Look!!! There's a Mini Ramp in your Back Yard!!

When did I start this project, something like three weeks ago. The first weekend I ran into Cody and collected a large sum of wood by dismantling and moving his ramp to my house. The second weekend I spent the entire weekend building the flat bottom and leveling the where the ramps home would be settled. Then third weekend I made my building supply purchase and build the transitions. Finally this past weekend I finished out building the platforms, installed coping and surfaced the ramp. So that is four weeks not three, dam and I am still not fully finished. I still have to put on another coat of Olympic Weather Proofing, get some lights, finish platforms and clean the place up. I am also working on a system to easily cover the thing with tarps. The work is never finished and did I even mention skating it?? I have skated it just a little to get a feel for how all the little cracks in some of the seams and the screw heads would feel when skating. Turns out I hardly noticed the imperfections really, maybe I will change my mind after I have skated it for a while. Ok, so here is a picture time line of each stage:

This where I started, at Cody's house. This is the state of the ramp I was about to dismantle screw by screw. It only took me a few hours to dismantle and move the whole thing. I have to send out special thanks to my next door neighbors, Mike and JB, for helping me move this lumber.

Here is my first attempt at the flat bottom. I originally was going to over lap onto my patio but you can see in later photos that I moved the it all into the yard. Notice  all the contact points that the ramp sits on are concrete blocks. I spent a lot of time making sure all the blocks are level to each other. It took me all weekend.

The third weekend I get a ride to the store and pick up the rest of the lumber. Mike, my neighbor, again comes through with the ride. He even loans me tools so I don't have to buy any extra. I later find out he does this so he can give me a hard time about it later, but no worries, it is just all fun and games to him. Once I get my lumber and screws I start building out the transitions. I build out four separate sections and then put them all together. 

I spent a good part of a day just figuring out how to build the first section. I had to first cut the transitions (the curved plywood pieces that make up the sides) then the joists and finally put them together. I also decided to save on wood and use the old transitions. I should have just spent the extra $35 dollars because working with used and weathered wood is a hassle. It is mostly warped and falling apart but I made it work in the end. My idea was to no waste any material, that is recycle everything. I used new wood yes, but I used old pieces mixed together.

I got all the four sections to fit fairly nicely but there were imperfections all over the place. I was an 8th off here and 1/4 off there,  how pieces of sections lined up were a little uneven in one part or another. It was all very close so I just went with it. Again, if I had used all new wood I think the sections would be closer to flawless, being thrifty can be more labor endusive especially when you have no idea what you are doing. By the way, I am building this ramp and I   have no idea what i am doing. I have been studying ramp plans and have some general carpentry skills, other than that I am on my own. No one has helped me other than some hauling. I finished the frame work of the ramp by the close of Sunday dusk and spent every night after work building out the decks.

This past Friday I took the day off. My morning started out going downtown to 201 Poplar, the city jail and court house, where I had to appear for a stop sign violation. That ended at 9:30 a.m, much earlier than I had originally planned. I thought I would be down there until almost noon. Then after some lunch I would go to Greenlaw and skate the mini ramp there. Instead, because it was so early  I headed home, finished the platforms, installed the coping and started installing the first  of three layers of my ramp surface.

I finished installing the first layer by Saturday morning. It took me almost all  of that after noon to install and figure out how to surface with 1/2 inch 4X8 sheets of plywood. My first idea was not going to work so I went to plan B which did work. Once I figured out plan B it was almost dark.

Woke up early Sunday and finished the second layer. It is not perfect but it did skate decent and the ramp started to look official some how. I guess it is like having clothes on or something.

That afternoon I was determined to get the third Masonite layer on and I did.

There it is with all the surface on but not finished screwing down. I used liquid nails on the cross seams and screwed down the edges best I could. See, because I did not plan the surface to joists out that well, not all the edges of the surface have a joist to screw into, so I had to improvise. If you have ever built a ramp you know what I mean. Man I have learned a lot.

There it is, looks splotchy because I put a coat of Olympic Clear weather proofing on the surface. It needs a second coat but the stuff works. I tested it after it dried before I slathered the whole ramp, seems fine, the treated surface was still smooth and slick. There are cracks where the seems don't meet up,  I skated it and hardly noticed. I have a few more things to do to the ramp, it is fully functional for now.

I am buying out door lighting and another tarp after work, not sure what I am going to do tonight. Part of me wants to skate so I might.  Late.