Materials for a small skateboard ramp.

[topmount]

Hello
I'm going to build a small ramp for my son, and I would prefer to build it out of form plywood so it withstands moisture. However, I'm a bit unsure about how heavy it is and bending it. A small ramp will have a tighter radius than a large one. Does anyone have any other mtrl in mind?

 

[Styret]

Do you have the world's happiest child?
Formplyfa is really heavy to bend and above all, you risk cracking a couple of boards. Additionally, I find it too slippery to skate on.

If the ramp is going to be outdoors, I think there are 3 options.

Option 1: Vira/Wire/trailer/anti-slip plyfa. Your lumberyard knows what it is, even though everyone uses different names. It's a water-resistant board with an anti-slip pattern on one side.
I would say that 90 percent of all Swedish skateboard ramps that are outdoors are covered in this.
Typically, you first lay down a 9 mm standard plyfa at the bottom and then a layer of 9 mm wira on top.

Option 2: Two layers of 9 mm construction plywood where you paint the top layer. You see this sometimes. It's cheaper but requires a bit more maintenance.
In my latest build, the wiraskivorna couldn't handle the bend properly, so the top film released in some areas. Now we have to replace the whole surface. I've never experienced this before though. Now we're considering switching to standard four-ply and painting.

Option 3: The high-tech solution. Gatorskins. A new material specially developed for skateboarding!
I've never tried it in Sweden but abroad. Now with a Swedish distributor http://gatorskins.se/
No idea what it costs.

The moisture issue can be solved by placing a layer of roofing felt between the top and bottom boards.

Feel free to ask here if you have any more questions. I love building skate projects!

 

[bettet]

Hi, also check out Medite Tricoya Extreme, an MDF for outdoor use that might work. More expensive than slip-resistant plywood, but it has a 50-year guarantee.

 

[Styret]

That sounds exciting.
Have you yourself tried building with that material?
I'm just at the starting point of changing the riding surface on a ramp.

My experience with regular MDF is that it's quite hard to bend.
And how does the warranty hold up when you start bending and riding on the material?

 

[Mazen]

Look at mahogany plywood aka lauan plywood.. a type of plywood that "withstands" moisture, or at least does not swell or warp. Used among other things for boats (hulls and superstructures)

 

[bettet]

That sounds exciting.
Have you yourself tested building with that material?
I am just at the starting point of changing the surface on a ramp.

My experience with regular MDF is that it's quite hard to bend.
And how does the warranty hold up when you start bending and riding on the material?

Hello!

No, unfortunately, I haven't tested it yet. I don't think it's a problem to bend a 6 mm sheet against a radius of about 2.5 m, which is often the case in a fairly large ramp, but as I said, I haven't tried this.

The warranty shouldn't be a problem because it’s been painted (the material is almost always painted when used). The warranty only covers the function, not the appearance. You can read more on their website: https://mdfosb.com/en/medite/products/medite-tricoya-extreme

 

[benjig]

Har du världens lyckligaste barn?
Formplyfa är riktigt tungt att böja och framförallt riskerar man att knäcka ett par skivor. Det är dessutom för halt att åka i tycker jag.

Ska rampen stå utomhus tycker jag att det finns 3 alternativ.

alt 1: Vira/Wire/släpvagns/halkskyddsplyfa. Din brädgård vet vad det är även om alla använder olika namn. Det är en vattentålig skiva med ett halkskyddsmönster på ena sidan.
Jag skulle säja att 90 procent av alla svenska skateboardramper som står utomhus är klädda i detta.
Normalt sett lägger man först en 9 mm vanlig plyfa i botten och sen ett lager 9 mm wira ovanpå.

alt 2: två lager 9 mm byggplywood där man målar övre lagret. Man ser det här ibland. Det blir billigare men kräver lite mer underhåll.
Vid mitt senaste bygge klarade inte wiraskivorna av böjen riktigt så den översta filmen släppte på vissa delar. Nu måste vi byta ut hela ytan. Har aldrig vart med om det förr dock. Nu funderar vi på att byta till vanlig fyruplyfa och måla.

alt 3: hightech-lösningen. Gatorskins. Ett nytt material speciellt utvecklat för skateboard!
Har aldrig åkt det i Sverige men utomlands. Nu med svensk distributör [link]
Ingen aning vad det kostar.

fuktproblematiken kan man lösa med att lägga ett lager takpapp mellan över och underskivan.

fråga gärna på här om du har några fler frågor. Jag älskar att bygga skateobjekt!

Hur "stor" var böjen? funderar också på mini-ramp men vill ju ha något hållbart. Vira känns ju lättillgängligt och hyfsat prisvärt för "prestandan" man får. Gatorskinns är ju intressant, men dyrt för en hemma-ramp. Verkar vara ett riktigt bra material för ramper dock!