Mini ramp

5 inch 6 foot sounds scurry. if it were me I would say 5 and half feet would be good, 4 could be even better if you put an extension on

 

I would consider using some plans...downloaded these plans (link) a while ago...they work. Step by step...

 

Doug, rcarter, and surfingwasteland all have experience flying so you should seek their advice.

 

i just drew up a few trannys with pencil on the waffle board we used for the trannys and eventually one looked right and it worked. in my opinion building a mini ramp is pretty simple. couple cases of beer, the right tools, and a few homies and itll be done in a day

 

if you live somewhere in the mid-atlantic, itll be tricky with any wood you use as our weather conditions are wild. i used two layers of plywood followed by masonite. after two months it rotted. i ended up using marine plywood w a layer of polyurethane and its smooth/fast. if you use masonite you must tarp it after seshions. if you have the cash by skatelite haha

 

For a basic round transition 7' for a tight or 8' for a mellower one. You can use a string or a 2x4(anywhere from 7' to 8'long) with a marker to draw the transition on the plywood. If you are looking for an elliptical transition it gets tricky.

One suggestion would be to make it at least 12' wide is not 16'. Also, if you plan on having it for a while, space the transitions at 4' and paint it with exterior paint. This also makes it easier to move it the future.
Plenty of ramp plans in the internet.

 

if your on a budget regular 1/2" ply for the base layer then 3/8" ac with coat of good exterior paint will last awhile. but if using tight tranys you will need 3/8" base layer. If your only going 3'high 6 1/2 to 7'radius will work.

 

Don't be fruity, make it at least 4' tall. Gravity will work harder for you allowing easier flight and flow.
+ 1 on the paint fellas. Zinsser 123 exterior latex is solid and inexpensive. I've used it on my boat for years and it doesn't fail. We're talking salt water environment 24/7 here. Make sure the surface is very clean and very dry! At least 2 coats!! You could roll a coat on the whole ramp pretty fast, drys in an hour and re-hit it. You can tint the primer to a color of your liking too. Re-coat as needed. I usually do one more coat per year just to brighten the color. You should wait 24 hours to skate it. Don't put heavy or light coats on, just nice even ones. 1 gallon of 123 goes a long way btw.

 

But are you using treated ply or regular? How about screws. Regular cheap ****e drywall screws rust and pop in no time seems like even through 10 layers of paint. And water between the plys butted up swell and bump like mad on regular plywood. What does skatelite go for these days delivered? Got any suggestions for the best fasteners material/ brand/coating?

 

Use nice exterior primed screws. Prime the edges 2-3 quick coats with 123 and a whiz roller. You can also neatly seal the seams with marine silicone and wipe the excess off the surface with a rag and paint thinner. The extra steps will make the ramp last at least twice as long. Make an effort to do it right the first time and headaches will be minimal in the long run. I already gave a specific coating recommendation above.

 

hit these guys up for plans or tips. they are the professionals.

http://www.skateparkramps.com/index.htm

^Rampage for the win!

 

I have always, and will continue to, regard transition in height not in length.
You-"hey man come check out my mini"
friends- "how big is it?"
You-"oh its 3 foot with a 5foot transition"
friends-"so is it 3 foot of 5 foot?"
you-"both"
friends"oh so it has an extension?"
you-"no?"
friends-"gee this is a stupid conversation"
you-"why is this confusing to you?"
friends-"because transitions are talked about in height, not length, unless of course you're on the spectrum"
you-"whats the spectrum?"
friends-"Never mind"

The length all depends on how steep you want it. I have never built a ramp with plans, just cut out one frame piece and look at it. If it works then trace it and continue.

As dougie said, make it at least a 4 foot mini, anything smaller is micro and super lame/slow.

Dont waste your money on skatelite, or masonite, or any other fance wood. Keep it plywood, seal it, and keep some spare pieces incase you put a wheel through it.

Easy repairs=rad backyard ramp.

Something that looks like it belongs on the dew tour= you tried to hard for skateboarding