JeffreyR Posted March 22, 2012 Share Posted March 22, 2012 I am looking to get a snow saw for avy pits but as a starving college student I don't really want to shell out $50+ for the commercially available ones. Are there any good alternatives such as making one or re-purposing other items...? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B Deleted_Beck Posted March 22, 2012 Share Posted March 22, 2012 If you're handy and have an angle grinder with a couple quality cutoff wheels, you should be able to grind one out of a piece of thick sheet metal, or cut down your dad's handsaw. REI carries a snowsaw for like $25, though... use your dividend, dude. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigSky Posted March 22, 2012 Share Posted March 22, 2012 I made one out of a 3' long piece of aluminum stock. I used a grinder to make the "handle", and a drill press w/ a couple different bits to make the teeth. If you make one don't forget to "set" (tweak) the teeth in alternating directions. If you're going to buy one, the one from Brooks Range is nice for $35. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryanb Posted March 22, 2012 Share Posted March 22, 2012 I rarely end up carrying my snow saw due to weight but having one that will attach to a ski pole does make extended column tests much easier. In soft snow you can get away with a ski or a pole to separate the column or use the probe/pole + string method. I've been thinking of making an ultralight snow saw out of a key hole or sawzall saw blade, some split aluminum tubing, a hose clamp and a bd flicklock mechanism. It would be much shorter then a real snow saw but I envision it locking securely onto the upper end of the lower section of my pole to make it easier to make a clean cut through buried crusts and all the parts are things it would be good to have as part of your repair kit. Hmm...maybe I'll go to the hardware store after work and see what I can figure out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snoboy Posted March 22, 2012 Share Posted March 22, 2012 Just buy a cheap pruning saw. You'll be able to cut branches for shelter/fire/splint also. Make sure blade is long enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
burchey Posted March 22, 2012 Share Posted March 22, 2012 How long is sufficient? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G-spotter Posted March 22, 2012 Share Posted March 22, 2012 How long is sufficient? Ask your mom. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
burchey Posted March 22, 2012 Share Posted March 22, 2012 How long is sufficient? Ask your mom. OHHHHHH well played. Gottem! She actually told me to ask - she said she's seen threads on making your own using those replacement blades for reciprocating saws, but she was worried that it might not be truly long enough to be effective. Given that she doesn't have much experience cutting snow blocks or testing for avi danger, I thought it was a reasonable question. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryanb Posted March 23, 2012 Share Posted March 23, 2012 (edited) So it turns out a sawzall (reciprocating saw) blade fits rather securely in the flic lock mechanism on a current gen bd traverse ski pole (next years mechanism is different) with the teeth of the blade in the slot, no additional parts needed. Trying to attach an image. $4 bucks at stone way hardware, will test it snow this weekend. For the extended colmn test you want to isolate a 30cm by 90cm column as deep as the deepest layer you are worried about so you need that much reach. My real snow saw is about 30cm but I can cut deeper the that with it on a ski pole so I'll experiment with how short a sawzall blade I can get away with to save weight. Edited March 23, 2012 by ryanb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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