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---Who among us
doesn't need a little more tranny in our lives? And who
among us doesn't like to skate something a little
challenging from time to time? Let us help you meet your
needs with this little gem of a quarterpipe; tight, yet
smooth and raw! It'll teach you how to skate
tough! |
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(1) sheet 3/4" CDX plywood
(3)
sheets 3/8" CDX plywood
(2) sheets 1/4" Masonite
(10) 2"X4"X8' lengths of Douglass Fir or Hemlock
(1) 70 1/2" length of 2 1/2" round black steel pipe
(1) tube of construction adhesive (Liquid Nails or
the like) and caulking gun
(1) 5 lb. box of 2"
drywall screws
(1) 5lb. box of 16D green vinyl
checkered head nails
*Saw horses make cutting easier
and safer |
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- Jig saw
- Power hand saw
(magnesium wormdrive "skill" saw)
- Hammer (pref. 24
oz. framing hammer)
- Chalk snap line
- Tape
measure (25' with 1" blade works best)
- String
- Drill or electric screwdriver
- Pencil |
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>>> Cut all the 3/8"
plywood and Masonite down to 4'X6' sizes. Set aside the
leftover 4'X2' pieces for later. |
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>>> Lay out the 3/4"
ply horizontally on the ground. Mark the lower left
corner with an "A", the upper left corner with a "B",
the lower right with a "C", and the upper right with a
"D". Measure 35 3/8" inches up from point A towards
point B, and make a mark (this is the height of the ramp
minus the deck thickness). From this mark, use a
straight edge to trace a horizontal line 24" long out
towards the middle of the ply (this is the length of the
deck). |
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>>> From point B,
measure out 6' towards point C. Make a mark, and then
drive a nail into the wood at this point. Tie some
string to the nail. Pretend the nail is the center of a
circle, and use the string as a pendulum to draw a
smooth transition: place the tip of a pencil at the end
of the line you made for the deck (towards the middle of
the ply). Draw the string taught and tie it to the
pencil so you can make a sweeping line for the
transition, starting at the end of the deck line and
following smoothly until the pencil goes off the wood.
Think of it as part of a circle centered at the nail.
The place the pencil goes off the wood should be between
points A and D at about the same distance the nail is
between points B and C. You now have a drawn version of
the transition and deck. |
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>>> Cut this shape
out of the wood with your jig saw so you have one side
of the transition walls. Take this piece, flip it over,
and lay it down on the remaining part of the 3/4" wood
so the skinny tip of the tranny starts at point B, and
the transition arcs into the center of the plywood.
Trace the shape onto the remaining wood so it is the
same shape as the first tranny. Cut this piece out, and
you will have two matching transition pieces. |
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>>> Now we'll build
the frame for the deck. Cut (2) 67 1/2" lengths, (2) 24"
lengths, and (7) 21" lengths from the 2"X4" lengths. The
24" lengths will be on either end and the 21" pieces
spaced evenly through the middle to provide support for
the deck. The final shape should look like a ladder with
top and bottom pieces. Use nails to tack the pieces
together (two per joint). |
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>>> Take the
transition pieces, and from the corner where the
transition meets the deck plane, cut a 1 1/2" square
notch out of it (provides space for the coping). Then,
flip the tranny pieces so the deck side is on the
ground, line up the front edge of the deck frame and the
front edge of the notched-in transitions (which leaves
space for the coping on the front of the deck), and nail
them together. Flip the form over so the deck is on top,
and you have the basic height and width of the ramp in
front of you. |
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>>> Cut (7) 70 1/2"
lengths from the 2"X4" pieces. Using nails, attach (2)
of them so they form a T-shape (one placed horizontally
on top of the other one, which is placed vertically-see
photo). From the skinny tip of the transition pieces,
measure up the transition 4' (following the curve of the
tranny), and make a mark on both sides of the tranny
pieces. Place the T-shaped 2"X4" form across the form
here, with the 4" side of the top piece facing out (to
support the layers of ply placed on later). The center
of the 4" piece should be right at the mark you made on
both transition pieces, exactly 4' up the tranny. Nail
the T-shaped form in from both sides of the tranny
pieces. |
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>>> Take (1) 70 1/2"
2"X4" piece and place it between the tranny walls with
the 2" side facing up as far down the transition as it
can go without poking up above the curve of the tranny.
Angle the 2"X4" piece forward so the 2" side is flush
with the edge of the transition (again providing a flat
surface area to attach the plywood layers to later).
Nail it in place. Directly in front of this piece, lay
(1) 70 1/2" 2"X4" piece down with the 4" side flat on
the ground, butted up against the piece behind it. Angle
this piece forward as well, so it is level with the
transition walls (not poking up). Nail it in place. You
should have a wedge made with the last two pieces of
2"X4" that is 6" long, starting near the bottom of the
tranny. Nail these two pieces together also. |
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>>> Midway between
the 2"X4" pieces at the bottom and the T-shaped 2"X4"
form you nailed in 4" up the transition, nail in another
70 1/2" 2"X4" piece across the transition walls, with
the 2" side facing up. Underneath the front 2"X4" piece
of the deck frame, nail in (1) 70 1/2" 2"X4" piece with
the 4" piece facing forward, the top front edge lined up
with the edge of the transition walls (do not angle this
one forwardÑleave it square). You should now have a
shelf for the coping to rest on. Below the piece of
2"X4" you just installed, nail in (1) 70 1/2" 2"X4"
piece with the 2" side facing up and angled forward to
be even with the edge of the transition walls. You now
have the "skeleton" of the ramp built. Time to start the
"skin" layers. |
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>>> Take (1) piece
of the 3/8" 4'X6' plywood and lay it down on the
skeleton of the ramp (6' side going from side to side of
the ramp). Line up the top edge of the 3/8" plywood on
the center of the T-shaped 2"X4" form (exactly 4' up the
transition). Using the 2" screws, screw this edge of the
3/8" plywood to the T-shaped 2"X4" form underneath,
staggering the screws every 8" or so. |
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>>> Using the chalk
snap, snap lines across the 3/8" plywood where the
various 2"X4" pieces lie underneath (allowing you to
know where to screw the ply down without being able to
see the axle pieces). Screw the plywood to all the 2"X4"
pieces, starting at the TOP of the ply and moving
towards the BOTTOM. This is very important; if you don't
go from top to bottom, you'll get crazy, crazy bubbles
that will make the ramp unrideable. |
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>>> Quick break from
the layers to put in the coping. Squirt a healthy line
of construction adhesive across the back and bottom
walls of the 2"X4" cradle you've made and lay the coping
in there. Push it as far back as it will go so it is
wedged against the back 2"X4". |
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>>> Back to the
layering. Measure the space between the bottom of the
coping and the top of 3/8" plywood layer you started
putting in, following the curve of the transition. This
measurement will vary slightly due to coping and plywood
placement. Whatever you end up with, cut a strip of that
measurement by 6' wide, so that it wedges in between the
top of the ply and the bottom of the coping snugly. Snap
a chalk line across this portion of the ply where the
2"X4"s lie beneath, and screw the ply to the 2"X4"s,
including the part of the T-shaped 2"X4" the two pieces
of ply share. Now for the second layer of ply. Take (1)
3/8" 4'X6' piece of ply, and line it up with the 6' side
against the coping, slightly higher up than the ply
layer below it (you are starting to trap the coping in
place with the wood, each layer holding more of it
in). |
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>>> Snap chalk lines
to mark the place of the 2"X4"s across the top layer of
plywood, and begin screwing it in place from the TOP
down. |
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>>> Snap chalk lines
to mark the place of the 2"X4"s across the top layer of
plywood, and begin screwing it in place from the TOP
down. |
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>>> Quick layering
break to do the plywood for the deck. Take your scrap
pieces of 3/8" plywood, measure the exact deck size, and
cut the 3/8" plywood to fit. Nail down those pieces to
the top of the deck. Use chalk snap lines to mark where
the 2"X4"s are underneath. Put nails in each corner and
staggered every 6" down the chalk lines for the 2"X4"s.
You now have the final ramp, minus the Masonite
layering. Let's handle that and finish this beast! |
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>>> Cut (1) piece of
4'X8' Masonite down to 4'X6', and lay it down on the
tranny with the 6' edge going side to side. Let the
bottom edge of the Masonite extend 2" beyond the top
layer of plywood, further smoothing the lip onto the
transition. Snap chalk lines to mark the 2"X4"s below,
and start screwing the Masonite down using 2" screws.
Measure the distance between the spot where you'd like
the Masonite to hit the coping and the last piece of
Masonite that is screwed down, following the curve of
the transition walls. Cut a piece of Masonite that
measurement by 6' and lay it in place. Snap chalk lines
to mark the 2"X4"s below, and continue screwing the
Masonite down to the layers below, moving from BOTTOM to
TOP. Now you have the finished face of the ramp. Cut (1)
piece of Masonite to fit on the deck, which should be
the same dimensions as the 3/8" ply directly below. Snap
chalk lines to mark the 2"X4"s below, and screw down the
Masonite using 2" screws. |
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>>> If you aren't
familiar with power tools, GET HELP! You really don't
need to be playing amputater with yourself. Once the
wood is measured, marked, and cut, label each piece to
avoid confusion during construction. Whenever possible,
stagger the screws or nails going across the 2"X4"s and
plywood on the face of the ramp, rather than having them
all fall in a perfectly vertical/horizontal axis. It is
much harder to write about how to build a ramp or read
about how to build a ramp than it is to actually make a
ramp. Find somebody who has done it before if possible.
When the ramp is done, make sure the person who did the
most work gets the first hit. |
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