How to Build a Skateboard Miniramp With a Low Budget

Choose the building location carefully. Choose a site that's level and large enough to accommodate the dimensions of the ramp, ideally a driveway or backyard.

Drill a hole the diameter of a pencil in one end of an 8-foot 2-by-4. Measure 6 feet from the hole and drill in a screw roughly half way through the 2-by-4.

Lay two pieces of 3/4-inch plywood next to each other, one directly below the other. Measure 2 1/2 inches from the top right corner of the top plywood and make a mark with a pencil. Measure 3 1/2 inches from the bottom right of the bottom piece of plywood, and make a mark with a pencil. Measure 6 feet from the mark at the bottom right up to the second board, and make a mark with a pencil. Draw a straight line from both marked points until they cross.

Screw the 8-foot 2-by-4 to the top piece of plywood where the two marked points intersect. Fit a pencil through the pencil sized hole drilled in the 2-by-4 and draw the ramp transition on the bottom piece of plywood by spinning the 2-by-4. Turn the bottom plywood 180 degrees, and mark another ramp transition.

Measure 2 feet, 11 1/4 inches from the bottom right of the bottom piece of plywood, and make a mark with a pencil. Draw a straight line from that point across the plywood until it intersects the ramp transition. Measure 2 feet, 11 1/4 inches from the top left of the bottom piece of plywood, and make a mark with a pencil. Draw a straight line from that point across the plywood until it intersects the ramp transition.

Place a new piece of 3/4-inch plywood below the piece with the 2-by-4 attached, and mark two more ramp transitions. Cut the four ramp transitions out of the plywood using a jigsaw, following the cut lines perfectly. Cut a 1-1/4-by-1-3/4-inch notch for the steel bar out from the top right of each ramp transition.

Take five 8-foot 2-by-4s, and frame two ramp transitions by screwing a 2-by-4 at each corner, including the notch for the steel bar coping. Use two 1-1/2-inch screws on each side of the 2-by-4s for a total of four screws per 2-by-4. Frame the remain two ramp transitions in the same way.

Screw a 2-foot, 9-inch 2-by-4 directly beneath the two top framing 2-by-4s on both sides of both transitions using eight 1-5/8-inch screws to add support.

Complete the ramp transition frames by screwing in an 8-foot 2-by-4 every 8 inches starting from the bottom of the ramp transition working your way up using 1-1/2-inch screws. Screw in a supporting 8-foot 2-by-4 directly next to the third 2-by-4 from the bottom of both ramp transitions.

Frame the flat bottom by screwing 13 8-foot 2-by-4s every 8 inches between two 8-foot 2-by4s; start from the left and work your way to the right using the 1-5/8-inch screws. Line up the flat bottom between the two ramp transitions and push them together until flush.

Screw the bottom of the ramp transitions to the bottom of the flat bottom using six 1-1/2-inch screws; space the screws evenly.

Cut both steel pipes into two 8-foot-long pieces using a circular saw. Drill 3/8-inch hole 3 inches from both ends of both pipes. Drill the 3/8-inch hole through the outside of the pipe only; don't drill it through the inside of the pipe. Drill a 3/16-inch hole through the inside of the pipe directly through the 3/8-inch hole in both pipes.

Place the pipe in the notch at the top of the ramp transition and rotate it, so the holes line up with the middle of the 2-by-4. Screw a 1-1/2-inch screw through both holes to secure the pipe to the ramp. Repeat on the other ramp transition.

Cut two sheet of the 3/4-inch plywood into 2-foot 9-inch pieces using the jigsaw. Place the cut pieces of plywood on top of the decks and screw them in place using 1-5/8-inch screws, spacing the screws 1 foot apart and driving them directly into the studs.

Cover the ramp transitions and flat board with five 3/8-inch plywood pieces by screwing them in place using 1-5/8 inch screws 1 foot apart. Cut the remaining five 3/8-inch plywood pieces in half using the jigsaw. Cover the ramp transitions and flat board with the 10 3/8-inch plywood pieces in the same way.

Attach the final layer of Masonite in the same way as the plywood, but space each sheet of Masonite 1/16 inch apart to accommodate for swelling in hot weather, and use a counter sink drill bit to drill in the screws.