Sleigh build

[hardtailjohn]

This winter, a friend brought his cutter in to my shop to be rebuilt. He didn't figure on it being a big project, but the more we dug into it, the more we found..as usual.


As soon as I pulled the shoe, you could see there was alot of water damage to the bottom of the runners. One runner had been replaced as the result of a wreck some time ago, but even it needed attention.



 



 



 



 

So, due to the lack of available air dried white oak (or even better, ash), I ripped up some 1/4" strips of kiln dried white oak, and built a fire in the steam box.....


 



 

[hardtailjohn]

I built a mold, painstakingly engineered to the "TLAR" (That Looks About Right) springback tolerance, and fastened it to one of my old wing layout tables.


 

The steamed blanks were left in the mold overnight to cool and dry, so they'd be easier to lay up and epoxy.



 


After I'd let the blanks dry for a few days, I grabbed most all my clamps from various previous projects, and a healthy batch of West System epoxy, and I set out to laminate a new set of runners up for this little cutter.

 

 

The outcome was seen in about 2 days.... (as is evident, the owner had been busy getting acquainted with paint stripper on the good running gear parts)



 

While the epoxy was drying on the runner blanks, I'd built new beds for the body to perch on. This is a very well engineered little cutter, with mortise and tenon work where needed, and a fine set of irons to brace it all the way around. As this thread progresses, I'll show you what I mean. Anyway, here's the beds with the blank runners...


 



 



 



 

We've come a ways since this, but I need to upload some more pictures to my gallery...so stay tuned.

[SwampDonkey]

Your breathing life into that old girl John. It's coming along nicely. Looks like a lot of work involved, not just in the bending. Can't wait to see it all restored. 

[Lud]

Real nice work.  I got my sleigh at a neighbor's selling out  auction nearby years ago and touched it up,  saving some of the original handpainted decoration.   My two Newfoundland males could pull the nieces around the yard.    Great memories ...and the sleigh is hung up in barn as is traditional.

Great job!

[thecfarm]

I'm staying tuned.   ;D  One thing I hate to see is that old stuff on display outside year around. I know people are proud of it,but they don't realize that is why they got to enjoy it,it was kept under cover for them to enjoy. Than they leave it outside day after day. Than it rots away.

[Axe Handle Hound]

Very nice work!  How do the arched running gear parts connect to the runners?

[clww]

Very impressive work and photos, both.

[pineywoods]

John, what's the part with all the clecos next to the steamer? Looks like maybe a rudder, but too many braces..

[bedway]

Excellent work, my hats off to you!

[hardtailjohn]

Thanks guys. Pineywoods, that's a '47 Stinson 108-3 I'm rebuilding. (that's one of my "other" jobs)
This sleigh project is a bunch of fun. The bent legs all connect with mortise and tenon joints. If you look in the background, there's a carriage I'm building as well.... I need more projects.... NOT.
I'll try to get some more pics uploaded today.

[hardtailjohn]

Ok....got some more pictures added to my gallery, so I'll catch up a bit more to where we are now.....
The mortise and tenon joints from the legs to the runners have been a challenge. They are at angles fore and aft, so fixtures were made to hold the blank in the proper relationship while drilling the mortise. The tenons are also somewhat deteriorated in places, one so bad that I had to replace the tenon by building a new tenon and inserting it into the leg with epoxy, but overall the fits have been pretty good.


 

The ends of the runner are fit into the top shoe as well as against the false runner. Originally they had a rivet through there, but we haven't totally made our mind up on that yet....
 


 



 

One of the nicest things about this project is that it's small and light and we can flip it over to access things on the underside! Here we're getting ready to fit the shoes.


 



 



 

Tonight we bolted the shoes on temporarily. The shoes need to be countersunk, and the runners will receive a coat of epoxy before the shoes go on permanently.
In the meanwhile... I went to an auction and bought a "swell body" cutter... something I've wanted for a long time, so that will be the next sleigh project when this one is done.....

[SwampDonkey]

Thanks for the update John. Coming along very nicely. It's going to be like new, maybe better. I like these restores. Is there a new Discovery channel program coming out on restoration projects? ;)

[Magicman]

I missed the beginning of the project, but you certainly met the challenge head on.  What a wonderful way to breath life back into a tired old girl.   

[hardtailjohn]

OK... time for another update.
I forgot to show the "patch" I had to do on one of the tenons. It was just too far deteriorated to use, and I really didn't want to spend the time to bend another leg, so I hauled it to the bandsaw and cut the old tenon completely out, cutting a full "mortise" (if you will) into the leg. Then I cut a tenon from oak and bonded it in, trimmed it to the proper size and now I have a nice, tight, new tenon!


 
We filled and bonded the tenons with West System Epoxy blended with #407 Low Density Fairing Filler. I wanted to stick with West System all the way through and that way I can seal the wood as well as bond it. Usually, I use something like Elmer's Wood Glue on tenons, but this way everything is compatible and the whole thing will be sealed with epoxy... should last a few years. The fairing filler allowed us to fillet it a tiny bit, which should also help keep moisture out.


 


 


 
Then it was time for a coat of epoxy on the whole runner.... almost makes me not want to paint it!


 


 
That's where it sits tonight. Next step is more epoxy on the runners, and then start to coat the rest of the wood in the running gear.

[SwampDonkey]

Been enjoying your rebuild.

I've never had the opportunity to use that type of epoxy. Looks like it fixed the joint right up with it.

[Peter Drouin]

Nice job

[mesquite buckeye]

Pretty neat. ;D 8) 8) 8) 8)

Looking forward to seeing it in the snow.

[hardtailjohn]

Swampdonkey, it's great stuff! I've messed with some a few years ago, but a friend of mine and master woodworker (restores wooden boats and other interesting stuff) turned me on to the West System. Very easy to use, and understand. They've got a base product that you start out with, then add fillers to modify it for whatever your intended purpose is. I'm using it alot now, and the joints are much stronger than the wood!  They've got a big book that you can download called " Gougeon Brothers on Boat Building" or something very close to that....it explains the whole works in easy to understand detail.
I highly recommend it!
Thanks for the compliments, everyone!
John

[SwampDonkey]

Thanks John for the information. I may find the need to try it some day. 

[hardtailjohn]

OK.... been way too lax about updating this! Winter came back and we got started on the sleigh again, just after the 1st of the year. 
When I quit working on this last spring, I had another day of working on the irons, as this sleigh has been wrecked somewhere in it's past, and whoever did the repairs, left a little to be desired on the workmanship.... So, I recruited some good help and in about half a day, we had the last of the irons fit up and ready to head back to the blast cabinet and on to the paint booth.


  

 

With the work done on the running gear, I grabbed the body and started to pull it down to see if there was anything we could salvage..... as you can see below, we didn't find any real surprises.


 

So, off we go, with new wood all the way through the body as well... starting with the floor.


  

 

The back required some sawn  corner pillars, and I didn't have anything quite thick enough to make all the dimensions I needed, so out came the West System and we layed up some oak for new rear corner pillars.


 

Next morning they were ready for the bandsaw..


  

 

The new rear pillars are mitered in and ready to epoxy


  

 

All the excess was planed and sanded off, and then we assembled the back to the bottom and fit the seat front pillars as well.


  

 

It's finally starting to look like something other than parts!

[SwampDonkey]

Thanks for carrying this thread onward John. It's been a real treat.  I like these old implements probably more than the horses hauling them. 8)

There was a lot of stuff here at the old place that dad's uncles let rot into the ground.  :'( :(

There was an old wood hauling sled that dad did patch up and use back in the 70's with the horse and later gave it to mom's brother to use for stove wood with his own horse.

But I had a cousin who bought a sled much like the one your fixing and it sat outdoors on his father's lawn for years until it rotted. I didn't find anything quaint about destroying that sled out in the elements. :

[scsmith42]

Great thread John!  Thanks for bringing us along with you as you breathe new life into the old girl!

[Peter Drouin]

That's a nice job your doing, thanks for the pics 

[Seaman]

WOW ! This is an awesome project. Riding in a sleigh behind a horse is long time dream of mine, guess I'll have to settle for a rock boat.
Frank

[m wood]

Some serious engineering combined with real artistry.  Good going John.

[justallan1]

Nice work, John. That thing will look great when you're all done.

Allan

[Holmes]

 This is very enjoyable to follow.  Thanks for posting

[thecfarm]

That sure does look good.

[21incher]

Amazing job. Thanks for sharing the journey with us.

[Stinny]

My brother and I let an old family cutter go years ago to an auction house. It was in about the same shape as this one was when you started on the re-build. I have always thought I should have kept it and re-built it myself (you know. big plans an all)... After looking at it actually being done... whew... an amazing amount of time and skill is needed to do it right. You guys have done a very impressive job on it!

My brother and I? ... We made the right choice...

[isawlogs]

Good on you for fixing this sleigh.  8)

[mesquite buckeye]

Looking good. ;D 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8)

[hardtailjohn]

Thanks everyone! It's a lot of fun and good to "get lost" in.... everyone needs something like that! 
John

[ND rancher]

Looking good! We had a neighbor that does rebuilds like this,quite the craft.

[CHARLIE]

Wow! I'm very impressed with your workmanship. Restoration has to be harder than building new.

[Farmerjw]

John, I have only read and viewed the pictures of assembly after you removed the parts from the bending jig.  My first thought was, "are you making a second set of parts while you are doing this?  There is surely an excellent market for running gears/skis/??? for cutters.  That is excellent work and a very nice shop.  Looking forward to seeing this continue to completion. 

[Magicman]

This has been a very worthy restoration.  Thanks for taking us along.   

[hardtailjohn]

"are you making a second set of parts while you are doing this?  There is surely an excellent market for running gears/skis/??? for cutters. 

I've kept the bending jig and am about to do some more runners for some running gears that I have. I also have to do a few "dash boards" which are bent as well...that's going to be interesting....I hope.  hahha   There is a market for runner blanks, but not much of one. So many are just a little different that it usually takes a new jig almost every time.
Thanks for the compliments, everyone!
Stay tuned!
John

[Lud]

Quality work and good pics too? 8)

[hardtailjohn]

Got the front seat pillars in and epoxyed as well as the front seat beam. As you can see in the background, I've been fussing with the running gear, spraying featherfill, getting ready to paint. The gear is going to be black and shiny, so has to be right, or every flaw will show!


 

I wanted to mortise the rear seat beam into the rear corner pillars for a little extra support, and was scratching my head as to just how I would do that. The back is all bonded, so it's too awkward to drag over the shaper with any accuracy. Just before lunch, I settled on the plan to use my router with a straight flute bit, suspended by 2 aluminum angles. This gave me the right angle for the beam as well as a nice flat surface for the epoxy.


  

 


Tonight, we salvaged some nice old floor for the seat boards. I may have to take it down on the floor and sit in it tomorrow!



  

  

 

[mesquite buckeye]

Super cool and even better improvising. ;D ;D ;D

[SwampDonkey]

Looking like a fine job. I wouldn't mind sitting in it either, but I need some cushion for my bones though. ;)

[hardtailjohn]

Well, I finally got to sit in it! (and I made horse noises too! ;D )   

 

I set the bare bones body on the running gear (in primer) and made a few last minute measurements.

  

  

 

Then it's time to start skinning the back of the seat.  On goes the West System Epoxy and a couple clamps....


  

 
Oh yeah...and a few screws where I couldn't reach with clamps....


 

After supper, Larry (the sleigh's owner) showed up to help and I put him and my wife to work, cutting out sides. (I was busy getting ready to bend some dashboard stringers, seen steaming away in the lower right of this pic...)


 

Tomorrow, I'll steam and bend the rest of the stringers and get ready to lay another layer of skin on the back.
8)

[thecfarm]

That is looking REAL nice. And it's not even done!!

[SwampDonkey]

By the time your done John, I'd say you built it, not rebuilt it, from the ground up. ;D

[hardtailjohn]

Swampdonkey, it's still a rebuild... I kept the original knees and arches.....but it's going to get  one of my "makers" tags on it!
Thanks CFarm...I'm happy with the way it's coming along.

Today we layed up the second and final layer of skin on the seat back. I'm hoping it's going to turn out as good as the first layer, and wont find out until tomorrow. I had to borrow some feed sacks from my wife to help make sure there was contact in the center. I was told those were needed tomorrow...


 

Next order of business was to steam and bend up the second batch of oak strips for the dashboard supports.


  

 

While we were waiting for the oak to steam, we made the form to bend the dashboard skin as well.  You can see it in this pic, just behind the dash support strips.


  


  

 

That's where we quit for the night...

[hardtailjohn]

Well, I finally got to shoot a little of the Stewartsystems EkoCrylic on the running gear... I do love it!


  

 

I got the sides cut out and stuck on, and am checking the fit of the arm rails...


 

Both sides are fit and on for the fitting of the bracing...


 

Here, I'm fitting the inside bracing on the upper and lower rockers. We're going all the way around with this 4" wide brace on the inside and a smaller one on the outside, for a little added strength as well as "depth" to the finish...


 


 

[jamesamd]

Sweet!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jim

[mesquite buckeye]

Looking good, Santa, er um, I mean Hardtail.

The question on all the little children's minds is,"Will it be ready for Christmas?". ;D ;D ;D

[hardtailjohn]

Ohyeah, it'll be ready for Christmas..... but which Christmas? :D

[justallan1]

Nice work, John.
I find that smaller projects are more suited to my schedule. Around here I get about enough time to look at the PC a bit then run off for a few more hours doing this or that. I'd never get something like that finished. :D

Allan

[hardtailjohn]

Yah, that's why it's dragging on so long on this one. I try to grab an hour or two every day and Larry is here for a couple hours 3 nights a week...so that makes it drag on pretty long....but at least I have lots of other things to do....haha   
Tonight we took it back down and started the final glue-up, so hopefully............

[blackfoot griz]

Very Impressive!
I love these build/rebuild threads where we can watch the progress. Can't wait to see the finished product as well.  It will be better than when it was new!
Not sure how you do it...are you calving yet?  You must have more hours in the day than most of us!