Building the Wooden Frame

• 1). Sketch out a plan to determine the size and shape of your ice-fishing shelter, taking into consideration whether you want it to be a 2 or 4-seater shack.
  
  
• 2). Build the floor by first making the frame. Cut four lengths of 2-by-4 inch timber and nail them together to form a square (or rectangle, depending on your plan) to the size of the floor. Strengthen the frame by nailing 2-by-4 inch struts inside the frame, roughly 16 inches apart. Keep in mind where you intend cutting your fishing holes. Once the frame is complete, cut the plywood to size and screw it down onto the frame to build the floor deck. Cut the fishing holes in the floor approximately 10 inches in diameter, using a jigsaw.
  
  
• 3). Build the skids by cutting six lengths of 2-by-6 inch timber to run along the length of the floor. Cut 45-degree angles at one end of each length to form the front ends of the skids in order for them to slide through the snow. Couple two runners together for added strength so that you end up with three skids. Attach the skids to the bottom of the floor frame with screws, placing one on each side of the floor, and one in the center.
  
  
• 4). Build the walls by cutting the four walls to size out of 1/2 inch plywood, using a circular saw. Two of the walls should be gable shaped, and two walls should be square (or rectangular) in shape, depending on your design. Cut a door out of one of the gable walls and cut a window in the other gabled wall. Nail a frame onto each wall to strengthen the structure, using 2-by-4 inch lengths of timber and spacing them every 16 inches. Nail a frame around the doorway and the window. Stand the four walls up and nail or screw them onto the floor and to each other to form a strong box-like structure.
  
  
• 5). Build the roof using thin metal sheeting and screwing it down onto the tops of the walls. Any material can be used for the roof, but metal sheeting is ideal because it is lightweight and able to withstand harsh weather conditions such as rain, snow and wind. Seal any gaps between the roof and the walls with expanding polyurethane spray foam.
  
  
• 6). Make the door by using the piece cut out of the wall. Frame it with 2-by-2 inch timber, attach 2 hinges and a latch, and fit the door to the door-frame. Build the window by screwing a sheet of Plexiglas or clear PVC onto the inside of the window frame.
  
  

Insulating With Rigid Polyurethane Foam

• 1). Cut the rigid sheets of polyurethane foam to size to fit the inside of the walls and roof, using a jigsaw.
  
  
• 2). Glue the foam sheets to the walls and roof, using polyurethane adhesive. Apply quarter-sized dots of adhesive to the rigid foam boards, spaced roughly 6 inches apart. Press the boards firmly against the walls and roof one at a time, and apply pressure on each board until the glue is set.
  
  
• 3). Seal any gaps between the foam board with expanding polyurethane spray foam.