Hi to all! New to the forum but not to skating. Built a micro ramp in the garden under the pretence it was for the kids but the McGill flight deck clearly gave that away. Any who - created the ramp out of OSB transition sides, OSB 9mm sheet topped with 9mm hardwood ply. Question is has anyone ever whacked a coat of decking oil or stain on? Does it make the surface slippy? I’ve already noticed one piece of ply has started to bubble / delam a bit and want to see what I can do to increase its lifespan before it goes to far. Any help appreciated.
5 Likes
Concrete it.
I reckon non slip decking oil wouldn’t make it slippery but would change the feel of the ramp massively. I’m very jealous
Mellower than the pointless shoplifting thread.
Hi @Pocalyptix
A matt stain would probably be good. I think keep it clear rather than dark, I think dark ramps look awful.
Also, over winter maybe get some tarp to keep the worst of the weather off it but DON’T just leave the tarp straight over the top otherwise it will trap the moisture and slowly rot. So, somehow, keep a bit of air between the tarp and the surface. Maybe stick a couple old chairs on the flat and brick down the corners?
Thanks for the likes - Wanted to go bigger but I’m 45, have a pacemaker / built in defib, a very understanding wife and 2 kids. I miss surfing as I can’t really paddle for fear of pulling the wires out my heart so a return to skating minis is where I went. 2ft high is perfect for the kids with a 6ft transition as well so it was a win win. Mellow but retains speed from the drop in. Planning on building on the side another 4ft to make it 12ft wide and adding 2 & 3/8” steel coping.
4 Likes
If you didn’t use marine ply in the first place and end up needing to resurface it then use it then. Basically the glue in standard ply isn’t waterproof so it won’t hold up if it gets at all wet.
I honestly can’t remember if skatelite was any good
Here’s a link anyway, I’m pretty sure it was ok?
Well I made the ramp, with some creativity for £300. I took the view ramps I made years ago are probably still kicking about somewhere and we made those out of whatever we could find. 4 sheets of skatelite work out to be more than twice my total build cost. No doubt good stuff ‘but’ if I can find a way to make the top layer last a year I could replace every year for the next 5yrs - 2.5 with marine. So I’ve experimented with wickes decking stain. Cheap in the clearance - £11. Put some on, let it dry, skated it and found no difference in grip. Will be schlacking on another coat once I’m happy it’s not an ice rink. Got a tarp that I’m going to cover it with (but as suggested not tight to the ramp) so to try and keep the worst of the rain off it. My plan is to see how it holds up so I’ll report on any crap decisions just in case anyone else attempts a budget ramp build.
3 Likes
Always marine ply, always run your sheets diagonally. Just keep rolling on that till it gets battered, it’ll still be skatable for two or three years:).
From one fucked heart to another lol
Love it was thinking about setting up something similar up for (me) my daughter.
Well I put the stain on. ‘Teak’. Definitely made a difference. Rained over night and I hadn’t put the tarp over it; the water on the flat section had pooled so I simply brushed it off. Yes - it was ‘damp’ in places but the stain worked - for how long is another question but it does offer some level of protection and for £11 it was a no brainer. A lighter colour would’ve been nicer but that wasn’t in the sale. Skate wise I didn’t feel any difference although my wheels did ‘gain’ some staining on the rolling surface. But not slippy.
3 Likes
I’ve also replaced the plastic coping with 2” mild steel. Wanted 2 and 3/8 but the local iron mongers didn’t have that size. Works well though. Need to fettle with the position as I’ve got a bit of a gap between the ramp and coping but it’s only cosmetic. Makes no difference to the actual use; no wheel bite. Enough height for the rails and trucks to connect and the diameter makes grinds, slides and stalls stable. I’m waiting to hear back about a local wood supplier that has a special on WBP sheet plywood. Apparently this stuff is ‘weather boil proof’ using waterproof glue for the veneers same a marine but as it can have voids or knots so it’s much cheaper than marine grade. This supplier had it for sale previously at slightly less than the cost of standard sheet at places like wickes / b&q. So I’m thinking of putting a thinner sheet over what I have and add a coat of stain.
1 Like
Oh and tarp wise I just lay a few pallets on the ramp before covering. The pallets act like air bricks allowing air to flow and keep the tarp off the riding surface. Simple but effective.
Great idea re the pallets as air bricks
Quick update - it’s been lashing it down here and pretty windy. Tarp held up well until the wind got under it and lifted one end off. Once exposed it got proper wet however that £11 teal stain did a cracking job of sealing the wood. It ain’t prefect but it definitely stopped the wood from becoming saturated. Just used a brush and pushed the puddles off. I let the surface dry, recovered in tarp and checked again today. No problem. So far so good!
That looks fun as hell, your kid is a lucky chap. Props.
That looks like paradise.
