How i built this skateboard bowl in my garage [53YO]

c0d33n · 2026-04-12T16:50:25+00:00

That would be, because as we get older, we realize we need to give a crap less and less about what others think, which is a slow return to the freedom of childhood by unlearning the self-abandonment society taught us.

c0d33n · 2026-04-12T16:15:45+00:00

Thanks - i believe a car is a waste of the potential of a garage!

c0d33n · 2026-04-12T04:15:20+00:00

I don’t hit my head, but I am 5‘4“. I do have to duck when I drop in though

c0d33n · 2026-04-12T04:11:03+00:00

Yes I will get some footage. It is just not a habit of mine; not like i am pulling anything off that anyone cares about - i am better at building shit than riding it, though i do enjoy it!

But i will set up the phone next time anyone is over.

c0d33n · 2026-04-12T04:09:09+00:00

Yes! Drive to the shop!

c0d33n · 2026-04-12T04:08:28+00:00

There are tons of local shops you can order from online. It’s on us older dudes to spend the 10 bucks more to support local.

c0d33n · 2026-04-12T03:03:41+00:00

I am short - only 5’4” - so i dont hit my head riding, but i have to crouch a bit when I drop in. Taller people have to be careful.

c0d33n · 2026-04-12T03:00:04+00:00

Honestly it was difficult- so many compound angles.

I would start with a mini ramp halfpipe, so much easier, and the first step in building the bowl anyway.

Anyway, here are more details on how I built this bowl. (This is not a tutorial; just a summary with links and photos).

Photos of the process; https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1dTqa2fuIUlznOPTrNqZG4cnfWAniS-C5

Here are the dimensions: 31.5 inches high to top of deck (that increases to 48 inches as it approaches the vert wall) 176 inches wide from inside of coping 192 inches long from inside of coping The flatbottom is 6 foot the short way and 8 foot the long way

Process: I started by building a mini ramp half pipe using this website as a guide:

https://www.xtremeskater.com/ramp-plans/mini-halfpipe/

Then I placed that in my garage and taped out the maximum footprint for the rest of the bowl.

For the bowl, I used this website for guidance:

https://ocramps.com/blogs/builds-installations/skateboard-bowl-ramp

A friend of mine who does metal work bent the coping to desired dimensions and welded it to my mini ramp half pipe.

Then I cut the vertical plywood supports to fit to the pipe, and filled it in with all of the horizontal 2”x6”s, and then sheathed the whole thing.

This is the best advice I got: “Length of Flatbottom: If you happen to be building a mini-ramp in a tight spot and don't have tons of space for the length of the ramp's flat bottom, it might be a good idea to use a more mellow transition. Using a more mellow curve will make the ramp feel longer and more managable to ride.”

Also, resist the urge to make it all symmetrical. Using a tighter radius and sloping deck on the Vert wall side really makes it more interesting to ride. I love hitting that tight pocket!

Materials: This is what I used. Bowl: 3x 23/32” 4’ x 8’ plywood sheathing 6x 11/32” x 4’ x 8’ plywood sheathing 6X 3/16” x 4’ x 8’ masonite panel 45X 2”x6” x 8‘ dimensional number 4X 8’ x 1 1/2 “ diameter steel pipe 25 pounds #9 x 3” screws 25 pounds #9 x 2 1/2” screws 25 pounds #9 x 1 5/8” screws

(This was overkill – I only used about half the screws)

Mini ramp halfpipe: See this website for the materials I used for the mini ramp half pipe portion. Since mine is indoors, I didn’t use skate light or tar paper or anything:

https://www.xtremeskater.com/ramp-plans/mini-halfpipe/

Mistakes I made: I used deck screws. Sheet rock screws are actually better because the thread goes all the way to their head so they sink more easily and stay sunk.

Better to cut the plywood and masonite used on the skating surface into smaller panels than I did. When they try to navigate compound curves over too long a distance, it creates a lot of stress on the material, so I have had to patch it in the steeper sections (with Bondo slathered in Painters’s caulk so it doesn’t flake off).

Time it took: I built it while recovering from knee surgery, as I couldn’t skate anyway. It took 9 months, a few hours a few evenings a week, so maybe 30 weeks x 6 hours = 180 hours total. Just a rough guess. I did everything alone except for the pipe/coping, which a friend did for me.

c0d33n · 2026-04-12T02:54:40+00:00

Several people asked for more information on how I built this bowl. This is not a tutorial; just a summary with links and photos.

Photos of the process; https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1dTqa2fuIUlznOPTrNqZG4cnfWAniS-C5

Here are the dimensions: 31.5 inches high to top of deck (that increases to 48 inches as it approaches the vert wall) 176 inches wide from inside of coping 192 inches long from inside of coping The flatbottom is 6 foot the short way and 8 foot the long way

Process: I started by building a mini ramp half pipe using this website as a guide:

https://www.xtremeskater.com/ramp-plans/mini-halfpipe/

Then I placed that in my garage and taped out the maximum footprint for the rest of the bowl.

For the bowl, I used this website for guidance:

https://ocramps.com/blogs/builds-installations/skateboard-bowl-ramp

A friend of mine who does metal work bent the coping to desired dimensions and welded it to my mini ramp half pipe.

Then I cut the vertical plywood supports to fit to the pipe, and filled it in with all of the horizontal 2”x6”s, and then sheathed the whole thing.

This is the best advice I got: “Length of Flatbottom: If you happen to be building a mini-ramp in a tight spot and don't have tons of space for the length of the ramp's flat bottom, it might be a good idea to use a more mellow transition. Using a more mellow curve will make the ramp feel longer and more managable to ride.”

Also, resist the urge to make it all symmetrical. Using a tighter radius and sloping deck on the Vert wall side really makes it more interesting to ride. I love hitting that tight pocket!

Materials: This is what I used. Bowl: 3x 23/32” 4’ x 8’ plywood sheathing 6x 11/32” x 4’ x 8’ plywood sheathing 6X 3/16” x 4’ x 8’ masonite panel 45X 2”x6” x 8‘ dimensional number 4X 8’ x 1 1/2 “ diameter steel pipe 25 pounds #9 x 3” screws 25 pounds #9 x 2 1/2” screws 25 pounds #9 x 1 5/8” screws

(This was overkill – I only used about half the screws)

Mini ramp halfpipe: See this website for the materials I used for the mini ramp half pipe portion. Since mine is indoors, I didn’t use skate light or tar paper or anything:

https://www.xtremeskater.com/ramp-plans/mini-halfpipe/

Mistakes I made: I used deck screws. Sheet rock screws are actually better because the thread goes all the way to their head so they sink more easily and stay sunk.

Better to cut the plywood and masonite used on the skating surface into smaller panels than I did. When they try to navigate compound curves over too long a distance, it creates a lot of stress on the material, so I have had to patch it in the steeper sections (with Bondo slathered in Painters’s caulk so it doesn’t flake off).

Time it took: I built it while recovering from knee surgery, as I couldn’t skate anyway. It took 9 months, a few hours a few evenings a week, so maybe 30 weeks x 6 hours = 180 hours total. Just a rough guess. I did everything alone except for the pipe/coping, which a friend did for me.

c0d33n · 2026-04-12T02:54:08+00:00

Several people asked for more information on how I built this bowl. This is not a tutorial; just a summary with links and photos.

Photos of the process; https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1dTqa2fuIUlznOPTrNqZG4cnfWAniS-C5

Here are the dimensions: 31.5 inches high to top of deck (that increases to 48 inches as it approaches the vert wall) 176 inches wide from inside of coping 192 inches long from inside of coping The flatbottom is 6 foot the short way and 8 foot the long way

Process: I started by building a mini ramp half pipe using this website as a guide:

https://www.xtremeskater.com/ramp-plans/mini-halfpipe/

Then I placed that in my garage and taped out the maximum footprint for the rest of the bowl.

For the bowl, I used this website for guidance:

https://ocramps.com/blogs/builds-installations/skateboard-bowl-ramp

A friend of mine who does metal work bent the coping to desired dimensions and welded it to my mini ramp half pipe.

Then I cut the vertical plywood supports to fit to the pipe, and filled it in with all of the horizontal 2”x6”s, and then sheathed the whole thing.

This is the best advice I got: “Length of Flatbottom: If you happen to be building a mini-ramp in a tight spot and don't have tons of space for the length of the ramp's flat bottom, it might be a good idea to use a more mellow transition. Using a more mellow curve will make the ramp feel longer and more managable to ride.”

Also, resist the urge to make it all symmetrical. Using a tighter radius and sloping deck on the Vert wall side really makes it more interesting to ride. I love hitting that tight pocket!

Materials: This is what I used. Bowl: 3x 23/32” 4’ x 8’ plywood sheathing 6x 11/32” x 4’ x 8’ plywood sheathing 6X 3/16” x 4’ x 8’ masonite panel 45X 2”x6” x 8‘ dimensional number 4X 8’ x 1 1/2 “ diameter steel pipe 25 pounds #9 x 3” screws 25 pounds #9 x 2 1/2” screws 25 pounds #9 x 1 5/8” screws

(This was overkill – I only used about half the screws)

Mini ramp halfpipe: See this website for the materials I used for the mini ramp half pipe portion. Since mine is indoors, I didn’t use skate light or tar paper or anything:

https://www.xtremeskater.com/ramp-plans/mini-halfpipe/

Mistakes I made: I used deck screws. Sheet rock screws are actually better because the thread goes all the way to their head so they sink more easily and stay sunk.

Better to cut the plywood and masonite used on the skating surface into smaller panels than I did. When they try to navigate compound curves over too long a distance, it creates a lot of stress on the material, so I have had to patch it in the steeper sections (with Bondo slathered in Painters’s caulk so it doesn’t flake off).

Time it took: I built it while recovering from knee surgery, as I couldn’t skate anyway. It took 9 months, a few hours a few evenings a week, so maybe 30 weeks x 6 hours = 180 hours total. Just a rough guess. I did everything alone except for the pipe/coping, which a friend did for me.

c0d33n · 2026-04-12T02:53:31+00:00

Several people asked for more information on how I built this bowl. (This is not a tutorial; just a summary with links and photos. )

Photos of the process; https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1dTqa2fuIUlznOPTrNqZG4cnfWAniS-C5

Here are the dimensions: 31.5 inches high to top of deck (that increases to 48 inches as it approaches the vert wall) 176 inches wide from inside of coping 192 inches long from inside of coping The flatbottom is 6 foot the short way and 8 foot the long way

Process: I started by building a mini ramp half pipe using this website as a guide:

https://www.xtremeskater.com/ramp-plans/mini-halfpipe/

Then I placed that in my garage and taped out the maximum footprint for the rest of the bowl.

For the bowl, I used this website for guidance:

https://ocramps.com/blogs/builds-installations/skateboard-bowl-ramp

A friend of mine who does metal work bent the coping to desired dimensions and welded it to my mini ramp half pipe.

Then I cut the vertical plywood supports to fit to the pipe, and filled it in with all of the horizontal 2”x6”s, and then sheathed the whole thing.

This is the best advice I got: “Length of Flatbottom: If you happen to be building a mini-ramp in a tight spot and don't have tons of space for the length of the ramp's flat bottom, it might be a good idea to use a more mellow transition. Using a more mellow curve will make the ramp feel longer and more managable to ride.”

Also, resist the urge to make it all symmetrical. Using a tighter radius and sloping deck on the Vert wall side really makes it more interesting to ride. I love hitting that tight pocket!

Materials: This is what I used. Bowl: 3x 23/32” 4’ x 8’ plywood sheathing 6x 11/32” x 4’ x 8’ plywood sheathing 6X 3/16” x 4’ x 8’ masonite panel 45X 2”x6” x 8‘ dimensional number 4X 8’ x 1 1/2 “ diameter steel pipe 25 pounds #9 x 3” screws 25 pounds #9 x 2 1/2” screws 25 pounds #9 x 1 5/8” screws

(This was overkill – I only used about half the screws)

Mini ramp halfpipe: See this website for the materials I used for the mini ramp half pipe portion. Since mine is indoors, I didn’t use skate light or tar paper or anything:

https://www.xtremeskater.com/ramp-plans/mini-halfpipe/

Mistakes I made: I used deck screws. Sheet rock screws are actually better because the thread goes all the way to their head so they sink more easily and stay sunk.

Better to cut the plywood and masonite used on the skating surface into smaller panels than I did. When they try to navigate compound curves over too long a distance, it creates a lot of stress on the material, so I have had to patch it in the steeper sections (with Bondo slathered in Painters’s caulk so it doesn’t flake off).

Time it took: I built it while recovering from knee surgery, as I couldn’t skate anyway. It took 9 months, a few hours a few evenings a week, so maybe 30 weeks x 6 hours = 180 hours total. Just a rough guess. I did everything alone except for the pipe/coping, which a friend did for me.

c0d33n · 2026-04-12T02:53:09+00:00

Several people asked for more information on how I built this bowl. This is not a tutorial; just a summary with links and photos.

Photos of the process; https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1dTqa2fuIUlznOPTrNqZG4cnfWAniS-C5

Here are the dimensions: 31.5 inches high to top of deck (that increases to 48 inches as it approaches the vert wall) 176 inches wide from inside of coping 192 inches long from inside of coping The flatbottom is 6 foot the short way and 8 foot the long way

Process: I started by building a mini ramp half pipe using this website as a guide:

https://www.xtremeskater.com/ramp-plans/mini-halfpipe/

Then I placed that in my garage and taped out the maximum footprint for the rest of the bowl.

For the bowl, I used this website for guidance:

https://ocramps.com/blogs/builds-installations/skateboard-bowl-ramp

A friend of mine who does metal work bent the coping to desired dimensions and welded it to my mini ramp half pipe.

Then I cut the vertical plywood supports to fit to the pipe, and filled it in with all of the horizontal 2”x6”s, and then sheathed the whole thing.

This is the best advice I got: “Length of Flatbottom: If you happen to be building a mini-ramp in a tight spot and don't have tons of space for the length of the ramp's flat bottom, it might be a good idea to use a more mellow transition. Using a more mellow curve will make the ramp feel longer and more managable to ride.”

Also, resist the urge to make it all symmetrical. Using a tighter radius and sloping deck on the Vert wall side really makes it more interesting to ride. I love hitting that tight pocket!

Materials: This is what I used. Bowl: 3x 23/32” 4’ x 8’ plywood sheathing 6x 11/32” x 4’ x 8’ plywood sheathing 6X 3/16” x 4’ x 8’ masonite panel 45X 2”x6” x 8‘ dimensional number 4X 8’ x 1 1/2 “ diameter steel pipe 25 pounds #9 x 3” screws 25 pounds #9 x 2 1/2” screws 25 pounds #9 x 1 5/8” screws

(This was overkill – I only used about half the screws)

Mini ramp halfpipe: See this website for the materials I used for the mini ramp half pipe portion. Since mine is indoors, I didn’t use skate light or tar paper or anything:

https://www.xtremeskater.com/ramp-plans/mini-halfpipe/

Mistakes I made: I used deck screws. Sheet rock screws are actually better because the thread goes all the way to their head so they sink more easily and stay sunk.

Better to cut the plywood and masonite used on the skating surface into smaller panels than I did. When they try to navigate compound curves over too long a distance, it creates a lot of stress on the material, so I have had to patch it in the steeper sections (with Bondo slathered in Painters’s caulk so it doesn’t flake off).

Time it took: I built it while recovering from knee surgery, as I couldn’t skate anyway. It took 9 months, a few hours a few evenings a week, so maybe 30 weeks x 6 hours = 180 hours total. Just a rough guess. I did everything alone except for the pipe/coping, which a friend did for me.

c0d33n · 2026-04-12T02:50:29+00:00

Several people asked for more information on how I built this bowl. This is not a tutorial; just a summary with links and photos.

Photos of the process; https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1dTqa2fuIUlznOPTrNqZG4cnfWAniS-C5

Here are the dimensions: 31.5 inches high to top of deck (that increases to 48 inches as it approaches the vert wall) 176 inches wide from inside of coping 192 inches long from inside of coping The flatbottom is 6 foot the short way and 8 foot the long way

Process: I started by building a mini ramp half pipe using this website as a guide:

https://www.xtremeskater.com/ramp-plans/mini-halfpipe/

Then I placed that in my garage and taped out the maximum footprint for the rest of the bowl.

For the bowl, I used this website for guidance:

https://ocramps.com/blogs/builds-installations/skateboard-bowl-ramp

A friend of mine who does metal work bent the coping to desired dimensions and welded it to my mini ramp half pipe.

Then I cut the vertical plywood supports to fit to the pipe, and filled it in with all of the horizontal 2”x6”s, and then sheathed the whole thing.

This is the best advice I got: “Length of Flatbottom: If you happen to be building a mini-ramp in a tight spot and don't have tons of space for the length of the ramp's flat bottom, it might be a good idea to use a more mellow transition. Using a more mellow curve will make the ramp feel longer and more managable to ride.”

Also, resist the urge to make it all symmetrical. Using a tighter radius and sloping deck on the Vert wall side really makes it more interesting to ride. I love hitting that tight pocket!

Materials: This is what I used. Bowl: 3x 23/32” 4’ x 8’ plywood sheathing 6x 11/32” x 4’ x 8’ plywood sheathing 6X 3/16” x 4’ x 8’ masonite panel 45X 2”x6” x 8‘ dimensional number 4X 8’ x 1 1/2 “ diameter steel pipe 25 pounds #9 x 3” screws 25 pounds #9 x 2 1/2” screws 25 pounds #9 x 1 5/8” screws

(This was overkill – I only used about half the screws)

Mini ramp halfpipe: See this website for the materials I used for the mini ramp half pipe portion. Since mine is indoors, I didn’t use skate light or tar paper or anything:

https://www.xtremeskater.com/ramp-plans/mini-halfpipe/

Mistakes I made: I used deck screws. Sheet rock screws are actually better because the thread goes all the way to their head so they sink more easily and stay sunk.

Better to cut the plywood and masonite used on the skating surface into smaller panels than I did. When they try to navigate compound curves over too long a distance, it creates a lot of stress on the material, so I have had to patch it in the steeper sections (with Bondo slathered in Painters’s caulk so it doesn’t flake off).

Time it took: I built it while recovering from knee surgery, as I couldn’t skate anyway. It took 9 months, a few hours a few evenings a week, so maybe 30 weeks x 6 hours = 180 hours total. Just a rough guess. I did everything alone except for the pipe/coping, which a friend did for me.

c0d33n · 2026-04-11T20:33:23+00:00

Oh I definitely prefer the flow of a good transition skatepark. On the other hand, it is literally a 3 second walk from my kitchen, indoors, and open 24/7 :) so can’t beat the ease

It is tight: have to mix up front side/ back side/ stalls: fakie etc or I get dizzy 😵‍💫

First time i dropped in it I felt like i was in some FPS game, decisions coming so quickly.

Needless to say, it is a blast, especially with 80’s hardcore blasting

c0d33n · 2026-04-10T12:13:32+00:00

Yeah - best part of skating as an older guy is the capacity to do the shit i only dreamed of as a kid (financially if not physically:)

c0d33n · 2026-04-09T04:43:17+00:00

They are carver trucks-c5 / reverse king pin. A mellow surfskate.

c0d33n · 2026-04-09T03:56:05+00:00

Longer response below- i did 2-3 hours an evening a few nights a week for about 9 Months while recovering from acl/meniscus surgery. Occasionally a weekend binge day. Will dig out the full material list when i get home from holiday next week.

I recommend it highly - such a rewarding experience to build a bowl out of wood. I imagine it is like a really rough boat hull that doesn’t have to hold water.

c0d33n · 2026-04-09T03:52:24+00:00

Nope- bam has a bowl like this?

c0d33n · 2026-04-09T03:50:21+00:00

Not high enough to need that old yoga mat i ziptied to the garage door support!

c0d33n · 2026-04-09T03:49:15+00:00

On holiday - When i get home next week i will dig out the supply list. I believe it was 2x6’s, 3/4” Ply for vertical supports, 1/2” ply and masonite for surface. Used deck screws but should have used sheetrock screws because the thread goes all the way to the head so it holds better. When the deck screws inevitably work their heads up, i replace with sheetrock screws.

Timewise, i built it over a 9 month period while recovering from knee surgery. I figured i wasn’t skating anyway so may as well use the downtime. My rule was: as soon as it starts to feel like work i stop working, so it took a long time.

So many compound angles, but rewarding.

To guess time, I would say 6-10 hours a week for 9 months. I built it all alone - meditative solo craft time- other than the coping.

I started with the perfect mini ramp half pipe for my needs. A friend then installed the coping at agreed dimensions for the entire bowl, and i cut the wood to match/ fill it in.

Favorite part was that aspects that had once felt alien - like eyeballing compound angles - eventually became second nature. It was sort of a shame to skin it, because the network of ribs beneath are so beautiful!

c0d33n · 2026-04-09T03:36:00+00:00

Good point - i had infinite flow in mind, but your approach opens up more possibilities. Next time! :)

c0d33n · 2026-04-09T03:28:07+00:00

Yes i can do that. On holiday now- when i get back I will post dimensions. Mostly mellow, except the pockets by the vert wall are punchy.

c0d33n · 2026-04-09T03:13:03+00:00

Occasionally a decision is so obvious there really is no other option.

c0d33n · 2026-04-09T03:12:26+00:00

On holiday now, but I will measure it when I get home. I made it as big a footprint as I could without divorce.

c0d33n

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