Skateboard ramps come in all shapes and sizes. Carpenters and skateboard are sometimes faced with how to build your own skateboarding ramp. They should understand that most skateboarders like ramps with a curved transition. This part of the equipment assists skaters getting up and down the ramp smoothly.
The ramps that skateboarders use the most are those with transition curves built into their design. A half-pipe ramp is built of two transition connected by a flat floor and a platform at the top of each curved end. A quarter-pipe is half of a half-pipe so it has a single transition and platform at the top of its curve.
Quarter-pipe ramps are the most common skateboarding ramp with one transition and one platform. Bank ramps are two quarter-pipes placed side by side with a straight jump in between. Launch ramps are quarter pipes with an elongated flat bottom. These are the types of skateboard transition you will see at any skateboarding event.
To draw a smooth transition onto a piece of plywood you need a long 2 inch by 6 inch board that will be the pivot point of center of the circle. Using a string and pencil will let a ramp builder extend the reach of the pencil around the central pivot point to make a transition that fits the size of the ramp. Most ramps use a 6 foot, 10 inch diameter circle for 3 foot and 4 foot high ramps.
Use the ground as your work area. Put the plywood flat on the ground so that the wood is wider than it is taller. Lay a long 2 inch by 6 inch board on top of the ply wood so when one end of the board is paired with the bottom of the plywood the top of the 2 inch by 6 inch board reaches above the top edge of the plywood.
Bring the loose end of the string back to the base of the board at the bottom of the plywood. Tie a pencil to the end where the string meets the bottom of the plywood. Position the board so the edge with the string is 18 inches in from the end and use the pencil to draw out a curve onto the plywood.
The string will keep the pencil moving in a smooth curve if you hold it at a 90 degree angle to the plywood and assert equal tension on the end of the string. Keep the long board in place by hand or with a nail that lets the end of the board swing in the direction of the transition you want to draw. After you have drawn one transition, flip the plywood over and draw another transition on the same side as the first.
Each 4 foot by 8 foot piece of plywood can be cut two times using this transition size. When you want to build your own skateboarding ramp, you can get two transitions from a single board. To do this you will have to turn the plywood around or move the board, string, and pencil to the opposite side to mark the next transition curve using the pencil and compass method of drawing skateboard transitions. A perfect transition produces better ticks and a smoother ride in the end.
Building smooth transition skateboarding ramps for those skateboarding games is not hard to do at all and very rewarding!