Americano Blue's musher/mushing chat thread

[RezChamp]

I wanna see if I can buy a leader that knows the trail then I'd love to race! 

I just had some thoughts
In my experience even 4 dogs and a racing(light basket)sled can move at a really good clip for 10 miles. I did eventually get to mush Seeseep's(my wife's cousin in ThePas)"skinny mutt looking" dogs but he said I should only take 4 of them "bkuz they ain't your freighting dogs. These dogs are 25% angel & 3.125% demon." When I asked him what the other 76.875% is he said,"Bout half&half Cheetah and Duck Hawk". "Duck Hawk" is a falcon.
Sweetheart I think it's your job to know the trail and the dogs job to know your commands.
You need to study the map, even the topographical, and be on the ball calling out your commands and on the brake and/or drag-mat because you & them dawgies gona be flying.

Oooooooooooo you gonna love it. I'm just tickled for you.

 

[RezChamp]

I am putting up for a vote should I paint this as my sled is painted or just varnish/shellac/polyurethane?
I have put this to my family and friends and I also would like input of my "BYC mushing dotrs" as my wife refers to you










I am also refurbishing another(older) 8 hole dog transport. It was built heavy but had lots of room for improvement. ....like rotting on the floor of the cubicles, rotting between the floor and the 3/4" subfloor. I have already acquired the necessary materials. I would like to put lotsa lights on it though as well as a locking system. I like old school.
Ya, the aluminum ones are kyna pretty and may be more hygienic but have you ever held onto an aluminum rod or slab for a few seconds in -40*C? Now, much less tryna 'rest' in the darn thing after running 40 miles or more. Kyna like wearing damp blue jeans with no longjohns through a January blizzard.
So anyways......the 1 I'm refurbishing will also be painted/varnished the same as this 1.
Lemeno wut u think and when the rest of the votes get in I will let y'all know.
And of course I will post pix of the finished product.
Thanks.

 

[RezChamp]

Yo charnic44did you get that video up yet. I would love to show my wife and daughters.

 

[Americano Blue]

I am putting up for a vote should I paint this as my sled is painted or just varnish/shellac/polyurethane? I have put this to my family and friends and I also would like input of my "BYC mushing dotrs" as my wife refers to you I am also refurbishing another(older) 8 hole dog transport. It was built heavy but had lots of room for improvement. ....like rotting on the floor of the cubicles, rotting between the floor and the 3/4" subfloor. I have already acquired the necessary materials. I would like to put lotsa lights on it though as well as a locking system. I like old school. Ya, the aluminum ones are kyna pretty and may be more hygienic but have you ever held onto an aluminum rod or slab for a few seconds in -40*C? Now, much less tryna 'rest' in the darn thing after running 40 miles or more. Kyna like wearing damp blue jeans with no longjohns through a January blizzard. So anyways......the 1 I'm refurbishing will also be painted/varnished the same as this 1. Lemeno wut u think and when the rest of the votes get in I will let y'all know. And of course I will post pix of the finished product. Thanks.

I think it'd look a lot cooler if you simply varnished it. I feel like if you paint it, it might be a tad overwheming to look at. I seriously love the colour of that sled. It's so pretty.

 

[RezChamp]

I think it'd look a lot cooler if you simply varnished it. I feel like if you paint it, it might be a tad overwheming to look at.

Thank you for your vote Blue. That's 4varnish & 2paint so far.

I seriously love the colour of that sled. It's so pretty.

Thanks again Blue. It took me awhile but I finally chose.
It's built to take quite a load and hold together.
Blue, a favor please, ...taking into consideration what expedition sleds are worth, what $ amount do you think imine is worth? Honestly........

Also, I have another sled similar but with red plastic and oiled. What you figure about the same scheme as the blue but in red? So that would be white with red "squiggles". What you figure then?

 

[RezChamp]

mine not "I mine"... Sorry

 

[RezChamp]

Whooops. Did it again. Let's try this again. mine not "imine".

 

[charnic44]

I am putting up for a vote should I paint this as my sled is painted or just varnish/shellac/polyurethane? I have put this to my family and friends and I also would like input of my "BYC mushing dotrs" as my wife refers to you I am also refurbishing another(older) 8 hole dog transport. It was built heavy but had lots of room for improvement. ....like rotting on the floor of the cubicles, rotting between the floor and the 3/4" subfloor. I have already acquired the necessary materials. I would like to put lotsa lights on it though as well as a locking system. I like old school. Ya, the aluminum ones are kyna pretty and may be more hygienic but have you ever held onto an aluminum rod or slab for a few seconds in -40*C? Now, much less tryna 'rest' in the darn thing after running 40 miles or more. Kyna like wearing damp blue jeans with no longjohns through a January blizzard. So anyways......the 1 I'm refurbishing will also be painted/varnished the same as this 1. Lemeno wut u think and when the rest of the votes get in I will let y'all know. And of course I will post pix of the finished product. Thanks.

First, I love your doors. I'd like to do something like that for mine but I'm nowhere near artistic. Maybe I will have to design something on the computer. I love the blue but I'm gonna go with varnish. I will probably have the videos posted by tomorrow or Saturday (hopefully). I was messing with it today and I think I have it figured out so we should be good to go as long as my internet cooperates, lol.

 

[RezChamp]

First, I love your doors. I'd like to do something like that for mine but I'm nowhere near artistic. Maybe I will have to design something on the computer.
I love the blue but I'm gonna go with varnish.
I will probably have the videos posted by tomorrow or Saturday (hopefully). I was messing with it today and I think I have it figured out so we should be good to go as long as my internet cooperates, lol.

Thanx char.
I knew what I wanted but actually got the start of the "template" from the Internet. I then SAVED to MY PICTURES. opened with PAINT then erased and drew, erased and drew, erased and drew some of my own stuff , SAVED, hand-drew, then hand-magnified then made a template using cardboard. I then traced around the cardboard and used a jigsaw. The next time I do it tho' I will take the doors off and cut them 'on the flat' instead of right where you see it in the pix, installed. LOL
So far the vote is 7-4 in favour of varnish.
Yes please do info me ASA the vid is up. Thanx

 

[RezChamp]

So, the question is open to all players.
Taking into consideration the price of expedition sleds on today's market, mine is made to take about 1700-1900 lbs, hold together and is "beyond pretty", what do y'all think my sled should sell for?
Reason.....I may be putting it up as a prize in a dogsled race hosted here next year. Or I may just have it as a fund raiser to help host the race here next year.
Input on that(the race). Weight? Length(miles/kilometres). How many dogs in Lenght/Weight. Course(bush,hills, swamp, field/meadow(we've no mountains here. Just drumlins,eskers and moraines.)). A mix(or not) Length/Weight. I think a 4 dog sprint of 5 miles with a weight of 25lbs in the sled and a 2 dog 1&1/2mile empty sled sprint over just a flat well dressed trail is almost a must. Of course the winners circle payoffs will reflect how many sleds are entered but a cup or trophy of some sort will be presented.
And my cup of tea is a longer trail with many different terrain challenges and heavy load. Probably 200 or more miles and 500lbs plus all gear like camping, cooking and survival gear hunting, trapping articles. Maybe some emergency measure stuff. Of course a GPS with an SOS beacon. I don't know if that'll happen right away but I have it in my head that it will happen sooner or later.
So ladies, start your preparations. Y'all are on my list of first to be invited.