How to Build a Fun Box for Skateboards
A skateboard fun box is a simple, yet useful and versatile piece of equipment. Skateboarders often use the corners of the box to slide or grind on. The top of the box can be used as a "manual pad," which refers to jumping up onto it and balancing on just one set of wheels until you reach the end. They can also be used as an elevated runway to clear large obstacles.
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Things You'll Need
- Plywood sheet, 3 x 5 feet by 1/2 inch thick
- 2 pieces of wood, 4 x 12 x 60 inches
- 5 pieces of wood, 2 x 4 x 28 inches
- 3 pieces of wood, 4 x 4 x 28 inches
- 38 screws, 5 inches or longer
- 15 screws, 2 to 4 inches long
- Power drill
- Wood glue
- Tape measure or ruler
- Pencil
Instructions
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Building the Frame
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1
Use a tape measure or ruler and make a line for every one-foot increment going down both of the 4 x 12 x 60-inch pieces of wood.
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2
Place one of the wood pieces on a flat surface on its four-inch side. Place one of the 2 x 4 x 28-inch pieces perpendicular to it so the pieces make an "L" shape, with the 2 x 4 resting on its two-inch side. Attach them with wood glue so that you are not adding any length to the 4 x 12.
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3
Glue the rest of the 2 x 4's on each of the one-foot increments while resting them on their two-inch sides.
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4
Use wood glue to fasten the other 4 x 12 to the ends of each 2 x 4 as it sits on its four-inch side, giving your frame the final piece to make it a box shape. Allow all of the glue to dry.
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5
Secure the frame for your fun box with five-inch screws. Use a power drill and insert the screws into each spot you glued together, keeping about two inches of vertical space in between each screw. You'll need a total of 20 screws, 10 on each side.
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6
With the fun box flipped over onto its side, place a 4 x 4 on both ends of the underside of the frame, in between the two 4 x 12's, and secure them with wood glue. Make sure the edges of the 4 x 4's are flush with the edges of the 4 x 12's. Allow the glue to dry.
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7
Use a power drill to insert three 5-inch-long screws into each spot you glued together. Place the screws in a triangular formation with one screw towards the top and two towards the bottom, keeping about two inches of space between each one. Twelve screws are required for this part of the fun box frame.
Putting on the Top
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8
Place the fun box frame down on the side with the 4 x 4's and squeeze a line of wood glue all around the top edges of the frame and on the support beams.
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9
Take the 3 x 5-foot piece of 1/2-inch plywood and lie it over top of the frame. Align all of the edges so that it sits evenly, and apply firm pressure to the top to make sure it's lying completely flat. Allow the glue to dry.
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10
Use a tape measure or ruler and a pencil to mark a line going down the length of the plywood at every 12-inch increment where the support beams are located beneath. Mark another line on the short side of the plywood at the 18-inch mark, which is right in the middle. Use a straight edge to make the lines reach all the way to the opposite side of the plywood.
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11
Secure the plywood to the 4 x 12 with a power drill and a two-inch screw at each 12-inch increment that is marked. Secure the plywood to the support beams by inserting a screw at every spot down the middle of the plywood where the lines intersect.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Enhance your fun box with a grind rail by attaching a five-foot-long piece of angle iron to one of the edges.
Instead of having to ollie onto your fun box, you could put a one-foot kicker ramp up against one of the short sides and use it as a way to roll up onto the box.
If you put an obstacle at the end, you could use your fun box as an elevated runway and do tricks over it.
You can make your fun box into a gap by placing a launch ramp against the long side of it and using it as a way to clear the three-foot gap from the fun box.
Give your fun box some extra flare by painting your own artwork and designs on it, or applying some skateboarding stickers to it.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit boy laying on his skateboard image by Tracy Martinez from Fotolia.com
