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Most of my equipment comes from this brand

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Heres how to make an outdoor rink

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Introduction: Make a Cheap Backyard Ice-skating Rink

For 3 years now my family has been putting up a homemade ice rink in our backyard. The method was a very simple one only requiring a flat area, some PVC, a large plastic tarp, along with some extra tools, and of course water. This method is better then allot of the wooden ones for several reasons: wooden one are hard to put up and the wood will rot, aren't really portable, isn't really cheap for a vast area, and takes a bit more water (meaning more time it takes to freeze).
As far as I know, the Idea for the PVC ice rink came from my father, who was looking at building an ice rink. In his quest he found several professional ice rinks, that sold for allot of money (up to $600 dollars!), money that he didn't have. So then the Idea of the homemade PVC ice rink emerged!

Here are the instructions...

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Step 1: Materials and Pricing

For materials you will need....

36 - 4" schedule 20 PVC sewer pipe = around $5-$8dollars* (we will be using 10ft pipes)
4 - 4" PVC corners = around $3*
1 - 40' x 100' 6 mil polyethylene plastic liner = around $100* **

Total cost = around $300
Total use = around 3-5 winters

These are the basic materials for building your average sized ice rink, but it all comes done to the tarp size and how much PVC you have. Also be prepared for strange looks at the home builder's store if you try this, we wiped out most of their supply of PVC and over heard many comments that we must be building a really big septic system!

*these prices were from about 4 years ago, and we bought are materials in Maine, so basically prices subject to change.

** All depends on what the size is, ours was actually double what we needed, but was worth it.

Step 2: The Real Step One, or Preparing the Ground and the Liner

The Ground-

After a foot of snow, it was time to clear a spot. Clearing a spot could take you about 1-3 hours mattering on how much snow you have, this isn't the most time consuming part, but it is pretty tough, especially if your using a shovel! This is also when having a PVC ice rink comes in handy because the PVC can be assembled after the ground is already frozen and is free standing (no stakes required). This location (in our backyard) has a grade difference of only 3-4". Make sure the area is free from sharp rocks and ice (ironic isn't it!).

The Liner-

To prep the liner I cut it in half, leaving you with a 40ft/50ft tarp. I cut it because I had decided to make a 36' x 46' rink this year and the liner is 40' x 100'. Halving the liner will give you an extra year out of the liner, and its great if something goes wrong! : P

Step 3: Preping the PVC

BRING ON THE POWER TOOLS!!!!

THAT'S RIGHT!, its time to start measuring, marking, cutting, sanding, and admiring! some of the pipes have to be cut because they are what holds the tarp down, even in some of the windiest weather. To do this half of the pipes have to be cut to create a 2 1/2 - 3 inch slot. This is enough to allow it to snap over another 4" pipe and not rip the plastic liner. To keep the cut some what straight, I clamped another PVC pipe to it so it would not spin. This operation took a while, 18 pipes meant 36 cuts on the table saw.

After making the cuts all the raw edges had to be filed and sanded to avoid sharp edges that could have ripped the plastic liner. This is a job where you could use some help, (kids, friends, pets, that guy trying to pond of candy to your kids.

P.S. If you are having trouble with this step just post a comment below I will try my best to get back to you : )

Step 4: Seting Up the Ice Rank...

This is probably the easiest part. All you need to do is put together the PVC and hop it goes together right, you also got to remember the size of your tarp. The size of our ice rink is 36' x 46', more then enough room for our family of 5 to ice skate on!

Now after Its put all together, check your corners and make sure there all the same. If not just move the PVC around till they do. I recommend you have a couple cinder blocks near by to keep the PVC still once the measurements are done. And easier way to remember this is equal diagonals means a perfect rectangle.

Finally its starting to take shape!

Step 5: Applying the Tarp (liner) and Water

Here we go again, another hard part...

To add the liner (tarp) first lay down the 6 mil plastic liner over top of the PVC frame and then snapped the PVC cap over the plastic liner. The cap provides a duel roll, holding the liner in place and providing protection against skate blades. From this picture you can see why the liner has to be larger than the frame. 4 foot extra on the sides is plenty to not lose any sides.

Make sure to keep the caps at least 2" away from the corners. Later I plan to make a triangular piece from wood to sit over the corner to protect it (if you make one please post a pic of it below). Notice the piece of wood under the corner. Use small blocks to shim the height of the frame so it is all at the same level.

I had some comments about the toughness of the PVC when playing hockey, or skating on it. The PVC its self is pretty sturdy and tough, and you could probably get a good 3-5 years out of it. It really all depends on what your using it for.

Once again, if you have any questions, just post a comment below and ill Try to get to them.

Step 6: Adding the Water, and Let Freeze...

adding the water is a simple step, all you need to do is add some water by using a hose, or doing a rain dance. Remember not to over flow or go to high with the water!
Also remember to do this were its usually below freezing, so it will freeze sooner, and stay frozen!

Ive also had many people ask me about the grass underneath the ice rink. As far as I'm concerned the grass wont die, as long as you but it away before spring, or as soon as you can. This will prevent the grass from dieing, though there are no guarantees as every bodies house is different.

I honestly don't think you will need help for this step... :(

Step 7: Maintaining the Ice Rank

I'm going to go through this step quickly, because I'm planing on making another instructable to cover this.

The Scraper--
Pic 1-One way to maintain the Ice is making a scraper (cleans of bumbs, and small impurities). I made the scraper seen in the photo below scraper out of an old broom handle and an old screen door channel. Anything with a hard edge will do. This one is about 6 foot in length making it fast to clean the ice.

The Sprayer--
Pic 2-To fill in the holes made by skating on it you could make a sprayer
unit to make this job easier. It is made of a 10 ft piece of 3/4" PVC pipe cut to a 4 ft. section and two 3 ft. sections to form the shape of a "T".
Pic 3-Adding a valve and a quick disconnect make the job much easier. The valve is great for regulating the flow rate of the water.
Pic 4-I drilled 1/8" holes every 2" across the bottom and attached a board with a 2 1/2"wide rubber belting to act like a squeegee to smooth the water.

If gotten several recommendations on using hot water to smooth it out. It basically is supposed to melt down the imperfections, then lay a new sheet of ice on top keeping he ice smooth. This is a great idea, but the reason I didn't use it is because the mini, hand held, Zamboni we made runs from water from a hose. As far as I'm concerned I cant get hot water from a hose at my hose.
But I defiantly recommend trying that out, especially if you don't have the materials to make the hand held Zamboni shown in the pics.

Step 8: Any Questions...

If you have any questions or would recommend a technique you use for your ice rink please leave a comment below, PM me, or Em@il me at zktech at aol dot com

Also if you do end up making one please post an image below, even if its not PVC, as long as its a Homemade ice rink!

Please don't abuse my email, I'm putting it up there because I under sand that this is a hard project, and want to help if anyone's having any trouble.

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Make a Cheap Backyard Ice-skating Rink: For 3 years now my family has been putting up a homemade ice rink in our backyard. The method was a very simple one only requiring a flat area, some PVC, a large plastic tarp, along with some extra tools, and of course water.

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This article proves why Hockey is the best

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This article proves why Hockey is the best

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If you're reading this, you're probably already aware that hockey is the undisputed best sport on the planet. But if you really need some extra convincing, here's a list of ten things (in no particular order) that make hockey the greatest sport on Earth:

1. It's Played on a Giant Sheet of Ice

Football, basketball, baseball - what do they all have in common? They're played on the solid ground, not a slippery sheet of ice. The athletes that play those sports wear shoes, not sharp blades of steel on the bottoms of their feet. I'm not saying basketball, baseball, and football players aren't serious athletes, I'm just saying they're not as talented as hockey players. Hockey players have to combine all that speed and agility on top of managing to stay upright on a large ice-cube. If that's not skill, I don't know what is.

(Imgur)

(Then again, they're only human. Sometimes they fall down, too.)

2. The Players Have the Ability to Control the Game

In other major sports, the majority of games are usually decided by the referees or umpires. In hockey, it is to a certain extent, but the players definitely have the ability to control the game on a different level. They can speed it up, slow it down, or shake things up with big hits or fights. In this sport, the athletes truly have control of the game, which makes it much more entertaining to watch.

3. Hockey is a Team Sport

Some sports, even though they're considered "team sports," are sometimes monopolized by an individual athlete. Football has quarterbacks, baseball has pitchers, hockey has a team. Although it's possible for one hockey player to be the superstar of the team, this sport

In hockey, being a strong team is one of the most important factors in being successful. A strong team bond is almost always clear on the ice. (Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports)

makes it impossible for a team to win unless they play together. Everybody needs to be on the same page if things are to work in this sport and that makes it all the better. After all, there's no "I" in "hockey."

4. The Speed

No other sport even comes close to hockey in terms of speed. Everything about this sport is fast-paced: the slap shots, the game pace, the players. Every other sport moves at a glacial pace in comparison to this one. There's no time for dozing off in hockey - something is always happening and if you blink, chances are you'll miss it. Constant action is one of the many reasons hockey is the greatest sport on the planet.

5. The Insane Playoff Format

You can argue every other point on this list, (except six; that's a fact, too) but you can't argue that the NHL playoffs are, without a doubt, the most grueling of all the major sports. In order to become champion in this league, you must survive four rounds of grueling, backbreaking play, on top of the seven months of the brutal regular season games that have already been completed.

There's no stopping nor breaks for these boys - Only twenty-eight games to prove that you deserve Lord Stanley. Good luck finding another sport that requires that much work and devotion to win the title.

6. Hockey Players are Warriors

There's no doubt about it, hockey players are the toughest athletes out there. They get blasted in the face with a puck and keep playing. They break bones on the ice, but finish the shift. There's just nothing that stops them. Rich Peverley literally died for a few seconds on the ice and after being revived, asked to be put back into the game. Classic hockey player.

Basketball players sit out for the season with ingrown fingernails. Baseball players refuse to play because of blisters. Hockey players ask to play more after having their faces stitched back together. If that's not a warrior, I don't know what is.

7. The Lingo

If you've ever spoken to a hockey player, you know very well just how hilarious hockey lingo is. From "beauty" to "bender," hockey has a language of its own. No other sport requires a dictionary to decode what's happening. This hockey jargon makes things a bit complicated at times, but it also adds to the greatness of the sport.

If you feel the desire to learn how to speak like a hockey player, read up on the ultimate hockey dictionary here.

8. Goal Celebrations

In most sports, scoring requires some sort of celebration. However in hockey, scoring means a celly is coming and that is much more than your average celebration. That's an all-out-spin-in-circles-flail-around celebration of awesomeness and the goal that was just put in the net. Not every goal requires a celly, but when they happen, it's definitely worth watching.

9. The Traditions and Superstitions

From playoff beards to pre-game rituals, hockey is a sport bursting with traditions and superstitions. Other sports have their customs, but none come close to hockey. These men grow facial hair for good luck or insist on eating the same exact meal before every game.

Some guys get really strange with their superstitions: Max Talbot boxes with Marc-Andre Fleury before every game, while Karl Alzner used to tap his stick 88 times and outline the Canadian maple leaf during the National Anthem. Hall of Fame goaltender Glenn Hall used to vomit before every game, believing he'd lose unless he lost his lunch before taking the ice.

Although they're odd, these superstitions and bizarre traditions set hockey apart from all else.

10. Hockey Players are Nice Guys

This may be a generalization, but hockey players seem to be the nicest of the professional athletes. They may act tough on the ice, but they're giant teddy bears off the ice.

It's common to hear of players from across the league performing little acts of kindness. Last year a group of Boston Bruins players dressed up as characters from Disney's Frozen and visited the Boston Children's Hospital. The Colorado Avalanche's Matt Duchene purchased a jersey for an 11-year-old girl who was bullied at school. Charlie Coyle of the Minnesota Wild made a young boy's day just by waving at him during warmups.

Both on and off the ice, hockey players make this sport the greatest of them all. If you didn't believe it before, you should now: Hockey is the greatest sport on earth.
This post was originally published in Jan. 2015.

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10 Reasons Hockey Is the Greatest Sport on Earth

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If you're reading this, you're probably already aware that hockey is the undisputed best sport on the planet. But if you really need some extra convincing, here's a list of ten things (in no particular order) that make hockey the greatest sport on Earth: Football, basketball, baseball - what do they all have in common?

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Here is a link to some of the best saves I've ever seen

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Here is a link to some of the best saves I've ever seen

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This year I played goalie for the Nashoba JV team

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This year I played goalie for the Nashoba JV team

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His name is Carter Hart

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They are the Philidelphia Flyers