wood help??

Question

ive got some questions about skate ramps i'm planning on making one

- what type of plywood should I use

- what type of 2 by 4 should I use

- and is massonite really really slippery

Answer 1

Exterior grade plywood - this means the glue is rated for outside use.

How thick the plywood should be, will really depend on how sharp you want your curves.....
3/4" ply would be the best to use, but you might need to score the backside to make some of the really tight curves.... On the other hand, you might opt for 2 layers of a thinner plywood.. say, 2 layers of 3/8" plywood. Use a good construction ashesive or wood glue to hold the layers together.
Use a fir 2x -- you may want to use 2x6 as the main framework, and fill in between (especially on curves) with 2x4 running crosswise between the 2x6.
Tempered masonite is extremely slick. You can get masonite tempered on one side only, or both sides. Masonite by itself will NOT stand up to the weather -- something you need to consider if this is going outside.

I would also recommend that you use screws... not nails...to put this together... the screws will hold better. Nails tend to back out as the structure flexes.

Have Fun

Answer 2

Half-pipe, quarter-pipe, launch ramp, mini pipe, grind rail, fun box? There's too many options and details to lay out here. Google "skate ramp how to", and you'll get lots of info.

If you want to make any kind of a half-pipe, consider buying plans. It's not so much that it's hard to do, as that the designer will have already done the trial-and-error work to determine best angles, radius, etc.

www.ramphelp.com has complete plans and detailed instructions for bunch of different features. Here's a link to instructions to build a basic mini-ramp-
http://www.slapmagazine.com/new_site/woodshop/mini/index.shtml

RE: Masonite -- no, it's not super slick. It's the same material that's used to make brown peg board. It's fairly smooth, but not slippery. I'd compare it to a hard-troweled concrete finish (like on walkways that are really slippery when wet). Another hard surface like knee pads would slide on it. A soft skateboard wheel would grip, but a hard wheel would skid with a little lateral force.

Oh- and on the 3/4" ply suggestion -- I'm guessing wrangler dude hasn't built a ramp before. Use 3/4" ply for the frame work. But the deck is two layers of 3/8" ply -- (3/4" is way too stiff to bend -- yeah, you could kerf the hell out of it, but then it wouldn't have any strength)

Answer 3

Masonite is slipery until it gets wet a couple of times. I'd go with 1/4 inch plywood. It's flexable enough for what you want. If it's gonna be outside for a while, you should buy everything treated. A little paint wouldn't hurt either.