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How to Make Tech-Deck Ramps With Tin & Wood

You can make Tech Deck ramps with varying inclines by bending and flexing sheets of tin and thin balsa wood. Tech Decks are small plastic toy skateboards ridden with fingers instead of feet. A Tech Deck ramp needs to be sturdy enough to withstand the weight of the board and the rider's hand. Wood is flexible in larger sheets and flexes in a natural curve that is ideal for bigger ramps. Tin is fully malleable in the little sections used for smaller Tech Deck ramps.

Things You'll Need

Wood scraps (particle board, plywood, 2-by-4 chunks)
Ruler
Plywood sheet (minimum 24 inches x 32 inches)
Wood saw
Electric drill
Phillips screwdriver drill bit
Wood screws
Utility knife ironing board
Steam cleaner, steam iron or clothing steamer
Permanent marker
Hammer
Flathead nails
Tin snips
Thick leather gloves

Instructions

- 1
  Cut two scrap wood pieces to matching five to seven inch lengths unless you already have a couple paired chunks.
- 2
  Position the two wood blocks of equal height eight to twelve inches apart on any part of the plywood board. Place the blocks eight inches apart for a smaller Tech Deck ramp with steeper inclines and farther for a more gradual rise and larger center.
- 3
  Screw into the underside of the plywood board to attach the wood chunks. Use at least three wood screws per wood block so they are stable.
- 4
  Trim a 1/4 inch thick balsa wood sheet to the width of the attached wood blocks with a utility knife. Cut along the edge of the ruler to keep the lines straight.
- 5
  Lay the balsa wood strip on an ironing board and apply steam to both sides until it becomes flexible. Lower the flexible balsa strip down between the two wood chunks until the center touches the plywood. Return the balsa wood to the ironing board for more steam until it is able to flex to this extent.
- 6
  Hold the flexed balsa wood ramp in position between the two blocks and mark the height where they meet at the top edge of the blocks with a permanent marker. Lift out the balsa wood and cut along the marked line with the utility knife.
- 7
  Flex the balsa wood Tech Deck ramp back in position between the blocks and tap small flathead nails into the lip on both sides to hold it in place. Allow the wood to dry completely before attempting to use a balsa Tech Deck on the ramp.
- 8
  Snip a sheet of 24- or 28-gauge tin into two rectangles with the same width and twice the length of the attached wood chunks. Bend and form the tin sections with leather glove-covered hands to create the arc of the smaller lead-up ramps. Bend about an inch along one end of each tin strip into a flat lip that runs the distance of the wood blocks.
- 9
  Place the flat lips of the tin ramps on top of the wood blocks so they are facing away from the balsa wood ramp. Bend the tin so the bottom of the ramp makes contact with the plywood, and nail both ends in place with flathead nails.

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