Building a Bike Jump

For this project, I got a 4 by 8 sheet of plywood, which is 1/3 of an inch. I also bought a 4 by 8 sheet of plywood that is 2/3 inches thick. You also need 2 by 1s or 2 by 4s( I used 2 by 1s since I wanted the curve to be as good as possible, but if you want a sturdy ramp, you should use 2 by 4s. You will also need a skill saw, a drill, screws, cardboard, and a pencil. A piece of sheet metal is optional if you want to be able to skateboard or scooter on this ramp.

Step 1: Finding the Best Slope

This can be one of the hardest steps of the whole project. You can use many different strategies to do this, but I chose to do it with cardboard and screws. I put a screw at the top of where the ramp should go and one at the bottom. Once you have it in place, make a line with a pencil across the cardboard. It is also very important to not make the line go all the way to the side of your plywood so that you can make an angle going straight down for support and so the is does not move when you jump it. Make sure that you only draw one line, since later on you can use the same one as a template.

Step 2: Cutting the Plywood and Making the Frame

Cutting the plywood is pretty straightforward. All you need to do is lay the wood on two separate tables with a gap in the middle. Then, you have to run the skill saw along the line. Pretty soon you will have one side of the ramp. After that, you need to flip it over and trace the outline. You will then need to repeat the same process for the other side.

Step 3: Putting the Frame Together

Once you have both sides of the ramp cut out, you will want to start connecting them. I started with the top and bottom ones along with the closest one to the start. This will make it so that it can stand alone for the rest of the planks, making a lot easier. You will need to stand up the sides of the ramp for this, and using your drill and screws, you can drill them in from the sides. I strongly recommend making a hole in the wood before starting to start getting the screws in place. It reduces the chance of you cracking or splitting your wood by a lot.

Step 4:

After all of the supporting beams are in place, you need to put the top of the ramp on. for the first few screws, you will need to kneel on the plywood and screw it in so that it stays tight on the ramp. Put screws every half foot or so to make the ramp very sturdy.

Step 5: Finishing Off the Ramp + Optional Steps.

Once you have finished off the ramp, make sure it is sturdy by standing on it and taking a couple of run-ups on your bike. If you want to be able to skateboard or scooter on this ramp, use some sheet metal and screw it on to the beginning of the ramp.

Comments

[MissSkinner]

Looks like a fun project!

[Penolopy Bulnick]

Nice job on this ramp!

You should consider using a picture of the finished ramp as your main image in the intro step so people can see it right away! Also, you should consider entering the Woodworking Contest :)