2006 - Volume #30, Issue #6, Page #31
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Satellite Dish "Sleigh" Doubles As A Wagon
Brian Quick turned a 12-ft. dia. dish into a lightweight ATV sleigh that provides his five children with loads of winter fun. In addition, the unit easily converts into a wagon for summertime use.
"There are a lot of these big aluminum satellite dishes around that people used in the 1980's. People give them to my kids to dismantle and sell for scrap. They're worth $30 to $40 apiece for the aluminum," Quick explains. "My kids also take apart automatic transmissions for salvage, and put the money in a bike fund. They've probably made $2,500 to $3,000 so far."
The runners for the sleigh are the ribs of the dish. Other miscellaneous metal pieces off the dish were used to make the tongue and the rollbar-handle. The front and back sections of the floor is the dish's original aluminum screen because it makes for really good traction, according to Quick. The rest of the floor is made out of plywood (attached with self-tapping screws) for better strength.
When it's in sleigh-mode, the unit kind of looks like a dog sled, Quick says. Two kids stand on the back and another can sit on a plastic deck chair that's bolted on in front. By removing the chair, there's room for two children to sit on the floor. To convert into a wagon, an axle slides through already existing holes on the ribs of the dish. Salvaged lawn mower tires and rims are held onto the axle with spring clips.
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Brian Quick, N16302 Gorzinski Lane, Wilson, Mich. 49896 (ph 906 497-5029; diquick@hotmail.com).
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