Dirt n Street
Likes Dirt
i reckon some more struts on the ramp and make it bigger at the top maybe with a handrail of some sort too. other then that looks sweet as!
Wooden Starter Ramp
- Thread starter walshy026
- Start date
steven-nentis_94
Squid
looks really good so far 
dcrofty
Eats Squid
OK Walshy,
Firstly it’s good to see you getting out there and building stuff. I have a few comments for you.
-your 4 supports. I can't see in the photos but if you are going to make really good shore stuff that will last and be strong they need to be buried really deep. Over here in Vancouver we try and put 1/3 of the support into the ground if possible. It’s also good to wedge big rocks into the holes and tightly pack smaller rocks and soil into the gaps. It really helps keep everything from moving around too much. Now like I said I can't tell if you have done this from the photos, if you have then excellent. If you stand on top and it moves around a bit then perhaps you'll need to take the time to dig a little deeper next time.
-Looks like you have used live trees for the supports. If it’s on your land and you have plenty of trees its cool. If it’s on public land/ not yours then it’s probably not cool. You haven't said but I get a vibe you've done it on private land so it’s probably all good. One thing though in wetter climates where rotting is an issue it is a good idea to remove the bark off the logs before you use them. The bark will hold water against the log and it will rot and weaken quicker. Seeing as you are in Townsville I think it might be a good idea for you to take the bark off, your stuff will last much longer if you do. If you want to get super technical use a draw knife. Otherwise a machete or small axe will do. It’s a pretty shitty job but worth doing.
-your cross braces. Ok most of this structure looks OK but I'm sorry to be blunt, your cross braces need work. Those sticks you have used are too thin. It would be better if you could find some milled lumber for that job. If you don't have any then at least try and get some thicker logs to use for the job. Also, at the point where you are nailing them to the 4 vertical supports get a saw (chainsaw is good but a good old hand saw still gets the job done) and notch a small way into your vertical support and cut a flat face on the cross brace to match up the flat surface on the support. That way you are nailing two flat surfaces together and can put 2 perhaps three nails in the join. It will be much stronger than your current setup. You could also face up where your down ramp is nailed to your supports too so that you can get a few more nails in there too.
-your down ramp. need some bracing, might be cool now but I think as you ride it more and more it is going to sag and over time might be at risk of snapping and that would be a bad thing. Also, adding cross bracing there and tying it into the whole structure will stiffen the whole structure up as well so it will last longer. If everything flexes too much as you stand on it or ride it you will loosen the nails and it will eventually fall apart.
-your rungs. Thick is always good. Most of yours look pretty good but a couple look a little bit on the thin side. If you want you can nail two thin ones together. Over time it is amazing how far you can wear through a rung, especially if you are braking on it (doesn’t really apply here as it’s a speed thing but for NS rungs in general it’s a good rule to remember).
-A handrail. Like someone mentioned it would be silly to spend so much time building something and then fall off it and not be able to ride!
So there are a few pointers for you. Please don’t take them as criticism as you have done some great work there, it’s just that there are a few more things you can do and then you will be building some really good stuff that will be safe and last ages.
This thread shows what a draw knife is and also how to dig your supports in properly.
Good luck with it and keep posting photos of how you go.
crofty
Firstly it’s good to see you getting out there and building stuff. I have a few comments for you.
-your 4 supports. I can't see in the photos but if you are going to make really good shore stuff that will last and be strong they need to be buried really deep. Over here in Vancouver we try and put 1/3 of the support into the ground if possible. It’s also good to wedge big rocks into the holes and tightly pack smaller rocks and soil into the gaps. It really helps keep everything from moving around too much. Now like I said I can't tell if you have done this from the photos, if you have then excellent. If you stand on top and it moves around a bit then perhaps you'll need to take the time to dig a little deeper next time.
-Looks like you have used live trees for the supports. If it’s on your land and you have plenty of trees its cool. If it’s on public land/ not yours then it’s probably not cool. You haven't said but I get a vibe you've done it on private land so it’s probably all good. One thing though in wetter climates where rotting is an issue it is a good idea to remove the bark off the logs before you use them. The bark will hold water against the log and it will rot and weaken quicker. Seeing as you are in Townsville I think it might be a good idea for you to take the bark off, your stuff will last much longer if you do. If you want to get super technical use a draw knife. Otherwise a machete or small axe will do. It’s a pretty shitty job but worth doing.
-your cross braces. Ok most of this structure looks OK but I'm sorry to be blunt, your cross braces need work. Those sticks you have used are too thin. It would be better if you could find some milled lumber for that job. If you don't have any then at least try and get some thicker logs to use for the job. Also, at the point where you are nailing them to the 4 vertical supports get a saw (chainsaw is good but a good old hand saw still gets the job done) and notch a small way into your vertical support and cut a flat face on the cross brace to match up the flat surface on the support. That way you are nailing two flat surfaces together and can put 2 perhaps three nails in the join. It will be much stronger than your current setup. You could also face up where your down ramp is nailed to your supports too so that you can get a few more nails in there too.
-your down ramp. need some bracing, might be cool now but I think as you ride it more and more it is going to sag and over time might be at risk of snapping and that would be a bad thing. Also, adding cross bracing there and tying it into the whole structure will stiffen the whole structure up as well so it will last longer. If everything flexes too much as you stand on it or ride it you will loosen the nails and it will eventually fall apart.
-your rungs. Thick is always good. Most of yours look pretty good but a couple look a little bit on the thin side. If you want you can nail two thin ones together. Over time it is amazing how far you can wear through a rung, especially if you are braking on it (doesn’t really apply here as it’s a speed thing but for NS rungs in general it’s a good rule to remember).
-A handrail. Like someone mentioned it would be silly to spend so much time building something and then fall off it and not be able to ride!
So there are a few pointers for you. Please don’t take them as criticism as you have done some great work there, it’s just that there are a few more things you can do and then you will be building some really good stuff that will be safe and last ages.
This thread shows what a draw knife is and also how to dig your supports in properly.
Good luck with it and keep posting photos of how you go.
crofty
Last edited:
mad_mike51
Likes Bikes and Dirt
Put a downramp on the other side and drop off it?
meelen dh
Likes Dirt
Yeah good idea. Put downramps on each side of the top.
dan_downhill_moto
Squid
looking good
ozzy osbourne
Likes Bikes and Dirt
Get 2K and build this
Nah just kidding looks good but yer get some hand rails, looks like it good hurt if you fell akwardly off it.
dirtking125
Squid
Thanks for all the great advice
I actually helped him build the ramp. We havnt ridden it yet because the jumps arent done yet but we went down the other day and put more bracing from the ramp to the platform but i think we need a bit more and we need to replace some of the rungs as they broke from just walking on them.
We should be riding it next week because his dads getting the bobcat down there to finish the jumps.
We will also have a go at some of the sugestions you guys have given to make it better.
cheers
I actually helped him build the ramp. We havnt ridden it yet because the jumps arent done yet but we went down the other day and put more bracing from the ramp to the platform but i think we need a bit more and we need to replace some of the rungs as they broke from just walking on them
.We should be riding it next week because his dads getting the bobcat down there to finish the jumps.
We will also have a go at some of the sugestions you guys have given to make it better.
cheers
i have already thought of this and was about to build one. however there is a massive drop 1.5 metres behind it which does not really give us enough room.
but thankyou for the idea anway
but thankyou for the idea anway
Yeah maybe but that steepenss isnt needed for my jumpsmake it almost vert
Yer i gotta tip.knock it down and start again .Dont cut down tree's because you are too lazy to salvage or cart quality second hand hardwood of treated pine into the build site.Amature at best..Pfft.
dirtking125
Squid
We couldnt afford any wood at the time and could only find a small amount of scrap wood which was used for the rungs. Its not that we were lazy (you try cutting down a 20cm wide tree with a small hatchet) it would have been easier to cart the wood to the spot as it is on his property and about a 2 minute walk.
We havnt been down for while but this is what the jumps looked like before we got all the rain. I would say they are pretty overgrown now. I know they are small but this is the beginners set, the bigger jumps are going next to these.
