How to Make Homemade Skate Ramps Without Wood

Skating on curved ramps, or transitions, is a big part of skateboarding. Pitching your weight back and forth, and pumping to gain momentum are useful skills -- particularly when you visit skate parks or want to try vert skating. DIY skate ramps have long been popular among those who don't have access to a skate park. However, a outdoor wooden ramp can quickly deteriorate when exposed to the elements. For this reason, there are several synthetic composite materials available for such projects.

Things You'll Need

  • 1 1/2-foot-by-5 1/2-foot-by-3/4-inch composite material -- such as Masonite, Skatelite or RampArmor
  • Jig or circular saw
  • Drill with 3/8-inch bit
  • 10 4-foot-by-2-inch-by-4-inch steel flat bar stock -- with threaded 3/8-inch holes at both ends
  • 2 1/2-inch bolts, 3/8-inch thick, Allen head
  • Allen wrenches
  • 4-foot-by-8-foot-by-1/4-inch composite material
  • Steel plate, 4-foot-by-10-inch-by-3/16-inch
  • 5/8-inch screws
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Instructions

    • 1

      Take the 3/4-inch thick board and draw a line from corner to corner, dividing it into two right-angled triangles. Cut across the line, splitting the board into the two triangles.

    • 2

      Stand one triangle up on its second longest edge, so the shortest edge is vertical. Make a mark in each of the three corners, 1 inch from the edges. Drill a hole on each mark. Repeat this process with the other triangle.

    • 3

      Take three pieces of the bar stock, and use the Allen-head bolts to join the two triangles together at the three corner points. This will create the frame for your ramp. Make sure the bar stock at the front edge of the ramp -- where your board will hit first -- is laid down flat, to minimize the "step" up onto the ramp surface.

    • 4

      Measure along the longest edge of the triangle -- the sloping side -- and make a mark every 9 3/4 inches. You should get seven, equally distributed marks. Repeat this on the other triangle, and drill a hole through each mark.

    • 5

      Bolt the remaining seven pieces of bar stock between the two triangles. These horizontal struts will form the supports underneath the ramp surface, preventing it from flexing as you ride up it.

    • 6

      Lay the 1/4-inch thick board onto the sloping surface, and screw it to the triangular sides at the edges. Finally, screw the metal plate to the bottom of the ramp, so half of it overhangs onto the floor. This will make stepping up much easier.