DIY Network

Building a Backyard Half-pipe Michael Strahan and carpenter Amy Wynn Pastor build a skateboard half-pipe for a skateboard-loving family. From "Backyard Stadiums" episode DBYS-101

Building a Half-pipe

Safety First: To secure your skating area you will need an area free of debris and large enough to skate — preferably a driveway, backyard or indoor concrete area. Select an area away from cars. Keep street ramps in safe, dry and out of the way places. Remember that these ramps will launch cars as well as skaters, so stay out of the road. The most important thing to consider is your liability. Once you have a skate structure on your property you are legally liable. It's a good idea to have riders sign waivers, releasing you from any liability should there be an injury. This is a skate at your own risk or hold harmless form. It's also a good idea to have signs posted: NO TRESPASSING, SKATE AT YOUR OWN RISK and THIS IS NO GAME!

Consider your neighbors. They can determine your ramps' fate. Keep your skate area clean, paint your ramp a mellow color and keep noise to a minimum.

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Host Michael Strahan, seen here with skateboarder Dan MacFarlane (standing, far right) and the entire family, show off the half-pipe that was constructed from scratch on this episode of DIY's Backyard Stadiums!

Building the Half-pipe Frame

The half-pipe is six parts all connected: four ramps and two flat sections that connect the ramps called transitions. The frame of the half-pipe will look like a skeleton with floor joists to support the sub floor and skating surface. Before laying down the sub-floor and surface layers, it's important that the half-pipe is supported well from the bottom to the top.

Materials:

100 8' pressure treated 2 x 4's
6-3/4" 4 x 8 sheets pressure treated plywood
20 sheets 1/2" CDX pressure treated plywood
12 sheets of 1/4" Skatelite or Masonite
12 cinder blocks (you may need a combination of half and full size blocks depending on how much leveling you have to do)
two 16' and 2-3/8" OD (sold as 2" pipe) black steal pipe for coping
3,500 3" galvanized deck screws
four 1/2" x 6" angle bolts
10 tubes of sub-floor or construction adhesive

Tools:

chop saw
circular saw
jigsaw
framing / speed square
hammer
drills with assorted bits
long #2 bit for coping
tape measure
extension cords
#2 bit or deck screw bit
level
eye and ear protection

Cut List:

cut 8-3/4" A/C plywood into radius for ramp of 61 1/2"
cut 4-3/4" A/C plywood into decks 3' x 8'
cut 70-2 x 4 x 8's to 94 1/2" lengths for floor joists
cut 16-2 x 4 x 33" deck joists
Cut 16-2 x 4 x 32-1/2" vertical deck supports

	Figure A
	Figure B
	Figure C

Note: The instructions outlined here are based on plans available for a small fee from RAMPTECH (ramptech.com). It's highly recommended that you follow these plans for further clarification. The Ramptech plans are designed for a 21-4' long and 8' wide ramp, with a two foot deck. For our family we doubled the width of our half pipe from 8' to 16' and made the deck three feet wide instead of two. The Ramptech plans describe how to build two ramps and the transition that connects the ramps. For our half-pipe we constructed four ramps and two transitions. The materials and cut list indicate the supplies we needed to construct what you see in the show.

1. Pre-cut all 2 x 4's you will need for the frame of your half-pipe. Check the cut list for the exact requirements. You will need to cut approximately 50 2 x 4's 94-1/2" long.

Carpenters Tip: Instead of cutting all 50 2 x 4 x 8's individually on a chop saw, you can stack them on top of each other and square them up on one side. After the wood is lined up, measure 94-1/2" from end and use a circular saw to cut through the top layer of 2 x 4's. Set your circular saw so that the blade dips slightly below the first layer of the stack. This will mark the second layer, and provide you with a guide for your next cut (figure A).

2. Continue cutting until all 2 x 4's are completed for framing the ramps and flat (figure B).

3. After all the 2 x 4's are cut, it's time to layout the exact location of the half-pipe. Mark the four corners of the footprint with cinderblocks. These will be the support piers of the structure. Use a string line, tape measure or piece of wood and a level to check the site. To level the blocks, lower them by digging a shallow hole as necessary.

Tip: Start with the highest corner. It's easier to dig down slightly then to build up.

Note: You may use half or full size blocks to level the area. Continue by placing a cinder block every eight feet until all the supports are in place. Check to make sure the blocks are all level before proceeding to the next step (figure C).

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