Project Showcase

Tell us about yourself: “I am Millwright mechanic! Love to build snowmobiles, drive them, and race them! They use to call me ‘Johniefast’ when I was racing!” Twin track snowmobiles entered the consumer market under the Raider brand name in the 1970s, Manta in the 1980s, and Trail Roamer in 2000. The...

Tell us about yourself:“I’m retired, and enjoy puttering around in the shop. I live on an acreage with a long driveway and an access road to the back sheds, so snow clearing is essential.” A front-mounted snowblower on a small tractor was causing problems with rear traction. Even with aggressive ATV...

Tell us about yourself: “I have 40 yrs + experience in welding and fabrication. I own a fabricating shop in Fredericton.” Nothing better than a well-groomed trail to enjoy a little outdoor time on the snowmobile or ATV. The design on this trail groomer features a solar-powered electrical system to r...

"During the summer I work as a carney for Wonder Shows Winnipeg. I have been a carney for about 15 years. I enjoy fishing, boating and just about anything outdoors - being inside drives me crazy. I also enjoy blacksmithing, working on old stationary engines and steam engines." When Allan isn't busy ...

"I work at a hunting store for a living, but outside of work I enjoy inventing and building things that interest me." Propeller-driven snowmobiles are nothing new; the first ones appeared in Russia as far back as 1910 (even aviation pioneer Igor Sikorsky toyed with them). They were basically a wood ...

“I design things in my head, and then I go for it. I restore Honda CT70 mini bikes, I paint landscapes out of my head, I do woodwork, and I build boats with trailers all out of wood, and everything works on the units.” Peter came up with this interesting add-on for his snowblower. You might not feel...

Kids learning to skate on an outdoor rink may be having a blast, and likely won’t stop until you call them back inside. But when the weather doesn’t play nice, that enthusiasm could fade. In order to keep their grandkids active, Donald decided to create a sheltered rink so the little ones can keep o...

Tell us about yourself: “I’m a retired safety engineer. I love to tinker in my workshop.” While a frozen pond makes an ideal skating rink, the ice beneath the snow covering it is hardly silky smooth. Paul came up with this brilliant attachment for his garden tractor to give the skating surface that ...

Tell us about yourself:“A proud grandparent with a very talented neighbour named Scott. We love to support our grandkids in everything they do, and this was a project that took a summer to do, and was well worth doing. We called it a Famboni because it was for the love of family.” There’s nothing mo...

“I’ve worked on a number of projects: snowmobiles, ATVs, off-road motorcycles, excavators, logging trailers, wood splitters, and others.” Benoit has designed his own snowmobiles over the last 5 years, building each one from scratch (except for the track and skis). His French website (www.brx800.net)...

Tell us about yourself:“Cabinetmaker, retired Skilled Trades teacher. Since retiring I have started my business Seaside Woodworks building furniture, rebuilding and repairing boats. I work in just about any material, wood, composites, steel, fiberglass and plastics. With retirement though I like to ...

What makes ice fishing so great? For some, it’s the fresh air, the snacks you bring, and a chance to hang out with friends and family. Others see it as more of a hardcore fishing experience, and one way to deal with the long winter months. Whatever your reason is, getting to the perfect spot on the ...

Some of our customers can look at a pile of parts and metal pieces, and somehow visualize something they could build. Take Jody, for instance; he “Frankenstein-ed” this project together using a variety of pieces, did a little modifying (ok, maybe a lot)… and finished with this creation. Looking at i...

Tell us about yourself: “I am a millwright by trade, and I enjoy spending time in my shop building and fabricating. When I'm not in the shop or at work, I like to spend time with the family quading or fishing.” Loading a recreational vehicle onto a trailer by driving forward is one thing, but unload...

Tell us about yourself: “I love building anything with a small engine on it… from go-karts to scooters and small engine swaps.” The Bolens Hus-Ski and Diablo Rouge snow vehicles were a unique sight when they came out in the 1960s. Originally manufactured in Montreal, these twin-track machines were a...

Tell us about yourself:“Just a guy who enjoys tinkering and "improving" things.” Front-mount snowblowers on smaller lawn tractors usually have a crank handle to position the chute and a cable to adjust the deflector angle. Tom was having none of that; with a few components and a bit of wiring, he ad...

Tell us about yourself: “Self-employed since 1998, Grade 12 education.” Now this looks like a fun way to get around during the winter months. Hats off to Dan for figuring out how to merge a Honda CRF 450 motorcycle with an Arctic Cat snowmobile track! Thanks for sharing some photos of your project,...

Tell us about yourself: “I’m retired. My hobbies include my blacksmith shop, welding and carpentry.” When you possess the knowledge and skills to “Frankenstein” something together because of a need, most of the time you just want the end result to do what you want it to do. Richard took an old snowb...

Tell us about yourself:“I’m an incurable garage tinkerer.” If you once had a radio-controlled toy as a kid (or still do, hey that’s cool), then take a look at this. Bill constructed an impressive snow-clearing machine that makes an otherwise dull chore a little more entertaining. Cool project, Bill...