# Backyard Rink



## Pellet_Pete (Dec 31, 2014)

With two hockey boys in the house, we're at the rink 4 or 5 days a week.  So I figured we'd give them even more ice time with a backyard rink this year!  (Okay, maybe it's just a cool project to keep daddy preoccupied)  Did a 20'x40' on the flattest spot in my yard - still had 6" variation corner-to-corner.  I used 16" high 23/32" PT plywood (5 sheets ripped in thirds) screwed up against 2"x2"x24" PT stakes every 2 feet or so (a few extras in the deep corner), and dropped a 25'x45' plastic NiceRink liner (they sell this size fairly cheap as a replacement to their rink-in-a-box kit).  Put up the boards Thanksgiving weekend and have been lamenting the forecast ever since.  Finally got the chill now, so filled it last night and had near an inch frozen by morning, with sub-freezing expected through Saturday!  Even with all the skating the boys do, they are psyched to have a rink right out their back door (thus validating my efforts!).

Anybody else have a rink to share?


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## Swedishchef (Dec 31, 2014)

Pellet_Pete said:


> With two hockey boys in the house, we're at the rink 4 or 5 days a week.  So I figured we'd give them even more ice time with a backyard rink this year!  (Okay, maybe it's just a cool project to keep daddy preoccupied)  Did a 20'x40' on the flattest spot in my yard - still had 6" variation corner-to-corner.  I used 16" high 23/32" PT plywood (5 sheets ripped in thirds) screwed up against 2"x2"x24" PT stakes every 2 feet or so (a few extras in the deep corner), and dropped a 25'x45' plastic NiceRink liner (they sell this size fairly cheap as a replacement to their rink-in-a-box kit).  Put up the boards Thanksgiving weekend and have been lamenting the forecast ever since.  Finally got the chill now, so filled it last night and had near an inch frozen by morning, with sub-freezing expected through Saturday!  Even with all the skating the boys do, they are psyched to have a rink right out their back door (thus validating my efforts!).
> 
> Anybody else have a rink to share?
> 
> View attachment 149018


I don't have any pics. But as far as I am concerned, that is one of the biggest outdoor rinks I have ever seen! My cousin built one that is 16X32 and it's big. Yours is a bohemoth!

Well done Pete! You deserve a "father of the year" award.

You should sign up for this:
http://www.rinkwatch.org/
A friend of mine is taking part in it. It's a great idea.

Andrew


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## Pellet_Pete (Jan 1, 2015)

Swedishchef said:


> I don't have any pics. But as far as I am concerned, that is one of the biggest outdoor rinks I have ever seen! My cousin built one that is 16X32 and it's big. Yours is a bohemoth!
> 
> Well done Pete! You deserve a "father of the year" award.
> 
> ...



Thanks Andrew.  I have the kids putting the finishing touches on my father-of-the-year application .  And thanks for the lead on rinkwatch too - can't hurt to add citizen science to a backyard rink!  

Funny that you think 20x40 is big because I've done nothing but think how I could probably do a 30x60 next year, LOL.

Not even 36 hours of freezing and I think there will be enough ice for the kids today!  Happy New Year!


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## Swedishchef (Jan 1, 2015)

That's awesome Pete. Seriously. I have an outdoor town rink 1200 feet from my place, with lights and all. I can't say I'll make a rink: i'll go to the one with floodlights, a heated changing room and boards that is 1/4 mile from here   Next house maybe!

Seriously!! Join Rink Watch! It's an awesome idea!

Andrew


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## Doug MacIVER (Jan 1, 2015)

after sat-sun whatever fall plenty of ice making weather


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## maple1 (Jan 2, 2015)

I used to do that - ours was just a bit smaller than yours. Like maybe 18x36.

Last year was the first year in over 10 we didn't do it. Kids had grown past the early 'fun' stage (15 & 17 now), diverging interests, and the winter weather the last couple years we did it about did me in - trying to maintain good ice through rain/snow freeze/thaw events is a TON of work.

But we also made a TON of nice memories over those years - so make sure you take lots of pics, because those days don't last forever.

(Excuse me while I reflect sentimentally for a few moments, sniff sniff...lol....)

EDIT: I'll add a hint too. I used a tarp for our liner. I got a lot more seasons out of one by making a second layer of boards, out of boards, that I put inside the first boards, after the liner went in. That is, the sides of the liner ended up sandwiched by wood. That eliminated skate & stick & shovel/scoop damage to the sides of the liner that ended up above ice level. Think I used some 1x6 upright, then 1x3 over the top like an inverted L. Then fastened one board layer to the other with some scraps on the outside, screwed up to the 1x3 & through to the first board layer from the outside. If I explained that right.


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## Warm_in_NH (Jan 2, 2015)

maple1 said:


> Think I used some 1x6 upright, then 1x3 over the top like an inverted L. Then fastened one board layer to the other with some scraps on the outside, screwed up to the 1x3 & through to the first board layer from the outside. If I explained that right.



Wow, I'm thoroughly confused on that one!


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## Pellet_Pete (Jan 2, 2015)

maple1 said:


> Last year was the first year in over 10 we didn't do it. Kids had grown past the early 'fun' stage (15 & 17 now)...a TON of work...But we also made a TON of nice memories over those years - so make sure you take lots of pics, because those days don't last forever.



Well, mine are 5 & 7, so I hope I can look forward to a decade of "frozen memories"!  

First skate was today - lots of fun had, and lots of pictures and videos taken.  Even with an arctic wind picking up, spirits were light and pucks were flying!


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## Swedishchef (Jan 2, 2015)

Pellet_Pete said:


> Well, mine are 5 & 7, so I hope I can look forward to a decade of "frozen memories"!
> 
> First skate was today - lots of fun had, and lots of pictures and videos taken.  Even with an arctic wind picking up, spirits were light and pucks were flying!
> 
> View attachment 149234


I LOVE IT!
I went to the town rink (near my place) with my son this afternoon and figured out how to turn on the lights. Had a blast and we're going back tonight!

Andrew


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## osagebow (Jan 3, 2015)

Beauty,Eh! You have lucky kids.


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## Ashful (Jan 5, 2015)

So, when are you doing the lawn tractor Zamboni conversion?


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## KindredSpiritzz (Jan 5, 2015)

We're trying to make one in our back yard. 4 big tarps pegged down on the ground, couple inches of snow packed down over it and  then add water.  So far its a rough chunky mess but hopefully it will smooth out with more water.  Pain in the butt trying to keep the water spigot from freezing between spraying the layers, have to go ut there with a torch to unthaw it each time. I have 3 girls that have never skated before so it should be interesting if we can get the rink usable for them.


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## ewdudley (Jan 5, 2015)

Ours had a permanent earthen berm, but frozen slush will work quite well also.  Surface was leveled to within an inch or so.  No liner is necessary, frozen soil is generally impervious.  We parked the water wagon next to it with a 1000 gallon tank and had it set up to fill through the 2 1/2" outlet so it wouldn't freeze while filling.  I can't remember for sure but I think we needed a length of fire hose to flood evenly in really cold weather, as opposed to letting the water flow directly onto the rink from the tank.  String up some lights and you're all set.  Biggest expense was stitches.


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## firefighterjake (Jan 5, 2015)

Growing up we had a farm pond nearby to skate on . . . only negative . . . wasn't until college that I learned that my mother had been buying me figure skates for all those years instead of hockey skates.


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## Pellet_Pete (Jan 5, 2015)

Joful said:


> So, when are you doing the lawn tractor Zamboni conversion?


Ha!  I guess I'd have to get a lawn tractor first .  I did rig up a handheld "rink rake" (aka homeboni or man-boni) that I can hook up to a 5 gallon bucket of hot water, or I can run a hose right from my utility sink out the bulkhead too.


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## Warm_in_NH (Jan 5, 2015)

Channel 9 here in NH (wmur) has a Shor "chronicle" (neither are very good) but the did a 15 min segment on back yard rinks tonight.  In summary, whether you spend $30 or $30,000, you kids get to skate at home, WA s pretty cool. 
One guy has a covered rink, two heated "locker " rooms, and a golf card that doubles as a Zamboni!


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## ironpony (Jan 8, 2015)

makes me want to skate again, might have to give this a try. my luck will be as soon as I build it, it will be the warmest winter on record.

next year we should be in St Croix, will be hard to get water to freeze, being it does not get below 75 degrees.


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## Pellet_Pete (Jan 11, 2015)

Well, we've had great skating weather so far, and yesterday we hosted the entire Mites team for some off-rink leisure time that, of course, turned into rink time.  There's no keeping these kids off the ice!  Great skating weather - sunny and low 20's - and all the kids enjoying some unstructured ice time after a morning win.  Here's a pic of "100 square feet per skater".  Priceless, literally priceless.  The kids really bonded more than they have all season, and they went on this morning to work their tails off and win a real tough game!  Did I say "priceless" already?  Can't beat it.


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## johnpma (Jan 12, 2015)

good stuff!! we are luck to have a huge pond in the woods a couple hundred yards from our home spent 4 hrs yesterday getting handled by my boys in a pickup game.....still beat them sitting on their arse playing video games


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## maple1 (Jan 12, 2015)

Pellet_Pete said:


> Well, we've had great skating weather so far, and yesterday we hosted the entire Mites team for some off-rink leisure time that, of course, turned into rink time.  There's no keeping these kids off the ice!  Great skating weather - sunny and low 20's - and all the kids enjoying some unstructured ice time after a morning win.  Here's a pic of "100 square feet per skater".  Priceless, literally priceless.  The kids really bonded more than they have all season, and they went on this morning to work their tails off and win a real tough game!  Did I say "priceless" already?  Can't beat it.
> View attachment 150384



Now THAT is AWESOME.


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## tsquini (Jan 12, 2015)

This is our pond a few days ago it is about 60' x 60'. We did about 12 hrs of hockey over the weekend. My knees are yelling at me now.


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## johnpma (Jan 13, 2015)

This is exactly the way it's suppose to be!! Growing up the city I lived in out in western Mass would flood a field and make a huge rink for the community. We would rush home from school, grab our skates and fly to the rink for pickup hockey. This was boys and girls. Somebody got hurt, parent sued, and the court ordered the rink shut down........love to see this stuff and parents involved with the kids. This weekend its hockey on our pond and tip-ups set around the perimeter while cooking out on the grill......can't wait


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## Tatnic Corners (Jan 13, 2015)

We have a vernal pool in the front of the house that is probably 10 feet in diameter. That kept the kids happy for three years! Two more than I thought it would, now they (and I) skate on the 15-20 acre beaver pond that took over the land next to us. Just incredible to be able to skate and skate on a pond that we canoe on the rest of the year.  

Only wish there were fish in it  I have memories of ice fishing on Ashfield lake as a kid, we'd bring shovels and hockey sticks and skates. Clear a rink, play hockey and fish that night.


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