Building Wooden Snowshoes & Snowshoe Furniture: Winner of "Legendary Maine Guide" Award

by Gil Gilpatrick

Overview

Traditional snowshoes and the art of making them is alive and well in Gil Gilpatrick's authoritative book on the topic. With this book, you will learn how to make a variety of snowshoes and furniture made in the snowshoe style using updated materials. Skills such as bending and shaping wood, assembling parts and lacing are emphasized. You will learn how to select the size and style shoe that is right for you and how to make them. You will also find directions for making an end table, rocker, coffee table, footstool and wood holder in the traditional snowshoe style. Perfect for any rustic retreat. Detailed plans and patterns are included.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781565234857
Publisher:	Fox Chapel Publishing Company, Incorporated
Publication date:	02/01/2011
Pages:	168
Sales rank:	613,274
Product dimensions:	8.40(w) x 10.90(h) x 1.50(d)

About the Author

Gil Gilpatrick has been a Master Maine Guide for over 40 years and taught Outdoor Resources at the Skowhegan Vocational Center in Maine for nearly 30 years. He has written extensively about his experiences in the outdoors and his knowledge of how to build outdoor equipment.

Table of Contents

I. Building Snowshoes
*Introduction
*Size and Style
*Shaping and Frames
*Bending the Frames
*Assembly of the Frames
*Making Bearpaws
*Filling the Snowshoes
*Binding
II. Building Snowshoe Furniture
*Introduction
*Bending Wood
*Snowshoe End Table
*Snowshoe Rocker
*Snowshoe Coffee Table
*Snowshoe Footstool
*Snowshoe Wood Holder
Appendix I: Patterns and Drawings
Appendiz II: Supply Sources

Editorial Reviews

(Review is in german and awaiting translation to english)

How topical could we possibly get? We are well into winter and in most northern (north of Florida anyway) areas there is ample snow for the sport of snowshoeing.

Snowshoeing can be invigorating and pleasurable and also satisfying knowing that the snowshoes you are using were made by you.

The author is a renowned and legendary state of Maine Guide who should know a lot about the sport (or recreation) of snowshoeing. Gilpatrick literally walks you through the process of making not only a varied sort of snowshoes but some interesting rustic furniture as well. Different styles and sizes of snowshoes are discussed for the type of snowshoeing that the user is planning to do. The bending of ash is described as ash is the wood of choice for this sport and the lacing is discussed and illustrated in depth. The author prefers using nylon lacing over the traditional rawhide as it maintains its tension better.

The making of the rustic furniture is fully detailed in the book and it includes a rocker, coffee table, footrest, end table and more.

If you want to enjoy the winter out of doors then this is the book for you to become one with nature.

Hello sir,
I am writing you today just to thank you for the first book you wrote on Building Snowshoes. I started with that book over 25 years ago and have been building snowshoes ever since. I demonstrate the craft every year. I use both nylon twine and rawhide. I make shoes from 14" down to 8". The 8" shoes were for my daughters when they were three years old. I have also started to make some Acadian Snowshoe Chairs from an example made in the late 1700's. It is a very simple chair with great lines. I have also used your book on building a strip canoe. It is a great pastime in these snowy months and very relaxing. Thanks and take care.

BUILDING WOODEN SNOWSHOES & SNOWSHOE FURNITURE, by Gil Gilpatrick, includes several projects for building rustic, snowshoe-inspired furniture, like rocking chairs, foot stools and more with detailed plans and patterns - all perfect for cabins, cottages and other outdoor retreats. A master outdoorsman and woodcrafter, Gilpatrick has written several other books and is a member of the New England Outdoors Writers Association.

From the Publisher