Hantsport's rink - making and maintaining it

Brett King

Brett King's project for the school's Science Fair described how the Hantsport rink is set up and maintained each year - weather permitting. And weather was certainly permitting this year. 

Skating began during the Christmas holidays and continued into late March. Only a few days of mild weather turned the ice into slush but then winter returned.

 Brett, age 9 and in grade 4, and earned a tie for 3rd place for his grade.

 Materials 

1) A large flat space near a water source 

2) A tarp large enough for your space 

3) Enough 2”x8”x8’ boards to go around the perimeter of the tarp 

4) A long hose with a spray nozzle 

5) Short pieces of 1”x8’x1” board 

6) 2.5” screws and a cordless drill 

7) Supports for perimeter boards (concrete blocks, survey stakes, etc) 

8) Plastic beverage caps and 1” screws 

9) Laser level 

Procedure 

1) Select a site large and flat enough for the desired dimensions. 

 It is important to find a location as level as possible because water always finds its own level. 

2) Gather the number of 2”x 8”x 8’ required to make the perimeter of the rink.

 Example: if the rink is 24 x 32, then three 2”x 8”x 8’ will be needed for each end and four 2”x 8”x 8’ for the sides; a total of 14, 2”x 8”x 8’ boards will be needed. 

3) Choose one corner to begin. 

4) Lay three boards on their edge, end to end, in a straight line. 

5) Go back to the starting corner and lay four boards in a similar way. 

Make sure the corner is square as possible. 

6) Go to the opposite corner and lay four more boards parallel to the first 

four, making sure that the second corner is square. 

7) Go to the far end and place the final three boards to complete the frame. 

8) Using a cordless drill, attach the 1”x 8”x 1’ boards together by putting 

screws on each connection. 

9) Once the boards are connected place a brace about every 8 feet. 

10) When the braces are in place, get the tarp and place it inside the 

perimeter of the boards. 

11) Now go to one end and lift up part of the boards and pull the tarp 

under so it overlaps. Do that all the way around. 

12) Finally, get a cordless drill and caps from plastic beverage containers, 

go along the perimeter and screw the bottle caps into the boards to 

support the tarp. 

Creating the Ice Surface 

 Ideally, your first floods that will create the base for the rink will occur during very cold weather (-10 or below is best). 

 When applying the water, try to spread it out evenly so that it freezes quickly. Too much water in certain spots will not allow for quick freezing. 

 Applying many light floods is the best way to build thick, smooth ice. 

FUN ON THE ICE AT NIGHT!

Maintaining the Ice 

 Once the ice is thick enough to skate on, maintaining the ice is very important. 

 Before flooding you need to scrape the ice well in order to prevent a bumpy surface. 

 After scraping, flood the ice evenly, making sure that left over snow on the ice saturates with water. Be sure to let this flood freeze completely before adding a second flood. 

 The second flood should be applied thinly and quickly to give the ice a smooth, polished look. 

 If snow is expected, a fresh flood the night before will allow for easier snow removal from a smooth surface. 

Common problems 

 Make sure to flood on clear days/nights. If there are snow flurries when you flood the ice, it will create a rough surface and make it harder to freeze. 

 Cracks in outdoor ice are common. To fix these, scrape snow into the crack and smooth the snow so it is even with the ice surface. Next sprinkle water from a can or bucket so that it soaks the snow slowly and doesn’t force it out of the crack. Without the snow, the water tends to seep out of the crack and therefore does not fix the problem. 

 Leaves are enemies to any ice surface because they create holes when they warm up on sunny days. It is important to keep leaves off the ice. 

 Items left on the ice surface act the same way as leaves, so it is important to clear the ice after you are finished using it. 

 Freezing water hoses can be a nightmare to ice makers. If your hose runs constantly (into a drain) make sure the water flow is fast enough that it won’t freeze on a cold winter’s night. If you hook up your hose each time you flood make sure to drain out the water and store it in a warm place. 

Watching the Forecast 

 It is important to keep an eye on the forecast so you know what is in store for the next day. 

 If snow is in the forecast, try to get a fresh flood on before the snow arrives. This will help ease snow removal. 

 If rain is on the way make sure the ice is scrapped and Mother Nature will flood for you! 

 If warm temperatures are forecasted, it is best to stay off the ice. Skating on soft ice can create a slushy surface that becomes hard to work with. 

 Cold nights (-10 or below) are great for multiple floods. On nights that are still below freezing but in the single digits, one thick flood is all you should apply so it has more time to freeze. 

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Countless volunteers worked on the rink. As you have read above, the rink is demanding but definitely worth the effort. Thanks to all who volunteered - too many to mention.  

Renda VanderToorn encouraged students at Hantsport School  to learn to skate. Skates had been donated to make this possible. The rink provided kids with this opportunity who might never had experienced the joy of skating!

A special thanks to Brett for allowing me to post this on the blog. And to Heidi for her technical skills in making this possible.