Surfacing??

[Ryan]

Hey Everyone total NOOB here lol Ive read the other posts about resurfacing however Im still kind of confused. So after we skate on the ice should I scrape it down and put a layer of water on it at night? Or right after skating or should I use Hot water? We skated for first time today after waiting patiently for it to freeze through, however it didnt freeze right through to the bottom, I waited till there was at least a 4 inch slab, when I filled I had 9.5 inches in low point and about 4.5 in my high end. It still wasnt frozen right through though but it supported our weight however I heard cracks when after skating for a bit. Now its really cold today so maybe that had something to do with the cracks? there not bad nor did they come right through I just noticed them through the ice and could hear them when they happened. Sorry if I got off topic there guess I have a few questions.. So what would I use HOt water for? Cold water for? should I resurface after every skate and should I worry about the cracking? I read up on most of that stuff on the forums but Im still confused with some of the answers, like I said total NOOB but I worked really hard on this amazing Creation of a Rink and want to make sure I dont mess it up. Thanks again everyone!
Oh and as a Canadian it was tough to watch that loss this morning, but Congrats to the US on their win today they played amazingly! (that was hard lol)
Happy Skating,

Ryan

[HaleSkater]

Here are a few things I've learned in my first few weeks as a proud backyard rink owner:

1) No, you do not NEED to resurface after every skate. It is tempting to do so however...because having a fresh surface waiting for you out back is pretty awesome.

2) If you are not going to resurface within a short period after using the rink, be sure to shovel it off thoroughly to avoid large, undesirable bump-fields from forming. I have found that a metal shovel works best for any stubborn areas where shavings are clinging to the ice. I also have found an old-school-style straw broom to be pretty handy for the corners. In my short experience, a regular pushbroom is almost useless because a bunch of snow and shavings fall out each time you set the broom down for the next push.

3) It seems that the most popular and most discussed resurfacing method is some type of homeboni or rink rake device. From the posts I've read there is a preference for warm water if you can arrange it, but cold works fine as well.

4) I'd bet that a rink rake becomes far more necessary as your rink size increases. While rink rakes are probably the "best" solution, I have found that a hose with a sprayer attachment and several big buckets do the trick just fine on a small rink. Mine is 12 x 37 -- all our little city yard can handle...for now :-) -- but it is plenty of room to play around with the kiddos. I think if you were dealing with something larger than, say, 30 x 30 you'd have issues with bucket dumps because some areas would begin to freeze before you could get total surface coverage with the new water...especially when its super-cold outside. This could be overcome with larger "buckets" of course.

5) My process: a) shovel completely, b) work the perimeter with a straw broom, c) shovel again but with extra shovel pressure to scrape up any stubborn snow d) Hose down any trouble spots like noticeable divots, or new cracks with hot water (you could also do this by pouring hot water I suppose) e) dump about 35 gallons of warm water on the rink as quickly as possible from large containers f) eyeball the surface to make sure that no "old" ice is visible (the entire thing is covered with water). Step (f) is way easier after dark when you can see the new water reflecting ambient light. This whole process takes maybe 20 minutes including hauling my 10 gal, 6 gal and 5 gal pails up from the basement, snaking a hose out a basement window, and getting everything put away. Of course there are many noble ways to extend the time it takes to make it plenty long to consume 1 or more adult beverages with a neighbor.

6) Don't worry about cracking. I nearly needed a new pair of undies when I first dumped warm water on the ice. The cracking is kind of loud, but doesn't cause any skatability issues at all. I suppose you'd get less cracking with a homeboni. I've grown to like the sound actually...it's now in my brain alongside the other sounds of outdoor hockey like pucks hitting a chain-link net or colliding with wooden boards. All good stuff.

7) I'm not sure if it's a bucket dump thing or if this would happen even with a rink rake, but any spot on the rink that "takes" more water...like a deep gouge, or a wider section of a crack...will usually create a small mound when it freezes through. I believe this is because the surface freezes, and then the additional water below (even if it's just another 1/8") will freeze slightly afterward and push upward as it expands during freezing. This doesn't cause any issues with skating but, if it bugs you, you can take care of it pretty easily by putting on the skates and shaving down any noticeable spots and then doing a thin resurface again. If you are really going for a crazy-perfect finish I've found that putting on loafers or typical dress shoes will allow you to "feel" any of these mounds with your feet...sometimes you can't even see them with the eyes....so I say why bother. I'd rather be skating over a few small bumps with my kid than worrying about a surface that would pass inspection by an NHL maintenance crew.

8) I know I am far from an expert at this stage, but I have learned that it's really not all that hard. If you build a decent frame (I used Joe's "how to" approach from the website here) and are reasonably mindful with your resurfacing technique(s) you'll have great ice and great times..of course you need good weather too.

[Ryan]

THanks for the info Hale Skater :) Your right about not having to resurface every day, the next day aside from the skate marks the ice was perfectly fine for another round of skating and shooting pucks :). My rink is about 30 by 48 ft, ive been lucky I guess as Ive had no mounds really at all so far. I guess I will attempt to resurface tonight however I just heard on the radio that its going up to 5 degrees on monday, so i might hold off to then and than just add some water when it warms up, would that be ideal? I was looking at the hombeoni design on here and Im thinking about getting around to making one. As my rink is rather larger I was thinking of hooking up my hose to my hot water line that runs to the washing machine or would that be too hot? Btw I love the work you put into with the buckets up and down the stairs. Again thanks for the tips, as I too needed to change my undies after hearing that first loud crack! I even marched all the kids off quickly as well lol

Cheers!

[HaleSkater]

Whenever its about 25F or colder I have resurfaced with big bucket dumps or just the hose with warm water. I haven't noticed a big difference with (certainly no advantage) ultra-cold temps.

BTW - I snake a hose out the basement window...hauling full buckets up the stairs would be a bad idea as its tough to hold a beer simultaneously...

Good luck...

[DCK1170]

I installed a standard shower valve on my backyard spigot. This gives me the ability to control the temperature for many different activities throughout the year, most importantly, it lets me use scalding hot water for the homeboni on the rink. I highly recommend at least shoveling the rink after every use and once you spend the $7.00 on materials to make a homeboni, it will be worth it to run it more often than not. It takes longer to get everything ready than it does to boni, my 20x40 rink takes less than 2 minutes to boni and I have a perfect sheet the next day. Here is a picture of the valve installed in my basement, it costs $25-$30 and can be found at any big box store like Menards, Lowes or Home Depot.

[DCK1170]

The "Homeboni".........

[kevmac]

I've seen this variation of the homeboni many times and I've always wondered what's the point in making the rectangle out of the PVC instead of just making a simple "T".

My rink-rake is much simpler (with no glue) using one of these as the length, a threaded T at the end, then two of these with threaded caps at the end. Drill holes every inch and voila! If you break something, it is easily replaced instead of starting all over because you glued it together.

Kevin

[DCK1170]

I wondered myself Kevin but found that the tee makes a good handle to grab the boni when your done with it on the rink and it gives you somewhere to zip tie the drag rag to so it doesnt shift to one side or the other? The drag rag can become pretty heavy and thats where most people said their bonis broke over time?? I agree with your simpler design but for the extra $1.50 in fittings, I played it safe and went with this design.

[kevmac]

I have an old shovel handle taped to the 3' riser which acts as a great brace (and handle, surprising!) and I don't use a towel. I've used a towel before and I found it makes no real difference if you take your time. In my opinion, after 5 minutes of skating, does it really matter whether there is a towel used or not? Guess it all comes down to preference. ;-)

Cheers
Kevin

[DCK1170]

Canadian inginuity, I like it!! :-)