[TheForge] Ice cleats (Was: So, what are you working on?)

[Mike Spencer]

> I don't find anything under "icewalkers" and I can't search for it
> because I can't figure out how to spell "ice" with more than three
> letters.

Measure the width of your boot sole.  Cut two pieces of flat bar a
couple of inches longer than that and mark off the boot width,
centered on the bar.

Split the ends in three up to around the marks. Draw the outer splits
to a point. Punch hole near the ends of each of the center the splits.

Bend the spikes down and the punched elements up.  Use the punched
holes to attach laces or straps to hold them on.

Choice of stock size, details of measurement and stylish finish are
left as an exercise. :-) 

The first pair I made had excessively long spikes which drove so
deeply into the ice that I had to yank my trailing foot loose on each
step and moving off the ice onto stone or wood was like using short but
badly designed stilts.

Every year or two we have either a big ice storm or cold rain on
packed snow where the parade has been plowed or paths shoveled.  The
result is unwalkable without spikes or hobnails.

One year, I drove home in heavy rain on wet but clear pavement to our
gravel road.  The gravel road was a skating rink with a pebble
projecting up here and there.  I managed to drive half a mile from
pebble to pebble at 0.021 MPH but attempting the turn into our lane
put me in the ditch.  Got out of the car.  Fell down.  Had to crawl
across the road on all-fours to get home.  Made ice cleats shortly
after.


FWIW,
- Mike

-- 
Michael Spencer                  Nova Scotia, Canada       .~. 
                                                           /V\ 
mspencer at tallships.ca                                     /( )\
http://home.tallships.ca/mspencer/                        ^^-^^