Version 1

A while back, I decided I would try my hand (feet?) at skateboarding. Once I got fairly good, I decided to make my own ramps, since store-bought ones were too pricy for my wallet. The first ramp I made was a simple incline ramp. It turned out to be way too steep for any sort of fun, so I spent even more time elongating it to make the slope less severe. It turned out that the ramp still sorta stank, so I trashed it. That one wasn't even worth photographing.

Version 2

For my second ramp, I decided to get a little crazy, and tried to make a curved ramp. It actually worked out pretty well, as you can see to the right. The ramp's construction is simple. The frame is basically an elongated "L" shape. Something like this |____ from the side. Once the sides are put onto the frame, ribs can be screwed on beween the two sides. These ribs follow the curvature of the side panels. Finally, the top surface is secured to the ribs.

I also made a box to go with that ramp later on. That was a pretty easy build, as my friend helped me do it. It is essentially four vertical 2X4's with a top surface and some cross braces. Those two projects were probably the first ones that I got to use power tools with, which was quite fun:) Also, to save money, (which I didn't have) I got almost all of the wood from dumpsters at various construction sites in my neighborhood.

box ramp 2


Version 3

The third and final ramp I made was probably the best. It was large, had a nice, shallow curve, and was suprisingly sturdy. It was made with the same technique as the second ramp. Here it is to the right with spray-painted decals, and below it is a picture of the ramp in use.