Building a Mini-Ramp (Part 1) Choosing the Height and Radius

Trying to build your perfect ramp? These tips will help!

[@Dadbot]

Ben flexing his framing IQ on us

[@Craven1]

I rewound it and took actual notes. Had to find a piece of paper and a pen. It was a whole thing.

[@andre942009]

Funny fact, that i first watched your drywall tips videos and i didnt even know you have this yt channel😅. Now here i am, learning how to make a diy quarterpipe😂

[@LaoGanMaNiac]

When I was a kid my dad and I built a 7' halfpipe with 1 ft of vert - 6 ft transitions. 8 ft of flat. 12 ft wide. It was tough. I then cut it down to 5 ft. Still tough. I then cut it down to 3.5 ft. Left a little 4' wide, 5' high extension on one side. It was magical. Sponsored skaters would drive from an hour away and show up at my house to skate it. When I moved, I sold it and it got taken away on a flat-bed - and apparently 4 years later, it changed hands again. I really want to just recreate that design someday. I learned soooooo much stuff on that 3.5' final cut.

[@pablolobo6560]

Enjoyed the one man crossover with the Vancouver Carpenter!!

[@bboydreaded]

I have been searching for months for info on the radius. This is by far the best info on it. Know it is much appreciated and I am grateful.

[@Janon48]

Thanks Ben. It’s nice to get a video like this from some with a lot of carpentry knowledge and experience

[@victortee2172]

Ben! I was able to drywall my house with your help. I moved from that project to my backyard mini which will be wrapped up this weekend. I'm excited to watch this and see all the places messed up

[@skippyskater]

Not gonna lie man, seeing your departing video has made me binge your stuff this morning. Building a mini has been something Ive always wanted to do and I have a 6 year old so I can only imagine how much fun it would bring over the years. I think after this morning I want to do it and I thanks ya for giving us a real rundown on ramp considerations.

[@pressureflipin1992]

love it. got some property where I can finally build a mini ramp and this video is great! can't wait for the next one

[@jonbonjovi_is_happy]

As a skater with zero carpentry experience, looking forward to the rest of this series. Also, I’m digging the beard, Ben!

[@derekmccray9332]

Damn dude, makes me want to build a ramp and get back on my board lol. I remember the first ramp I dropped in on was 8 feet or more....I was terrified 🤣

[@rhinusbreedt9772]

Finally a thoroughly detailed video of building a mini ramp. Thank you

[@SlickMcWillie]

Thank you so much for this series! I’m looking to build a ramp in the next few years and these videos will be such a good reference to use

[@MarcelNinety]

Respect for planning and building it on your own . Looks really professional .

[@cameronempey8350]

How funny Ive watched your drywall videos when doing projects and I had they feeling you were cool but this just confirms that your the man! Dope ramp man!

[@krimznrubi1930]

Very satisfying to hear and see your opinion here, our crew just built the small part of our indoor mini ramp, almost exactly the same height and radius.

[@boyjimini11]

Thank you for taking the effort to do this for us all!

[@JoelSimbrow]

This is so awesome. Thanks so much. I want to build one exactly like yours there.

[@LonnieHutchinson90]

This is going to be a great series

[@OllyDawson]

great job Ben.. thanks

[@cristobalolave9234]

love the building videos!

[@subieracer005]

Siiiiiiick! Can't wait for part 2! Not that my apt complex would let me build a ramp anyway. haha.

[@smiththomas64]

You’re great at explaining things, and putting it into video format. The new Topaz skatepark has some nice transitions for all levels.

[@bendegros]

I will go there some day. Hopefully some day soon.

[@dobbelpalm23]

Those were some solid tips! Do you have any idea what the ideal lenght is for the flat bottom? Is this a standard lenght per height of the ramp or also more a preference like with the radius? Looking forward to this series, trying to build one myself here but I'm thinking concrete 😀

[@dustinthewind5340]

Am I the only person to notice that you look like a Nick Hexum stunt double!? I love all of your videos man! :)

[@romeisfallingagain]

great stuff ben

[@isaacfishman4844]

lookin good in those blazers dad

[@SchwappSchwopp]

I just realized that I understand everything you talk about when it comes to skateboarding only related stuff but I don't have any carpenter related english vocabulary haha, gotta look up some words to understand the whole video :D

[@billyferriter3103]

Hey thanks man very helpful!!

[@Drivewaytohell]

I just built one a few months ago by myself. Was a fun project. I did a 3ft with a 6’10” radius so I can learn transition skating. I have a video of it finished on my channel.

[@petergarcia8225]

There was one in Carlsbad similar to this one I like. Man want one of these in my yard.

[@necgist]

Great start to a mini build! I figure I’ll throw my 2 cents in. I started skating later in life but loved it so much I put a ramp in my yard for fun and exercise (can be seen on my channel). I went with a 7-foot radius to be a bit more on the mellow side but it is still super gnarly for me. Similar to your ramp, I cut the transition out of 4’x8’ sheets and put the flat on 2”x6” boards so the height from flat to platform is just about 3.5 feet. I am using Gatorskin surface although as a new skater I don’t have enough experience to make comparisons with other surfaces. I used pressure-treated for everything EXCEPT the transition plywood that is under the Gatorskin, but I caulked all the seams between the Gatorskin sheets. I made my ramp a bit small (8-feet wide) but it is plenty of ramp for me. I am in New England (Northeast USA) and put a large tarp over the ramp in winter but have had it for about a year-and-a-half and I expect it to hold up for many more years. I used to do a lot of driving to get to my local park but not anymore!

[@t3r083]

Thanks for this. Yeah maybe having a quarter pipe with a 8ft radius would be a good addition to getting comfortable, then level up on the mini ramp.

[@jackstraw5527]

Do you leave it un tarped throughout the spring summer and fall?

[@necgist]

@@jackstraw5527 yes, in fact I only used a tarp for the 1st winter. Since then I just clean the ramp off when it is wet or has snow on it. I bought a double-sided squeegee, one edge is rubber and flip over for a foam edge that isn’t as sticky as the rubber. I also keep a mop and broom stored with the ramp. I skate on the regular so I am happy to spend the time pushing the water off and mopping. I always mop first because it is outside and always gathering dirt, then squeegee. I estimate about 20 minutes for a full mop and squeegee, definitely worth the effort considering the cost which was about $4,000 total. That was in 2021, mid-covid, so lumber prices might be a bit cheaper now. Hope this helps….

[@jackstraw5527]

@@necgist dude that’s phenomenal! I’m in the Chicago area so I feel like we get a similar amount of rain and snow compared to the NE, so your testimonial is great to hear. I like your idea to do everything possible out of pressure treated, I think if I’m investing the time and money, then that extra cost is well worth it. Love the tip on caulking the seams of the gator skins too. Hope you get a lot of years out of it man.

[@necgist]

@@jackstraw5527 One problem with the caulk….I used black but this is probably true for any color: a little caulk got on my wheels. Most of the caulk was just below the surface of the ramp but a couple of spots had a bit of caulk above the surface. Since I don’t ride street the caulk just stayed on the wheels and caused them to wear unevenly. Not a big deal and probably would have worn off on the street if I rode street. Anyway, had knee surgery Friday so out of the game for 6 weeks but I do get a little Zen maintaining the ramp anyway. Good luck!

[@spotttheloonie]

Thanks for explaining how to find a radius. I’m not a stranger to being the weirdo on skatepark with the tape measure.

[@jmzan]

My ramp is 2' 8" with about a 5ft radius 8' flat bottom it is a little tight but over time I've learned to skate it

[@kennyguerrera2234]

Banger.

[@transferz]

I wish more parks had mellow transition. In the PAC NW its usually full send,all in,steep, thwart doesn’t help a street skater appreciate transition.

[@andrew-zr1pf]

Mellow is too slow, boring and lame. We just got rid of that era of mellow transition. Maybe try smaller heights of transition rather than mellow transition?. If you have more patience and gain more skills you might appreciate more how good it is. Nothing great comes easy. Street skaters smh sometimes.

[@bevv4]

nicee, can't wait for part 2! Also I just realized, Ben has a beard!

[@ThanatosWings]

Oh, I was sooo wondering your radious. Your mini ramp is the best shape ever.

[@alexmuller4627]

Yessssssss finally

[@feefaw]

bearded ben? also kinda wanted to build one at some point so ill keep this in the archives.

[@_-0_x_-_p_0-_]

You could just measure the entire height and subtract the deck height to find the height. You don't need a piece of wood unless you can't see the side of the ramp.

[@SchwappSchwopp]

the beard looks sick!

[@caseyaylward8853]

My 2c. A lot of people think a 2ft mini is the way to go but I find them harder to skate than a 3ft or 4ft cuz you have no time from the flat to the coping. The transition is so short if its steep at all it makes it hard to skate. Plus your almost guarteed to fall all the way to flat everytime

[@kennethherring6895]

Intelligent video

[@JonnyDIY]

Love it! I want a vert ramp, but theres a huge one in my area I can get a membership too I think 💕👍

[@JonnyDIY]

PS- I saw an old video of urs where u said u were gonna talk about the miniramp build and I was like "what the heck, wherw is the video!?" 🤣 I figured u didnt wanna edit it. I hate editing certain videos too. I have ones 2 years old 🤦‍♂️

[@bendegros]

Yup. That’s why I’m going to break it up into bite sized videos instead of some mammoth project.

[@youriku]

Is the height from flat 3 feet or 3.5 feet? I first hear 3 when you talk about the height but then you say “six foot transition on a three and a half foot tall ramp” when you talk about the transition? Thanks for the video. Thanks for taking the time super helpful. 🙏🏼

[@harel586]

What radius do you recommend for a 2.5 foot (78cm) hight? Not too steep but not very mellow…

[@saludopop]

Love this, hoping to build one myself in the spring. How much rain and snow is this ramp seeing? How long do you expect it to hold up in your climate?

[@bendegros]

I expect to get at least 5 solid years. Lots of rain.

[@rhinusbreedt9772]

@@bendegros hi may i ask what did you use to seal the wood of the ramp and the skatelite? Is skatelite the same as hard board or MDF board?

[@saludopop]

​@@bendegros 5 years is encouraging. Rain will be my issue here in the Netherlands too. Looking forward to the rest of the series. Thanks for your reply.

[@idmhead0160]

Is a small ramp like that for the most part just designed for grind/coping tricks, or, can you do airs as well? Or, would you need more vert for that?

[@chriskunce3331]

Thanks for all the info. For my garage I measured out 3’ high mini ramp but I’m too tall and will hit the garage door supports. Do you think a 2’ is too small? What transition would you use for that? I figure 2’ would allow me to practice and learn tricks at home, then take those tricks to the parks and bigger ramps to progress.

[@idmhead0160]

Are you putting a wood floor on it like he did? Or, just build two quarter pipes and use the garage floor directly?

[@allanreyes5520]

my conrete miniramps 15yrs old this sept. it measures 3ft high, 11ft width w/ 6.5ft of transition..wood wont last on a tropical country like ours. Good investment, if u truly love skatebordng fo life

[@idmhead0160]

11 foot width, you mean 11 foot of flat?

[@allanreyes5520]

@@idmhead0160 11ft wide with 8ft of flatbottom

[@ordinarysaint]

How wide is the ramp, and what would you recommend anything less than 16' wide for a 3' high ramp?

[@serf___]

One thing my nerd brain has been thinking about recently is non-circular radii on transition. Has anyone tried coming up with a miniramp that experiments with elliptical or conical shapes? The reason I ask is that in concrete skateparks, some of the most interesting parts to skate are where two different radii blend together and form a unique path.

[@jackstraw5527]

Danny Way uses an elliptical sort of shape for his mega ramp quarter pipe.

[@gasparbenavente9373]

What is the length of the flat part? Thanks!

[@dataghost2307]

Whoa! Whoa! Slow down! I barely finished high school. 🤯

[@bendegros]

I didn’t finish

[@dylan6163]

You should do a review on madness skateboards

[@bobnery]

Dripping sexy with the beard

[@jaciobe]

Wish I had a mini

[@Aminormaze]

Do krux grind as good as Indy’s?

[@grindlounge]

I always watch your new videos on Friday night with a beer

[@MeanGreenPurpleMachine]

Hey I have a mini ramp too but I don't have skate light I used birch for the top layer. How does skate light hold up to rain? Do you cover your ramp with a tarp every day?

[@bendegros]

Skate light is 100% waterproof

[@idmhead0160]

@@bendegros Where do you buy Skate Light at?

[@TheAK0390]

mini-ramp = tax write off now. liking how you're thinking ben lmaoooo. jk but thanks the tips in even this video were super helpful and a lot more straight forward than a lot of diy tutorials

[@bendegros]

It actually is 😂 I make money from videos. I make videos with the ramp. Yet darn tootin it was a write off👍

[@adamberry7536]

Is that only 4 feet of flat on there?

[@dvracecom]

I made a ramp radius measuring gauge here: www.dvrace.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TransitionGauge.pdf

[@bendegros]

That's super smart :)

[@kernelrom2349]

Been there done that. Sweet ramp! And I'm FIRST!

[@doingbackflips9265]

Cant you just use a string to find the arc length of the slope/ramp instead of the pivot thing? Especially if the transition isn't linear (r (radius) in polar coords)

[@JonnyDIY]

Yup just use a string and tie a knot in it or cut it to mark it then measure string

[@bendegros]

For just finding the radius yes you can. For drawing a radius I use a piece of wood and fashion together a compass of sorts.

[@doingbackflips9265]

@@bendegros That is really smart. Not something you learn in school but you are the Vancouver carpenter. Excited for the series of how to build a mini (when I can afford one)! Have a good one

[@jekster]

Yay math! :D

[@treyjayy_63sixftp62]

Do you think 3ft x 8ft is to small ?

[@bendegros]

You can’t actually get a grind going but you can coping dance for days👍

[@JonnyDIY]

Yes I had one 4 ft high by 8 wide we eventually cut one side to 3ft. 3ft high by 12 foot is smallest id go. 16 ideally, but 12 be plenty fun

[@jim-6611]

I'm part of the people who watch these videos and then need to convert to meters

[@t3r083]

When you said that it’s a 6ft radius on a 3 and a half foot ramp, don’t you really mean just a 3 foot ramp? Since the extra half foot is just from the bottom support, and not part of the top surface?

[@bendegros]

Yes

[@marktestroote8668]

Now do one with metric measurements for the rest of the world 😜

[@johnm3946]

6:49 dad shirt

[@mattstanbridge]

The cost is not irrelevant to those that live in Canada.

[@bendegros]

This costs around $8000 canadian

[@nicslo7929]

Mine is 2’6” height , radius 7’ width 8’ old guy 41 learning tranny at comfort of home. PS perfect coping size comes in stop sign poles just sayin

[@nathanthompson4077]

ok but coping is the scariest part about bulding a ramp in my opinion id hate to have noping and id also hate to have a big gap in the trany to the coping also it never feels truly sturdy on wooden ramps

[@bendegros]

Next video :)

[@idmhead0160]

@@bendegros I was watching a video of Bucky Lasek on a ramp and noticed that the coping was metal pipe, but, the pipe had grooves in it. Basically grooves that look like a candy cane stripe. Any idea how to do that on the coping? I think Tony Hawk's ramp might have that too. I think it gives texture to grinds.

[@MrPDTaylor]

Do a kickflip

[@BeardedForever]

Jarred Pickles!

[@folkskateboards]

If you can't lock into, and grind, a smith or front feeble you failed. my shillings worth.

[@AMMAZZARE]

I’ve found that if you go micro (2’-3’), making the transitions steep is the way to go. You can still pump and maintain some speed for a little bit.