Final Report Part 2 – Retro 80s Ski Boot Warmer

2 weeks ago

Post 12- 2025 : Main Project Final Report Part 2, Student Work

Timeline:

The timeline above outlines the five-week process behind designing and building my retro ski boot warmer. In Week 1, I purchased all necessary materials—including a 12V PTC heater/fan, plywood, PVC, and a power converter—and began preliminary sketches to size the enclosure for portability and proper boot fit. Week 2 focused on fabrication, where I spent around 8 hours in the woodshop refreshing my skills on tools like the scroll saw, band saw, and table saw. In Week 3, I completed final assembly, which included painting the enclosure, installing the fan, and adding the sun detail to the front panel. Week 4 was dedicated to documentation: writing blog posts, compiling photos, and presenting the project to my pod. In Week 5, I plan to finish the aesthetic elements—painting the sky, snow, and skier scene—and seal the PVC with a clear coat to preserve the artwork.

Fabrication Process:

The fabrication process for my retro ski boot warmer began with precise planning and measuring. I started by tracing out the dimensions of each box panel on a 2’x4’x¾” plywood sheet. I accounted for the necessary overlap to ensure that the side panels would flush correctly when clamped and glued. I cut four 12″ by 10″ rectangular panels—two for the sides, one for the top (which would hold the PVC pipes), and one for the bottom. For the front panel, I added 3 extra inches of height to create a stylized mountain silhouette, and for the back panel, I added similar height to include a sun cutout. I carefully planned the placement of the sun so it would rise just above the mountains, but I later realized that the extra height on the back panel wasn’t actually necessary—the visual separation worked fine without it, due to how our eyes perceive depth. This turned out to be a helpful lesson in visual design vs. structural need.

With the design marked, I went to the ITLL woodshop and used the table saw to cut all six panels to size (unfortunately, I didn’t get a photo of this step). From there, I moved to the scroll saw to cut the mountain shape out of the taller front panel, tracing the jagged design I had drawn. This was one of the more detailed and delicate cuts, so I took my time to avoid breaking the blade or chipping the wood. I repeated this process for the circular sun cutout. Here, I encountered my first setback: I hadn’t fully tightened the blade tension on the scroll saw, so the cut came out rough. I corrected this by carefully sanding down the edges into a more symmetrical and smooth circle.

The next major task was the fan cutout on the back panel. This proved to be the most technically challenging part of fabrication. I traced the outline of the 12V PTC fan in its desired orientation near the bottom of the box, drilled pilot holes in each corner, and threaded the scroll saw blade through to cut out the full square. My saw blade was still slightly loose at this point, which made precision harder, and I accidentally oriented the fan backwards—meaning the wires came out at an awkward angle. This led me to make two unnecessary cuts in the panel to accommodate the wires. I fixed one cut by gluing the piece back in place and applying wood putty, but the other—a small triangular section above the fan—had to be left as-is. Since it didn’t significantly affect the visual appearance or function, I chose not to redo the panel.

The accidental cutout – as you can see from the shape of the wires, it was cut so the fan could lay flat with the wires facing upward. this was deemed unnecessary after flipping the heater side to blow into the box, not the fan side.

I then drilled two evenly spaced holes in the top panel using a drill press, sized to the diameter of my PVC pipes to allow for snug insertion. With all cuts completed, I began assembly. I scored the joining surfaces of each panel for better adhesion, applied wood glue, and clamped the panels together as flush as possible. Since I was working alone, some joints didn’t line up perfectly, so I used wood putty to fill in small gaps both for improved heat insulation and cleaner appearance. After letting the box dry for 24 hours, I cut my PVC pipes to the appropriate height—just above the boot sole— drilled holes in the pipes for even heating throughout the boot, and epoxied them into place. I used support blocks to keep the pipes perfectly vertical while they cured, but forgot to take a picture of this.

Once the structure was complete, I began finishing work. I spray-painted the entire box in a rich purple color, applying multiple coats for full and even coverage. After drying, I installed the PTC fan into the rear cutout using two small screws through the fan’s mounting holes. Finally, I masked off the rest of the box with butcher paper and spray-painted the sun using neon pink, making sure to keep the paint cleanly inside the circular cutout.

Looking back on this project, I’m really happy with how closely the final product matched my original vision. From the start, I had a clear mental image of what I wanted this ski boot warmer to look like—bold, clean, and nostalgic—and the end result stuck almost exactly to that plan. The shape, the colors, the cutouts—everything came together the way I imagined. While I didn’t deviate much in terms of design, my timeline ended up tighter than expected, and I finished with less time to spare than originally planned.

There are still a few finishing touches I’d like to make. One thing I wish I had done differently was adding an enclosure for the AC/DC converter. Right now, the power block is a bit chunky and awkward to manage—it hangs loosely outside the box, making it harder to carry around neatly. I picture a small housing built onto the side or bottom of the box with a cutout for the wall prong, which would have helped contain the wiring and maintain the clean, intentional look I aimed for.

picture showing the bulking ac/dc converter

Beyond that, I plan to patch the small cutout above the fan using thermal caulk to tighten the overall look and reduce heat leakage. I also want to paint diagonal neon stripes on the side panels and add a skier decal across the mountain cutout, topped with white snow details to push the retro ski aesthetic even further. To preserve the finish and prevent paint transfer or cracking, I’ll spray a clear protective coat over the grape purple paint.

This project has been a really rewarding mix of design and hands-on fabrication, and I fully intend to keep using it for years to come. It’ll be a staple on ski trips—something that not only dries out my boots but also stands out as a fun, personal piece of gear with a story and style all its own.

(AI used to assist writing)