How to Build a Manual Ramp

Manual ramps are used by skateboarders, Rollerbladers and freestyle cyclists. The ramps are used for performing tricks and stunts. Manual ramps are often made out of plywood and other construction lumber. They are usually 3 feet or 4 feet wide and have a gradient that gets steeper as the sportsman ascends the ramp. Building your own manual ramp is not a complicated task, and can be done by the novice carpenter. Many skateboarders build their own ramps.

Things You'll Need

  • Safety glasses
  • Tape measure
  • Straightedge
  • Square
  • Pencil
  • String
  • 2 sheets 3/4-inch plywood, 30 by 57-inches
  • 12 pine boards, 2-by-6, 35 1/2-inches
  • Plywood, 3/8-inch, 37 by 72 inches
  • Jigsaw
  • Screw gun
  • 48 wood screws, 3-inch
  • 20 wood screws, 2-inch
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Instructions

    • 1

      Lay your 57-inch plywood flat and horizontal. Measure 5 inches away from the top left corner along the 57-inch edge. Draw a line that connects with the bottom right corner. Find the center of this line at 30 inches and draw an X that is 12 inches perpendicularly away from this measurement. It should be on the side of the bottom left corner. Tie the string around the pencil and draw an arc that starts from the beginning of the line, passes through the X and ends where you finished the line.

    • 2

      Cut along the arc you drew in step 1 using your jigsaw. Repeat the first and second step using the last 57-inch sheet of plywood. These are the sides to your manual ramp.

    • 3

      Position the sides on their 57-inch edges, 35 ½ inches apart and so the curves are aligned. Position 10 35-1/2-inch boards perpendicularly between the sides so their edges are flush with the curves. Space the boards 5 inches apart. Screw through the sides and into the boards. Use four 3-inch screws for each side.

    • 4

      Set another board perpendicularly between the sides and on edge so it is flush with the back corner of the ramp and the 30-inch edges. Screw through the sides to secure the board. Use four 3-inch screws. Position the last board perpendicularly between the sides so it is 12 inches above the last board that was fastened. Its side should be flush with the 30-inch edges of the frame. Screw through the sides and into this board using four 3-inch screws.

    • 5

      Lay your 72-inch plywood on the ramp frame so its 37-inch edge is flush with the top corner produced by the curves and so the 72-inch edges are flush with the sides of the ramp. Screw the plywood to the boards using two 2-inch screws for each board.