Skate parks consume space, and street skating requires a less busy road. Depending on the skating style, our riding locations vary. And while everyone knows this fact, some people feel bad about not having quick access to these spots.
If you’re one of them, stop the worry. Let’s take the thrill of skating to your homes by learning how to build a quarter pipe, a common skatepark obstacle.
In this article, I will teach you the appropriate ways to construct and install the ramp in your desired spot. This tutorial is straightforward, so expect to learn fast.
Table of Contents
What to Prepare
Building a quarter pipe should not involve scrap or recycled materials. It needs sturdy components and proper equipment to achieve a quality outcome. Let’s get into the necessary tools.
1. Building materials
Visit a Home Depot, and you can find these items before heading out.
- 2×4 lumber (8-inches long, 11 pieces)
- 4’ x 3’6’’ masonite sheet (¼ inch)
- 4′ x 4’1″ plywood (⅜ inch)
- 2’ x 4’ plywood (¾ inch)
- 4’ x 3’9’’ plywood (⅜ inch)
- 4’ x 8’ Plywood (two pieces, ¾ inch)
- 4ft steel pipe
- 4ft steel plate
If you want to build a quarter pipe cheap and with less residual materials, take note of the measurements indicated.
2. Working tools
Open your toolbox, and you will likely only have to search for a few more items. Here’s a complete list of the equipment we need to make a quarter pipe.
- Jigsaw
- Tape measure
- Pencil
- Power drill
3. Hardware
We need some hardware to secure the entire ramp structure. Such hardware consists of screws. And to make the screws work more efficiently, we also need drill bits suited for wooden constructions.
Steps to Making a DIY Quarter Pipe
There are several quarter pipe blueprints around if we browse the internet. But to keep things simple, we’ll go for a wooden quarter pipe.
Step 1: Measurement
- Grab one of your 3/4″ plywood pieces. Lay the board on the ground and face its longer side towards you. Using a ruler and pencil, draw a line along its width 1ft and 11.25″ away from the long edge closest to you.
- Drill a 3/8″ hole in one of the 2×4 lumber. The hole should sit in the middle of the lumber’s width and three inches away from one end.
Measure 66″ away from the hole and mark this distance.
- Place another ¾’’ plywood adjacent and above the ¾’’ board you marked earlier. Make sure the longer edges press against each other firmly in alignment.
Then, along the combined width of the two boards, mark the 66’’ point, and place the 2×4 lumber on top of the two ¾’’ pieces.
- The 66’’ mark on the 2×4 lumber should be at the same level as the 66’’ mark of the ¾’’ boards.
- Mark the 1’-8 ⅞’’ point on the length of the second ¾’’ plywood piece; this new mark should form a straight line with the 66’’ mark on the 2×4 lumber. The latter mark is also where we drill a screw to connect the plywood and the 2×4 lumber together.
- Put a pencil through the ⅜’’ hole you created earlier and draw a curve on the first ¾’’ plywood.
Step 2: Cutting
The curve you drew will be the shape of the ramp’s transition. Using your jigsaw, cut through the entire arc. Be sure not to go over the drawn line.
Right on the upper part of the supposed transition is the first horizontal line we drew earlier. As soon as the jigsaw reaches that part, cut through the line. That flat area will be the deck of the homemade quarter pipe.
After cutting, the board should look like a right-angled trapezoid with a curved slope. Cut another right angle where the deck and up-most part of the ramp meet. Such space will serve as a provision for the steel coping.
Cut the sharp tip at the bottom part of the transition. From the back and bottom of the ramp, measure 5ft and 1.25″. On one end of this length is where you should cut the sharp tip. By then, you have a template for another quarter pipe.
You can trace the board you recently cut or perform the preceding steps again.
Step 3: Framing
- Place the two plywood pieces for the quarter pipe across each other. Have some friend or family member hold one of them for you.
- Begin to drill one lumber stud at the bottom part of the transition. The rule when framing the ramp is simple; no part of the lumber stud should go beyond the shape of the curve.
- On the bottom part, put a piece of lumber at the back or the right angle facing the slope of the quarter pipe. At this point, your ramp should have a base.
- Drill another lumber stud around 9.5″ away from the one you drilled at the bottom of the transition, followed by another lumber 8″ away. Keep working your way to the upper-most part of the ramp, leaving 8″ gaps between each stud.
- As soon as you reach the deck of the quarter pipe, install four more timber pieces at 8″ gaps. The same rule applies, so try to level the surface of the lumber to the shape of the quarter pipe’s walls.
Now, you’ll see the quarter pipe framed from the deck downwards with lumber support at the bottom back.
Step 4: Install the steel coping
Plot the steel tube over the space we allotted for it. Mark the area of the steel we need to cut if it happens to be longer than the ramp’s width.
After cutting, drill a hole 3″ away from one end of the pipe. Do the same to the other end. Finally, pierce a 3/16’’ hole in the middle of the steel coping.
Since you will be drilling twice per location, use a 3/8″ drill bit for the two end holes and a 3/16″ for the middle one. Install the pipe with a screw piercing through the openings.
Step 5: Covering
Start by covering the deck. Plot the numbers on a 3/4″ plywood to fit this area and cut accordingly. Place it on the ramp and begin drilling screws on the edges and right on top of the lumber studs.
Next, let’s cover the transition part. Begin by cutting your 3/8″ plywood into two sections. The first layer should be 4ft x 3’10, and the second 4ft by 4’2.
Mount the first layer of the plywood over the transition. Start from the coping and work your way down to the bottom. Be sure to drill the screws at 1ft gaps.
Install the second plywood layer over the initially installed wood. Follow the same procedure in drilling the screws. But this time, avoid where you first pierced the hardware.
Step 6: Finishing
- Once you’re good with the plywood layers, it’s time to finish the transition with a masonite sheet.
- Cut the size of the sheet to 3’6 x 4ft dimensions.
- Drill screws on the masonite layer and countersink each hole to ensure that the screw’s heads are level with the ramp’s surface. Install the masonite sheet the same way as the layers of plywood.
- Finally, at the bottom part of the ramp is a 1-inch gap between the masonite and the ground. Let’s install the steel plate to fill this space.
To do it, drill holes on the plate using a 3/16 drill bit. The screw slots should be 2″ apart. Countersink each hole to conceal the heads of the screws.
Lay the steel plate in the appropriate location. Pierce the hardware through the holes, and you will finally achieve your quarter pipes plans.
Conclusion
Creativity does not only apply to skateboards but their platforms, too. Remember that a good structure starts from raw materials. So, you only need the appropriate tools and materials to create your skating obstacles.
Searching for skating spots becomes less of a problem because you now know how to build a quarter pipe. It may not be as attractive as the ramps you see in the skate parks, but having it in your yard makes things more convenient.
Always keep an eye on the quarter pipe dimensions and installation tips, and you’re likely to achieve a high-quality ramp.
Hi, I am Charles Harris. I opened this site to write as much as I can about my biggest passion – skateboarding!
I started as a clumsy yet passionate rookie 10 years ago to now a still passionate yet much better skateboarder! But I have to tell you, the whole journey has always been fun and rewarding, indeed not without hardship.