How to Build an Ice Shanty

Having a shelter while ice fishing is a necessity, and greatly adds to the enjoyment of the whole experience. Having an ice shanty that provides the needed shelter yet folds up for easy transport is the best of both worlds.

Things You'll Need

• Two 4-by-8 foot ¼-inch plywood
• One 4-by-8 foot 3/8-inch plywood
• One 4-by-8 foot ½-inch plywood
• 73 foot of 2-by-2 inch boards
• 22 foot of 2-by-4 inch boards
• 8 foot by 14 foot plastic or poly tarp
• Three 78-inch poles (can be telephone poles, ½ copper pipe, whatever you choose)
• 4 pairs of butt hinges
• 3 barrel latches
• Two 8 inch by 12 inch 1/8 inch or ¼ inch plexiglass for windows
• Fasteners (screws or nails)

Instructions

1. Lay down the ¼ inch plywood pieces and measure them to make certain their dimensions are the same.

2. Cut a 20 inch by 50 inch door opening in the center of each ¼-inch plywood (start cutting from the bottom of the plywood). These will be the door openings.

3. Mark and cut the gable on both pieces of ¼-inch plywood. The final dimensions: to the peak, the plywood will measure 65 ½ inches; to the start of the gable will be 59 ½ inches.

4. Attach 2 inch by 2 inch boards along the gables of the ¼-inch plywood and along the sides with screws or nails. Use a power miter saw or a hand saw to cut the angles at the peak of the gable. Be certain to screw or nail from the plywood into the 2-by-2 inch boards and not the other way around. This gives added strength to the structure.

5. Use a 2-by-4 inch board for the bottom plate, or along the bottom of the ¼-inch plywood.

6. Strengthen the bottom of the door openings by adding a "filler piece" cut from ¼-inch plywood. The piece should measure 3 ½ inches by 20 inches.

7. Cut pieces measuring 24 inches by 52 inches from the ½ inch plywood. Mark an 1½ inches around the entire of each piece. These pieces will become the door frames and the doors of the ice shanty. Cut around the interior measurements, being careful not to cut beyond the 1½ inches marked.

8. Decide the placement of the door windows of your ice shanty, and cut out two 6 inch by 12 inch openings.

9. Make certain the frame and the door are centered and attach the hinges with screws. The doors should swing out when they're opened. Attach the doors to the ¼-inch plywood pieces, making certain the doors hang squarely and opens smoothly.

10. Frame the floor with 2-by-2 inch boards. Be certain to stagger them to add more strength to the structure and help when nailing down the floor. You can decide on the length of the shanty. For simplicity, you could decide on an overall dimension of 48 inches by 78 inches, which would be two 48 inch by 29 inch pieces of the 3/8 inch plywood laid long side to long side. Nail or screw the plywood to the 2 by 2 inch boards. Decide the placement of your ice holes, and cut 8 inch holes along one side (along the length, not from side to side).

11. Affix the ¼-inch plywood pieces to the front and back of the ice shanty with hinges. Keep the ¼ plywood pieces or gable ends from moving by nailing a scrap piece of wood from gable end to gable end.

12. Set up the three poles along the center of the ice shanty, then spread the tarp over the top of the ice shanty and staple the ends to the gables. Screw 1½ inch strips of ¼ inch plywood along both sides of the gable. Do this with both gable ends. Fix the screws in place with finish washers.

13. Put two 2-by-4 inch runners on either side of each door opening of your ice shanty.

14. Pre-drill the plexiglass pieces, and screw them into the doors of the ice shanty.

15. Secure the door with locks on the inside of the door and the exterior as well. Barrel locks or hasp locks will work well for the inside. You may wish to have more secure locks for the outside.

Tips & Warnings

• Use a propane heater to hear your ice shanty. If you use a combination heater/stove, you can also use it to heat up your lunch. Be certain to have proper ventilation to avoid CO2 poisoning.