It's one of the best parts of winter - ice hockey on the lake! Its extremely important to make sure the ice is safe before anyone straps on their skates, however. You can make a tester with tape, a cordless drill, and a wood auger bit. Drill until you hit water and measure with the tape. You could also use a chainsaw to cut a square foot of the ice and tilt it sideways to measure the thickness. Put it back to the ice will refreeze and make sure that area is left alone for a while after! If the ice is less than four inches thick, stay away. More than four inches is fine for walking, ice fishing, or ice skating! If there is more than five inches you can take out your snowmobile or ATV. 8-12 inches is fine for a small vehicle and 12-15 is a good thickness for a larger vehicle. Stay safe on the ice this winter and have fun!
Cordless drill and wood auger bit Mark an 18″ wood-auger bit with tape at safe-ice depths of 4″, 6″, and 12″, and cut vertical holes in the ice with a cordless drill.A tape measure into the hole, hooked on the underside of the ice, confirms the depth.
It's one of the best parts of winter - ice hockey on the lake! Its extremely important to make sure the ice is safe before anyone straps on their skates, however. You can make a tester with tape, a cordless drill, and a wood auger bit. Drill until you hit water and measure with the tape. You could also use a chainsaw to cut a square foot of the ice and tilt it sideways to measure the thickness. Put it back to the ice will refreeze and make sure that area is left alone for a while after! If the ice is less than four inches thick, stay away. More than four inches is fine for walking, ice fishing, or ice skating! If there is more than five inches you can take out your snowmobile or ATV. 8-12 inches is fine for a small vehicle and 12-15 is a good thickness for a larger vehicle. Stay safe on the ice this winter and have fun!