Price: $350
One of the best ramps to have can be a spine. There are so many ways to ride it and they don't require as much wood as people think. They can be used on their own, in between other ramps, or right smack in the middle of your 6' mini ramp.
What You'll Need
- Three 4'x8' sheet of 3/4" plywood
- Four 4'x8' sheets of 3/8" plywood
- Thirty 8' 2x4's
- A bunch of screws and a drill
- A pencil
- A tape measure
- Something to cut the pieces with
- The required safety gear
Cut List
|
MATERIALS CUT LIST |
|
| --- Description --- |
--- Dimensions --- |
--- Quantity --- |
| 3/4" treated PLYWOOD |
4' x 8' (to cut up later) |
3 |
| 3/8" treated PLYWOOD |
4' x 8' (to cut up later) |
4 |
| treated 2x4 |
7' 10 1/2" |
29 |
| screws |
3" deck screws |
60-70 |
| screws |
1 1/2" deck screws |
100-120 |
Make the sides
First off, you will need to map out the sides of your design. These are the pieces that will be supporting the main structure of the ramp. You will use your 3/4" plywood for this. You should try to fit as many curves on one sheet of plywood as possible to avoid wasting valuable wood.To draw a good curve you should use the string-and-pencil method to draw your curves as it is better than trying your luck at freehand. Since the curve will extend on to two pieces, just put two sheets of plywood side by side and trace over both of them.
Attach top and bottom
Next, you will need to put the three pieces of each side together. Just attach a few short 2x4 pieces with 4-6 screws in each. After that, you can start to put the first pieces of the frame together. Be sure to look closely at the layout of the 2x4's on the top of the ramp. For the bottom of the ramp, screw 2x4's as close to the bottom as you can get it, then cut off the excess point on the plywood because it will break off eventually anyway.
Start framing the curve
Now it is time to finish the frame. The 2x4's should be spaced a minimum of 8 inches apart in order to maximize strength and smoothness.
*Tip: if you space the 2x4's close enough, you may only need one layer of plywood on top instead of two.
Finish framing the curve
The frame is done, so now you can put the 1/2" plywood on. The curve radius is large enough so that you can screw the plywood on lengthways (grain going up the slope). If you want the ramp to be more sturdy, you can add another sheet of plywood to the whole thing.
Leave a Comment
sick
how about a 4' spine, how would that be made?
plans for a 4' spine please
@jaybmx1234: That is on the list!
~Gregory
Would I be right in saying a 4' 8 1/2" degree radius would be good for a 4 foot spine ?
@weetoo: That would be a pretty tight curve for a bmx. I would make it at least 6 feet. But to be sure, draw some samples on a piece of paper first! ;)
Yeah I was drawing out a 3d model earlier. I think It works out as a 76.5 degree take off angle the way I made it. Thinking of building a 4 foot mini with a 4 foot spine in the middle. 6 to 8 feet flat on each side of spine does that sound like a good idea ?
@weetoo: Since your spine will be in the middle of your mini ramp I recommend making your spine curves out of the same template as your quarter pipes.
As for the curve radius, since bmx wheels are so far apart (compared to a skateboard) the minimum curve radius for comfortable riding becomes much greater. To take it to an extreme level imagine trying to ride a straight up 3' tall ramp (ie. 3' radius). You will quickly see that this would be very uncomfortable and really difficult. Trying to ride a ramp with a 4' 8 1/2" radius would still feel very tight in my opinion. This is the reason that our 4' mini ramp isn't steeper and has almost the same radius as our 6' mini ramp, because any steeper would just be too tight to be enjoyable.
I know I may not be doing a great job explaining this, but I really do believe you should do some further research on this. Try and find a quarter pipe at one of your local skateparks that you like and see what kind of radius it has.
As for distance in between, I recommend no less than 8' of flat for bmx. :)
Hope this helps!
~Gregory
Ok thanks man. But yeah your doing a great job here without this website I would still be clueless as how to build a ramp I will really enjoy. I will keep doing some research and I'll let you know when I have my plans finalized
Thanks for the compliment! That's what this site is all about.
Let me know how it goes, and don't hesitate to ask any more questions. Please login(right side) or Register to leave a comment.