply #9 on:** June 25, 2009, 04:51:36 am »

Dont forget the dish washing liquid Mate

Ironwood · « **Reply #10 on:** June 26, 2009, 09:30:41 pm »

Well, There were about 25 people here. No dish soap needed, it's already too fast. The gals in bikini's had to put some of my wife's shorts on as they were going WAY too fast for my short runout. You start on your knees or stomach (skin) to get going then you HAVE to roll onto your butt to finish out or you just go too fast. It is 2-3" foam padded the whole way, 50' on the slide and then 20' of runout. I need to run over to my farmer buddy's for some wet (free) hay to pad the runout, it is just too short. I'll put the hay under the mat to create a ramp up to kill the final speed. I was the only "adult" to go down yesterday, wimps!

. Some of the kids are doing rolls and somersauts the whole way down, you can really tell which young ones will someday hurt themselves on "something" as they have NO FEAR, None! Yikes! Even my 28 month old got in on it, and he got he hang of not going too fast.

I need to get some pics.

Ironwood

metalspinner · « **Reply #11 on:** June 26, 2009, 10:01:42 pm »

Put a ramp toward the bottom!!! WooHoo!

Ironwood · « **Reply #12 on:** June 26, 2009, 10:51:48 pm »

ramp up, to slow them down

not "airborne" ramp. Ouch!

Ironwood

RynSmith · « **Reply #13 on:** June 28, 2009, 12:25:01 pm »

Pics, I say, pics!

woodsteach · « **Reply #14 on:** June 28, 2009, 05:02:18 pm »

Come on we've got to have pix of this

!!
I'm still liking the ramp for jumping not slowing down!

woods

Ironwood · « **Reply #15 on:** June 28, 2009, 05:42:55 pm »

Pics added, not responsible for the name on the mat, it was random, and we in no way condone/ support / not support nor will we comment on his views

Ironwood

Ironwood · « **Reply #16 on:** June 28, 2009, 06:30:33 pm »

One other note. The "tarp' is an industry wide standard, so those should be available anywhere, they are usually made up/ put up and run for several months then must be taken down for the next business renting the billboard. There are tons of uses for these AND the name of the ad agency is usually at the bottom of the sign to contact, making contacting them easy.

The one photo shows a close up of the washer and nail w/ my son's hand. What yoiu cant see is the 2-2 1/2" thick foam mat underneath which is the KEY to a good slide. You could try contacting local highschool wrestling programs as there mats get nasty smell and old in time. The tarp will isolate the odor and the "nasty". The slippery side of the tarp seems to be the one w/ the printing on it. Mine seems like an aerial support banner for Rush, fortunately there are no airports near by

.

The hill is steeper than it look in the picture, and NO soap or lubricant is needed as in VERY little water. Unfortunately my hill is concave so you gain speed as you go, it would be better convex, but I don't have a dozer so we'll just deal with it. Also, notice I created a nice 5' wide 1' deep trench to keep the little ones on target.

Ironwood

semologger · « **Reply #17 on:** June 28, 2009, 08:58:42 pm »

A group of people i hang out with did the same thing last year at the river. But it was alot more of a downhill run. I had the chance to go down it but i had not drank enough beer and never will to go down it. There was a reason only the teenage boys and few adults brave enough went down it. The bank was all sand they dug out with shovels and the ending was in the river. They used anaold banner like you. Also the adults that did go down it couldnt hardly move the next day they were so sore and bruised up.

I wish I was closer to ya i would go down yours and probly run back up the hill for another run. Greatt job on the build.

Ironwood · « **Reply #18 on:** June 28, 2009, 09:10:35 pm »

Sounds like theirs lacked padding, OUCH.

I have never been one to pass up fun and adventure, say jumping into glacial (white colored) water in Glacier park from a 25' high foot bridge, water so cold you lose your breath (bonus, immeadiately fans out onto a shoal 1' deep), I did not/ could not breate until I got out of the water

.

Or bridge surfing w/ the locals , the river below the Tetons, w/ a stretching climbing rope tied to a homemade surf board and up to the highway bridge, pull back and stretch, lean forward and ROCKET forward, that river is HAULIN!

Or natural 150' waterslide on the East side of Priest Lake Idaho, w/ the local ski patrols summer picnic, REALLY cool spot, exposed granitic domes w/ streams running down them.

The list goes on, I would have to try the slide, lifes too short (non acoholic buzz please, safer

)

Adventures continue, just revolve around parenting and home and business ownership

Ironwood

RavioliKid · « **Reply #19 on:** July 05, 2009, 10:16:47 am »

WOW!

That looks like a load of fun!

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Author Topic: 50' Homemade Watersliiiide-------PICS ADDED------- (Read 2585 times)