Inspired by him making an igloo with his kids, after a long day of sledging and mucking about, my eldest and I decided to have a go

Found some containers in the garage and found a spot at the top of the garden
This is it after the first two layers





My eldest trying it out for size



I got him to do the cementing whilst I made the bricks



A close up of the bricks...



Three up



And as it was getting dark, finished on four layers





My hod carrier gave up as it was getting a liddle widdle bit cold for him

Part II will continue tomorrow if I can work out how to do the roof

 

I will probably rain tonight and wash it away

 

Can we have a pic of Charlie in the snow?

 

Each row, after 30% of the required height should slope slightly inwards... ergo a dome should form. The last centre block will then act as a 'key stone' and add strength to the rest of the structure.

Good work Swiss.....

DCI IMIM (Institute of Master Igloo Makers)

 

Looking good, will be like rock in the morning for when you continue !

Think you need to start curving it in, to do the roof, put the blocks on and then shave a consistent ammount off to angle it inwards rather than just putting one on top of the other, and perhaps put them a bit closer together, me being an Igloo consultant nowadays

Get the doorway narrower so that you can build the top in a bit and then use one block for a lintel.

Ours is still sat here fully intact three days later, I get the impression that if the temperature stayed below zero it would last indefinitely, keep showing it off to anyone that visits !

 

An old saw should be used to shave the slope on the blocks after you've set a row down, also almost the last thing to do is cut a door into your igloo.....

 

As you wish madam








Poor little thing keeps getting his tummy wet

 

Rosie managed to go outside today.........went to step onto the snow and disappeared up to her armpits! Shot back indoors pretty sharpish and is now stretched out in front of the fire, toasting her belly!

 

That sound blooming fantastic in print. In reality with a temperamental 9 year old, any chance do you think

Its the same when you mess up their nice washing that is on the line

That was the idea of leaving it overnight to allow more snow to fall and for it to harden. Still the subject of the roof should be a laugh. As I put on the bricks, am I shaving off from the inside or outside ??
I cant get them any closer as there is a lip on the container so I have to fill in the gaps with soft snow.

 

Here you go Swiss!

How To Make An Igloo

 

seems a bit extreme for the south east of england

 

And this..........


YouTube - How to Make a Perfect Igloo - Ray Mears World of Survival - BBC

 

You'd be better off making a Quinze (sp).

Make a huge mound of snow, then shove twigs in from the outside. Then hollow out, stopping when you hit the end of the twigs.

And yes, I have made a couple

 

I popped the bricks out onto the floor then placed them on as the lip is indeed a pain, I worked from inside stood up until the hole was too small then placed from the inside knelt down and lifted the into place, I used a bit of thin wood to shave snow off to shape it as I went.

Sometimes you need to hold them for a little while until they stick a bit, I looked at an online guide but the Eskimo route involves packed snow cut in blocks rather than compressed in a box so it isnt quite the same, you need to just do what feels right to you, dont be affraid to cut blocks to fill gaps either, they need to get saller as you get near the top.

I started canting the blocks in by about 25 degrees here,




Bit further on



Bit further still, I curved it in quite a bit after here,



Sttod up working,



And crouched doing the final bits,

 

That's clearly the wrong type of snow being used JACKO, try to find the lighter blue coloured snow as that bonds more effectively. Also consider an 'ice' block to allow light in.... and finally that door is way too big, you'd struggle to keep a polar bear out with an entrance like that.

 

J4CKO, perfect instructions
I think a few vodkas tonight will help before I commence operation "fit you ******* !!" tomorrow


DCI, Polar bears !!

 

Blue snow, wouldnt want the kids havign Ble Snow around having seen them when little with blue Smarties, the door had to be that size to get my fat **** in and the only predator in the area is a small Yorkshire Terrier/Poodle hybrid called Rambo who is only dangerous to unguarded foodstuffs, Polar Bears are not indigenous to the South Manchester/Cheshire area, yet....

 

........... hello JACKO............., it's alright kids this fat **** will keep us going for weeks!

 

To be fair if you notice the size of my door, it is also designed for a large posterior like mine

 

here's Jonny

 

efa

 

Well the overnight made the snow much better to work and when we went outside to view the igloo, we found it rock solid and so started Part II
Obviously we had the tricky roof and door lintel to work out but my work force was doubled



Here we are now with a few extra levels on



Youngest son checks out daddy's handiwork



Mortar was needed



Discovered that the doorway was too wide for the lintel so had to build up a door jamb




Then the tricky lintel




Finally worked with half size bricks to complete the top. Workforce increased in size



Roof went on and it is at last finished
Everyone wanted a photo











I guess that when the snow melts there will be a lovely green lawn and this blooming igloo still there

 

Aaaaahh.............lovely pics Swiss!

 

Excellent job all round I would say !

Well done, just in time as there is a bit of a thaw on the way, its started round our way.

 

Nice one swissy

 

Good work Swiss & Family (emphasis on the 'Family'), I for one am looking forward to your sandcastle building exploits during summer 2010.

DCI.

 

Thanks everyone for the comments
It was indeed a lot of fun, but did anyone notice one person posing in the igloo that had NOT helped


Typical wimmin

 

The one that looked like she had been caught in the outside loo ?