How to Build a Ramp
If there’s not a skate park in your hometown, you may need to know how to build a ramp in order to learn cool tricks and practice your ramp skills.
Building Skateboard Ramps
Building skateboard ramps is not as difficult as it seems — like anything, when you break it up into steps it becomes easy and even fun.
Here are some basic steps for building a quarter pipe or quarter ramp. This is a smallish ramp that is easy to build and doesn’t take up too much space.
- Decide how big you want your ramp to be. This will determine how much wood you need. Be sure to buy pressure treated lumber and plywood — they will withstand the elements better.
- Figure out the size of your ramp’s base. Once you’ve got a good figure in mind, add a couple inches at the base to give you some depth for the surface at the top.
- Make a sketch on your plywood of the basic ramp of your skate ramp. You need to leave room for a plywood “top” to your ramp.
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Cut three panels out of your plywood. If you want to build a stronger ramp, add more plywood in the middle. One downside of this is that you’ll be doing more work — but if you need the extra support you can’t skip this step. Now is also the time to plan where to hang your 2x4s for ramp support. This distance should be no more than eleven inches between each 2×4.
How to Build a Ramp
- Cut notches into the plywood in order to install the 2x4s. You will need to place a flat face on your ramp in order to nail that final plywood “top” in place. Place the skinnier side of the 2x4s on the face of the ramp so that it is a smooth ride.
- Nail your 2x4s to the back and inside of the plywood. Add the 2x4s to the inside to give you a surface for nailing in plywood.
- You’re almost done. It is time to nail the 2x4s to the ramp’s end panels. Make sure these 2x4s line up with your middle notches. Pull out a level and ensure you’re building a level ramp. This is a good time to do this, in case you have to make changes.
- Test the sturdiness of your ramp. If you don’t feel it is sturdy enough, you can add more 2x4s or plywood for support.
- Nail your ramp’s face to the 2×4 underneath all the way across. Nailing in multiple locations helps keep your ramp even. Ensure that your nails are going all the way into the 2x4s, otherwise you’re wasting time.
- Slap on a strip of plywood to the top of your ramp and you’re finished. Be sure to test the ramp before you go pulling tricks on it — test for level and sturdiness.
Skating on a ramp is a different experience from skating on the street, and is the perfect way to enjoy a different skate experience than you’re used to. Building your own ramp will save you a ton of money.