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Labels: contest, skateboard, skateboarding

How to Build a Skateboard Ramp

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

It is time to take that skateboard out and do some jumping! Now all you need is a ramp for that jump. You can build your own ramp, that is sure to get you on your way to creating a quality jump!

Steps

1. Decide what you want to build. There are a lot of web sites that have plans for free, and then there are ones you buy. Find the free ones are just as good or better than buying them, and for wood ramps you almost always need power tools.
   
2. Find a place to store it. If you have a place to keep permanently, great! If not, make a smaller jump that you can put in your garage or move it out of the way and tarp it.
   
3. Design it: How big do you want the jump? How much wood do you have, assuming you have the right type wood. Pressure treated (PT) lumber and plywood is best to use for ramps that are to be stored outdoors. However, if you are able to store your ramp indoors or need it to be light-weight for portability, use untreated lumber as it decreases weight and saves money. If not you will need to improvise with what you have. You need to decide whether you want a mini-ramp (a small version of a half-pipe, usually with no VERT, 8' and below, a kicker (launch ramp) or a quarterpipe style of ramp. Be creative, but practical. if you have any questions on design, contact your local skateshop or skatepark...they deal with ramps all day long.
   
   • Figure the base size. (how big is it going to be at the bottom?), then add a few inches at the base so you can have extra inches on depth at the top. Calculate the dimensions. How long, wide and tall will it be. If it's a jump then it will probably be kind of small.
     
   
   
4. Sketch on the plywood a basic curve of your ramp and add an extra flat spot at the top, a little shorter and a little longer for distance and taller for height.
   
5. Cut three panels from plywood, once you sketched your curve. If your jump is too long or if you're worried about strength you can add more in the middle. Doing this tends to add a lot of extra work. Don't start nailing yet. Figure out where you want your 2x4s for support of the curve, no more than about a foot between each.
   
6. Cut notches into your plywood at the center so you can put each 2x4 in where you will nail it to the panel on each side. You want a flat face along the curve to nail a final piece of plywood to. You want the skinny side of the 2x4 on the face of the curve, so you can have a nice, flat curve.
   
7. Nail a few 2x4s to the back and inside of the plywood panels to keep them safe and solid. Add the 2x4s to the inside (you will need the 2x4s on the inside so they will be slightly shorter) so you can nail through the plywood into the 2x4.
   
8. Decide where you want the 2x4's (for the curve-the ones for support need to be nailed to the plywood without notches) in the middle panel and cut the notches. Trace the notches onto the insides on the other two panels (this will be about where the ends of the 2x4's will be nailed).
   
9. Nail the 2x4's to the end panels so that they line up with the middle notches, make sure they are level as well.
   
10. Confirm it is sturdy. If not go back and either add more supports or more plywood.
    
11. Complete the face piece, aka (the curve). Thick plywood doesn't like to bend,so for the face piece (the curve) you want it to be thinner. Start by nailing the bottom. If there's a bit of a bump at the base, you can add more wood. You even the connection to the ground out. Nail it to the 2x4 underneath all the way across in several places, this will help keep the curve nice, and from the start nailing a few nails into each crossmember make sure the nails are going into the 2x4's!
    
12. Add a strip of plywood to the top, and you're done!
    

Tips

• For better results and a sturdier ramp, take the time to use screws instead of nails. Screws tend to not stick out after time. Who wants to snag on a rusty nail after catching air?
  
• For a good wood jump you need decent wood. Don't get any that have huge holes where you'll ride. If it's rotten in spots, that kind of wood makes bad jumps and is asking for trouble.
  
• If you want a finished look, add some more sheets of plywood to the back.This could be the launch ramp of a table top or just a plain ramp to get up on a picnic table. Have fun!
  
• Adding a layer of thin masonite can make your ride on the ramp smoother, as well as adding a certain degree of cushioning in the probable event that you fall.
  
• If you're having trouble with it tipping over, add some 2x4s or plywood to the back at a 45 degree angle to keep it from tipping, sort of reverse wheely bars.
  
• To make a catch ramp you can do that with less of a curve, or make a long triangle with some supports across the center, and down the sides and middle!
  
• For a table top you basically just make a sturdy box, or a "table" shape and add plywood to the top. Add some support across the top and some to the legs for a bike. But just to be careful, add a launch ramp and,or a catch and it's finished.
  

Warnings

• As with any extreme sport, be sure you have a safe location and a sturdy ramp. Taking the time to make the ramp correctly will result in a better performance and safety.
  
• Always wear a helmet when jumping.
  
• Using a dirt jump, as suggested in step one, is going to get your bearings really dirty. Stick to wood ramps.
  
• NEVER Ride on dirt or sand! It is very bad for your bearings. Grass is ok for practicing ollies.
  
• There are special boards with off-road wheels, and bearing protection,if you want to be able to ride in dirt or sand.
  

Things You'll Need

• Open space for jumping, preferably a flat, paved area.
  
• Plans for your ramp.
  
• A few 2x4's
  
• A couple sheets of decent plywood
  
• Hammer
  
• Nails
  
• Level or straight edge
  
• Pencil/marker for design
  
• Some good friends to help out and have a good time doing it!
  
• money
  

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• How to Do a Cutback on a Skateboard
  
• How to Effectively Ride a Skateboard
  
• How to Longboard Skateboard
  
• How to Avoid Falling when Skateboarding
  
• How to Backside Boardslide
  
• How to Ollie
  
• How to 360 on a Kick Scooter
  
• How to 50 50 Saran Wrap on a Skateboard
  
• How to Ollie on a Broken Skateboard
  
• How to Go to a Skatepark
  
• How to Do a Rock N Roll on a Skateboard
  

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Build a Skateboard Ramp. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

Labels: halfpipe, skateboard, skateboarding, skatepark, vert ramp

How to Build a Halfpipe or Ramp

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Learn how to build a halfpipe in this article, based on a 10 foot high platform with a 5 foot radius and 5 feet of vertical.

Steps

1. Decide how tall you want your halfpipe to be and how wide a platform that you want at the top to launch from. Your platform can actually be a whole separate structure that you attach your halfpipe to.
   
2. Make a template. What you are actually marking out is a quarterpipe, which you will make two of and put them together to form a halfpipe. You have to determine the height at which you want to go full vertical. Let's say for example if your platform is 10 feet above the ground, you may want the bottom 5 feet to be radiused and the top 5 feet to be vertical. (**Caution, if you build a 10' ramp with 5' of vert, it will be like skating the shallow end of a pool...fun, but not practical...on a 10' tall ramp, I would suggest a 9' radius and 1' of vert**) You should have a minimum of 4'for the decks.
   • You would need to make a full size template of the quarterpipe so that you can use it to mark all of your end supports the same size. 1/4" plywood works very well for this.
   • You can hold the pieces together with duct tape, but it's better to cut scab plates out of 3/4" ply where the seams join together and use 3/4" wood screws to hold the pieces together.
   • Rip one sheet of ply in half the long way, well actually rip it to 23 and 3/4" so you can get two rips from one sheet.
   • Cut two feet off of one of the rips and scab it to the full length piece. That should give you a 2ft by 10ft rectangle.
   • Now scab together a 5 foot square and hook it to the rectangle so that it looks like a giant boot.
   • Drive a nail in the top corner of the 5 by 5 square that is not connected to the rectangle.
   • Using that nail as a pivot, mark the radius from the top corner (where the 5x5 meets the rectangle) to the bottom corner directly below the nail.
   • Cut this radius out using a jig saw.(**Caution--use the plywood method for drawing the radius only if you have material to waste. Tip: put a nail or screw at the bottom of your radius, extend your tape measure to the desired length of your radius, use you tape measure as a pencil guide when drawing your radius**)
   
   
3. Use your template to make two end panels per quarterpipe. To make the end panels, use two layers of 3/4 inch plywood which you will laminate together. To laminate the layers, pour wood glue into a paint tray and use a roller to roll a thin even layer of glue over the entire surface of the bottom layer of ply. Lay the top layer down over the glue, turning the grain 90 degrees. Line up the edges. Screw the two layers together with 1 1/4" coarse thread wood screws. When the glue is set (overnight) use your template to mark out the end panels. Cut them out with a circular saw and or a jig saw.
   
4. Use your template to make intermediate supports. These can be single layer 3/4" ply, scabbed together using 2 by material. Keep scab plates about two inches in from the edges.
   
5. Cut several 2x4s into 3ft 9in lengths. Use a stop block setup to make sure that they are all cut to identical lengths.
   
6. Line the flat edge of the 2x4s up with the edge of the end panels (where the riding surface will be) and screw or nail them to end panels a few inches apart. Nail the other end to the intermediate panel using the same spacing. Stagger the 2x4s between intermediate panels (so that you can nail/screw them). Use as many intermediate panels as necessary to get the overall length you want, and then use the other end panel at the opposite end. You will have to taper the bottom 2x4 to a profile that will fit to the ground.
   
7. You will have to frame under the platform to support not only your weight, but also hard landings. Now you need to get this framing anchored to the ground so that it won't tip over. Depending on your situation, you can anchor the back side of the platform to a building, or support beams poured with footings. Consult a professional on how to do this. Sandwich the intermediates with framing and run a carriage bolt through.
   
8. Once the framing is secure, you have to install the riding surface. 3/8 inch cdx plywood should be flexible enough. You will have to run two layers, in the same direction. Break the seams by running a full course across the length, then run a 2 foot rip with the grain running the same way on top. Be sure to stagger the end joints as well for added strength. Screw it to the 2x4s.
   

Tips

• You can shim under the framing if the ground is uneven, just make sure it's solid.
  
• The short lengths of the 2x4s is to curb deflection. You can use longer lengths if you can figure out a way to brace them.
  
• Make sure halfpipe is sturdy try using concrete or burying about 6 inches at the bottom of the quarter pipes
  

Warnings

• Consult a pro about anchoring and framing properly to support the loads.
  
• This is just a suggestion on how to build a halfpipe, no guarantee on if it will work.
  

Related wikiHows

• How to Drop in on a Halfpipe With a Skateboard
  
• How to Build a Skateboard Ramp
  
• How to Nosegrab Without a Ramp
  
• How to Build a Dirt Bike Ramp
  
• How to Build a Fast Dirt Board Ramp
  

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Build a Halfpipe or Ramp. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

Labels: halfpipe, skateboard gear, skatepark, vert ramp

It's time for a skateboard design contest with the people over at Popdeck. The Threadless of skateboard design, Popdeck is a website that allows users submit and vote on designs with the winner getting a cash prize and their entry made into a limited-edition board.

Labels: contest, decks, free skateboard stuff, skateboard, skateboarding