by Samuel Reid

Created on: January 10, 2011   Last Updated: January 11, 2011

Tobogganing can be great fun, although some may find that buying good quality toboggans is too expensive. There is an alternative: building your own! Building a traditional toboggan from hard wood is cheap, easy, performs well and looks great. In a short period of time, a toboggan can be made simply and with minimal parts.

Things you'll need: 4 pieces of 1/4 inch by 4 inch by 10 foot hard wood, 7 pieces of 1 inch by 1 inch 16 inch hard wood, 2 pieces of 1/2 inch by 1 inch by 16 inch hard wood, 2 pieces of 1 inch by 6 inch by 6 foot construction grade lumber, 1 cylindrical block measuring 12 inches in diameter and 18 inches in length, 6 pieces of 1 inch by 2 inch by 18 inch construction grade lumber, sandpaper, nails, brass screws, eye bolts, rope, and varnish.

Once you have everything you will need, you are ready to build your toboggan. Follow the instructions below:

1. Cut, plane and sand smooth the 4 pieces of 1/4 inch by 4 inch hard wood. 10 foot long boards will make a 7.5 foot toboggan. For longer sizes, adjust the length of the boards. Choose a hard wood that has a straight grain and is free of knots, such as ash or hickory. Air-dried wood is preferred as it makes it easier to bend the wood (which will be needed for the front of the toboggan). If using kiln-dried wood, soak the boards overnight before bending.

2. Cut 7 pieces of 1 inch by 1 inch by 16 inch hard wood and 2 pieces of 1/2 inch by 16 inch hard wood. Sand the boards and round their two top edges. The cross cleats are made from the 7 1 inch by 1 inch boards. Bore a hole an inch from the end of the board, because this is where the rope for the toboggan will go. The 1/2 inch boards strengthen the very end of the toboggan.

3. Build the bending form out of a 12 inch diameter cylindrical block (such as a log stripped of bark). Nail two boards 1 inch by 6 inch by 6 foot to the sides of the block. These two boards should be parallel to each other. These boards prevent the form from slipping when you are bending it into shape. Cut 6 1 inch by 2 inch by 18 inch boards, which you will use to fasten the bent wood to the form as it dries. nail one 18 inch board to the round bending form even with the ground. Make a spacer that holds this board around 1/4 inch above the form's surface.The toboggan's planks will be slid into here for bending.

4. Clamp or nail the 10 foot boards together at one end. Leave a gap of around 1/4 inch between boards. Steam or boil the other end until it is flexible enough to bend around the form. An hour of steaming is usually enough.

5. Slide the steamed end into the form under the attached 18 inch board (from Step 3). Slowly bend the board around the form until the end touches the floor. Nail another 18 inch board to the form to hold the 10 foot boards in place. Flip the bending form over and continue bending until the boards touch the floor again. Nail in another two 18 inch boards at even spacing.

6. Allow the wood to dry. Screw the 1/2 inch by 1 inch boards to the end of the bent boards. Directly under the bend screw a 1 inch by 1 inch crossbar. Using eyebolts, chain, wire, or rope the tip of the bend to the 1 inch by 1 inch crossbar. This holds the bend of the bow. Attach the remaining 1 inch by 1 inch crossbar evenly along the toboggan. The furthest aft crossbar should be no closer than 3 inches from the end of the toboggan.

7. Sand any rough edges smooth and sand the rest of the wood to either 220 or 120 grit. Varnish or oil with between 3 and 6 coats. Run a rope from the aft 1 inch by 1 inch crossbar to the toboggan's front, and it is this rope that serves as a grab handle.

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