When planning your backyard rink, here are some helpful tips to getting started...
1. Determine the size rink that you want.
The number and size of Ice Vice connector brackets you will need can be determined by the size of the rink you desire, the size of wood or other material you use for boards, and the slope of the playing field. Make sure the size of your rink will be big enough to accommodate everyone that will be playing on it and small enough that it will not be difficult to manage... I personally like all of the shoveling and resurfacing though, shhhh ;)
Example:
Desired rink size: 24x48
Slope: 8 inches (see figure 1)
Possible solution (See figure 2):
4 - 9” Ice Vice brackets
6 - 15” Ice Vice brackets
6 – 2x10x16 boards (average price $35/each)*
3 –2x8x16 boards (average price $25/each)*
4 – 2x10x12 boards (average price $28/each)* 2 – 2x8x12 boards (average price $20/each)*
* Virtually any combination of board sizes can be used with the Ice Vice brackets. Boards are easily obtained at your local lumber store.
This part is quite self explanatory but still should be mentioned. Please make sure that when determining the location of your rink, you are close enough to an outdoor water spout, hose connection, etc. to reach all parts of the rink with a hose. You will have to use a hose to fill your rink and once it is frozen you will need access to a hose in order to resurface your rink (covering it with water to smooth out the surface when it freezes, best on very cold, dry nights.)
2. Source of water location for filling and resurfacing.
3. Check the slope of the location.
The slope of your playing area can be easily measured by staking out the 4 corners of your proposed rink, and then using a string level attached to a line between the high and low side corners. At level, the approximate slope will be the difference between the measurements from ground to string at the high and low sides. String levels can be found for a few $ online or at your local hardware store.
4. Have a plan.
Make sure to plan ahead, think about your rink once it is setup. Will your children or friends need to walk a long distance to get to your rink, will you be able to shovel snow off of your rink and pile it on the sides, will your hose reach your entire rink, how will you keep your hose thawed, do you have lighting as night is often the best and most convenient time to skate and manage the ice, etc, etc...Ice Box rinks was created and patented by my father after much trial and error and experience with different weather conditions over many unpredictable western NY winters. One thing is for sure, every winter is different. I believe that Icebox Rinks is the best and easiest system available, but that doesn't mean you won't experience challenges related to the weather. It's part of the fun! And as most rink builders know, those perfect days and sheets of ice are all the reward you need to keep you going!
