Rope Tow Rebuild

My son LOVES to ski, but by the time he gets out of school, we wouldn't have enough time to get to the mountain by the time the lifts close. So I built a rope tow in our back yard so we can rip laps until it gets too dark. In this video, I rebuild the drive system on it, which involved casting and turning a new urethane driver roller.
If you like what I'm doing here and find some value in it, consider supporting my work on Patreon: / jeremymakesthings
I promise I'll still mostly make stuff out of rusty junk and not just buy shiny things with your money.

[@nickhenscheid369]

I love this. Someone could spend a lot of money making such a thing out of a pile of brand new parts, but you hack something together that works out of a pile of rust and junk. You would have done well on the old British TV show "Junkyard Wars"

[@JeremyMakesThings]

I loved that show!

[@delinlo]

Just found your channel, genuinely one of the best to actually learn about hobbyist machining. Not one of the Titan of CNC kind of channels. Been dreaming of making a rope tow like this for years, can't tell you how much of a new year surprise it was to see you make one and post it. Thanks a lot Jeremy!

[@fishingsgreat]

Absolutely fantastic work man your an awesome dad

[@MPenzlin]

one smile of your kids and everything was worth to do it. Well done

[@Rubbernecker]

Oh man, dad of the year! I recently discovered your channel and I'm shocked that you don't have at least 250k subscribers. In time! Anyway, you have one more now!!

[@billbaggins]

I took the early advice and "just watched the video"..... enjoyed every minute👍

[@jdsstegman]

Your a great dad!

[@finster101]

Man I would have loved to have had a backyard ski trail with a rope tow as a kid! Your son is a lucky boy for sure. Plus you are getting "cool Dad" points for building it, I'm sure. Now you just need to wire up and string some solar battery charged night LED lights so you guy can do some night time skin runs.

[@MrKingdavis13]

Welding tip. Focus the weld on the flat surface and allow the metal to flow to the piece you are attaching and practice all the different angles and directions to get the best results on some scraps and before you know it your welds will look better.

[@christopherblack6607]

Keep on Junkin I love it that’s the whole point of homemade projects make it out of whatever you have!!!

[@belatoth3763]

The things you find in your backyard resembles the things i can find in mine :)

[@Xlaxsauce]

Thanks for putting in the failed attempts at rolling the rope down the hill. that provided a good laugh. I know the pain

[@JeremyMakesThings]

I had this vision of a perfect shot of the spool rolling down the hill and right by the camera… once it finally got going the right direction, it was headed right at the camera!

[@sparkiekosten5902]

RotarySMP sent me here! Subscribed!

[@danielhennis2763]

I love your videos. You make cool things without the need for over-the-top video graphics or machines no one can afford. :)

[@mattym8]

Welds aren’t bad. Push instead of pull. Go slower when base metal is 1/4” or more. You’re getting decent results for that style machine. And those welds are unlikely to fail. MIG with solid wire and shielding gas will feel like cheating when you upgrade. Dual shield is even nicer.

[@TheWoodyworker]

Great to see it working again.

[@garymucher4082]

Interesting concept. And even with the suspect unusual construction, it seems to do the job. So that is a project that works.

[@ListenThinkSolve]

lucky you... you have snow. +15 Celsius in UK

[@victoriapitt2305]

I love how you just whip up your own vacuum chamber like nbd. Ha ha Really cool project.

[@TROUROCKS]

2 frying pans back to back make a great pully ..... try to make a pinch groove pully for the driver .. thats a deep V with no bottom

[@JeremyMakesThings]

Ooooh, the pinch groove pulley sounds like a really good idea, probably better than what I did. I’ll try it next time.

[@specific-solutions]

This is absolutely rad, what a kinetic project! That base is absolutely massive, you can't fake mass like that.

[@kentuckytrapper780]

That's alsome man, gotta take care of our kiddos, great video, keep'um coming..

[@jamest.5001]

For a safety, it would not be a bad idea to incorporate a remote key fob remote shut-off, the fob can be attached to a glove, around the wrist, and shut off from 100-300 yards or something, I'd keep the in place shut-off also, Incase a bystanders need to shut it off, it's basically just a remote control relay! Cool idea this thing is awesome!

[@henrikskott]

Seeing you rolling the roll of rope down the hill, in hope it would go where you wanted and chasing it when it didn't, made me laugh in recognition. That's how I do it too, except with my whole life. Nowadays, I try not to, but still backslide to that behavior a lot :)

[@JeremyMakesThings]

I had this vision a perfect shot of the spool rolling past the camera, it didn’t want to go that way…until it went STRAIGHT AT the camera.

[@btwenzel05]

Awesome!

[@matsworld9386]

Lucky kids! awesome fabricating!

[@rattatumor]

good !

[@i_might_be_lying]

Cool project. Lucky kid!

[@james.d.8044]

Works awesome 👌 👏

[@GreenBambooify]

Pretty cool.

[@SemiSendy]

Mont Saint Blackfly!

[@JeremyMakesThings]

Have I mentioned we’ve been working on Mont Blackfly mountain bike trails? Not sure how the rope tow would work on a bike though.

[@georgesbasementshop1240]

Bloody Fantastic Jeremy. I love it.

[@bigjim8088]

Nice!

[@TrPrecisionMachining]

good video jeremy

[@jimsvideos7201]

Your son grabbed on for another go like he's done it a million times; that might be an exaggeration but give it a season or two!

[@lloydbaker7099]

Nice

[@bri_guy508]

What i wouldnt give to spend a month learning from you.

[@manofsteel952]

Love the video,and the fuck it just try/do it attitude👍 good stuff keep it simple and fun! Your stuffs good! Keep doing your own thing. Don’t try to be a ToT jr👍

[@deeiks12]

One option would be to add a pinch roller to the drive wheel.

[@joeo6378]

That is a pretty awesome pour result. honestly not sure how that went that well. When I try to pull stuff out of my ass like that it always costs me later lol.

[@unfair_potato]

I would have loved this as a kid, and I'd love to build it as an adult, but - no snow, no property here. Didn't lessen my enjoyment for a moment though.

[@DolezalPetr]

Junk Master

[@kendingsor]

My inner boater noticed the pyranha foam vaccum chamber seal and the cam straps fastening the motor to the tree

[@JeremyMakesThings]

How do normal people get by without minicel and cam straps?

[@kendingsor]

@@JeremyMakesThings I ask myself this all the time!

[@FliesLikeABrick]

Hi Jeremy, I have something I would like to send you. What is the best way we can get in contact?

[@JeremyMakesThings]

Jeremymakesthings (at) gmail.com

[@trollforge]

Awesome!