Anyone Ever Built.......

[lilFEET]

Just wondering if anyone has ever built there own flip over style fish house. I have recently saw quite a few of them that look like they were homemade. I would like to try and build my own but need a little help. I don't have the money to buy a new one. Some information would be great

Thanks

TB

[minneman]

A friend of mine has one that was built by the Heterites sp? near Wadena somewhere, Its a large one man, has a low profile to it and its very lite. I think its even got a zippered door. so it can be done.

[BoxMN]

My brother in law has a home made sort of one man. Floor is plywood covered with outdoor carpet (blue and black stuff like in boats) and has two old skis for runners under it. Bent 1/2" conduit for frame poles, and simple bolts for pivots. The canvas was sewn by somebody and looks very much like a one man "retail" house when set up.

edit - oh yeah, his floor is only about 3'x3' tops, as it only is used for holding the stuff he brings. So it is just like a one man flip over retail one, where he sits on the floor, but the holes are in front of him in the ice, where there is no floor but the frame covers all this up.

Nice thing is it is pretty light, quite tough (its pretty old), and when the frame is folded down, it creates a sort of barrier that keeps everythiing in on the back of the "U". Auger just sits on top of the front (sideways) and that holds stuff in from the front. He brings a folding/collapsing chair (those pole kind you can get anywhere) to sit on.

It works pretty darn well, and we use early in the year to simply break the wind for us (did I say "break the wind?" heh!)

I can see that if there were a lot of snow, it might not be as good to pull, but I haven't seen it out in thicker snow cover so not sure.

[MnIceman]

My brother and myself built 2 back in the 80's. We built a wooden sled and when it flipped open there was a wood floor for the other side. We had put mini-boggans on the bottom of the sled but it did'nt work to well for pulling. So we made sleds to go under using old down hill skis. They pulled easier than my otter that I have now . Folded up it was about 3'wide x 4 1/2' long. Opened up it was 3' x 9'. We even had 4 holes cut in the floor and fished 2 out of them on many trips . The top was made out of those plastic tarps fitted over formed 1/2" EMT condit for poles. There was 3 sets of formed poles for the roof. The sled and floor was also attached to the tarp. We had 2 doors ,one on each end using old sleeping bag zippers .We also had a window on each wall. Every thing was hand made and it was all hand sewed. My brother was out of work at the time and he did like 85% of all the labor and my dollars for the few things we had to buy . I'll see if I can find some pictures and post them. If I can figure out how . My cousins kids are still using the one I had to this day . My brother sold his in a garage sale years ago . I've even thought about making another on a little wider but most of my time has been taken up with building my place up north . If I can't find pictures I'll try take some when I'm up north next time .

[fishhook8]

Before the first clam was built I used to take 3/4" conduit and bend it in hoops using a 10' length plus a shorter piece.There were no doors or floor. the the height determined the length.With the center as a pivot point. There was two bottom pieces aposing each other. then two pieces at a 45 degree angle and a center hoop. the weight of the conduit kept the house in an open position. The largest I built was 6.5 ft high which made the total length at 13' I built the at various witdths depending on what vehicle I was halling them in. I would then pop rivet the plastic tarps that you can buy at Northern Tool to the conduit leaving it longer around the base to help break the wind. It was cheap, broke the wind and very light.

[MnIceman]

http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=175745092&size=o

http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=175741578&size=o

http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=175741579&size=o

In the first picture it is the portable on the right.

In the second picture it is the portable on the left.

In the last picture you can see inside the door.

Sorry about the quality of the pictures. They were taken with an old 110 camera back in 1989.

[CRAPPIEKILLERS]

IT LOOKS LIKE IT WAS TAKEN IN 1989

[Jim43]

Really brings back memories making those. Was a long process

hand sewing them together especially the zippers and windows.

Have thought about making a newer style but just never get the

time like had back then. So I bought a Frabill trekker to get

us back out with. Maybe sometime soon I`ll start working on a

new one.

[Blake]

I plan on making my own, but probably not this year anymore...My buddy made one, similar to the previous posts....used old downhill ski's for runners.....floor of plywood probably about 3 ft. wide and 6-7 ft long....He has plywood sides that are hinged and fold in, so when you are pulling it, it is flat and very portable.....he used orange heavy plastic(seems to heat up nice on sunny days) and attached it to the floor at the back wall and then it goes up the back wall over the top and is left unattached on the front side with another 10ft. of plastic.....when it is set up you take the extra plastic in front and pull it out firm and cover the edges with snow/slush to weight it down....we sit on the floor and fish out the front(where plastic is bowed out) we have plenty of room for four holes and a heater to sit on the ice. He has a window on each side and rigged aluminum poles to hold the sides firm and to hold the plastic out in front so you have an area to fish in.

I would say it weighs probably 100 or so pounds, but is very compact when not set up. We have comfortably fished with 3 guys in it, but is ideal for 2.

The plastic has lasted 10 years plus so far, and I should say that the plywood sides are rounded at the top so the plastic is easily attached and rounds the curve easily. He doesn't have to take it apart, except for the poles when we're finished, and we just remove the poles and fold both sides inward and push the extra plastic inside.

I'll try to get some pics posted if I get up fishin with him sometime soon.

[IFallsRon]

I have plans for one that I got at Menards a long time ago. The material list says you could build it for under $100.

[Dogzlife000]

Well, I built the one pictured below in the late 80's and still use it to this day. I have yet to see another house, store bought or other, that pulls as easily in deep snow. Also, it is light enough that I can easily load it into the back of my truck by myself.........fully loaded with auger on top and all.

Pete

[Sandmannd]

That's a nice home made portable. How'd you do the tarp?

[lilFEET]

Hey IFallsRon would you be willing to get rid of them?

Let me know.

[Dogzlife000]

Quote:

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That's a nice home made portable. How'd you do the tarp?

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After the structure was built, the tarp was laid out, measured, cut, and sewn. A regular sewing machine with carpet thread was used to sew the two main seams (run down the front corners) and the framing "pockets". The tarp was "ran wild" where it attaches to the house, then wood furring strips were used to afix it to the house, then the excess tarp was trimmed. It really wasn't too difficult to make. If I had all the materials (especially the ski struts) and someone to sew, I could easily make one in a day.

Pete