HOW TO BUILD YOUR OWN JIB RAIL FOR UNDER $30

HOW TO BUILD YOUR OWN JIB RAIL FOR UNDER $30

For these weekends when the resort is too packed to allow more riders in, here’s one of the simplest ways to build your own snowboarding setup. A great solution to always have something to ride, no matter if the local mountain is full or not.

Snowboarding will be possible this year and resorts all over Quebec are seriously doing everything they can to make the activity enjoyable for everyone. That being said, we have to keep in mind we’re in the middle of a world pandemic and restrictions still apply, even at ski stations. That’s why you need a plan B, another way to shred in case you can’t enter the resort.

This will actually be pretty easy. Find a spot, get your supplies, build your rail and shred! A few 2x4s, PVC pipes, screws, duct tape and some tools you probably already have at home and you should be good to go. Check out the building process below and get ready to get your jib on!

1- GET YOUR MATERIAL

The first step of any good build! Get everything you need ready so you can go through the steps without having to go get what you’re missing all the time. Below is a list of every item you will need in order to get your rail done.

TOOLS

A saw - A measuring tape and a drill with drill bits.

MATERIALS

A roll of Duct tape - A box of 2 inches screws - 3 x 10 feet long PVC tubes with 1 inch width - 2 x 8 feet long 2x4s - 2 x 10 feet long 2x4s.

2- CUT YOUR 2X4s

This is one of the most crucial steps of the process, so make sure you cut your 2x4s evenly. Let’s start with the first 8 feet 2x4, which will need to be cut into 4 sections of 2 feet. Once you have your 4 pieces of 2 feet, cut 4 pieces of 1 foot in the second 8 feet long 2x4. Cut the remaining 4' of 2x4 into 8 pieces that form right angles.

As for your 10 feet long 2x4s, you’ll want to keep them as is. They’ll become to top and bottom of your rail’s frame.

3- BUILD THE RAIL'S FRAME

Evenly space out the 1 foot pieces of 2x4 vertically to figure out the legs of the rail. once your 4 pieces are in place, lay one of the 10' 2x4s on top. Next step is to screw the top on the legs, but first, always make sure to drill the holes for the screws before you start screwing the parts together.

Drill your holes with a drill bit that’s just a bit smaller than size of the screw’s shaft. It will prevent the wood from cracking and will give a longer life to your rail. Once you have your holes, drill the top 2x4 to the rail’s legs.

4- INSTALL THE PVC PIPES

The reason why we’re using 3 small pipes instead of one big one is simple. The fact that the rail is flat will make it easier to ride and also the price of small PVC tubes is ridiculously cheap. So yeah, small pipes made sense. Lay the three of PVC pipe on top of the structure and tape the three pieces together tightly with your duct tape so that they are evenly spaced along the whole 2x4 and they are steady and ready to be drilled in.

Flip the rail upside down and measure out where the center of the pipes are located. You are going to screw up through the bottom of the rail into the PVC to mount it. Drill sets of 3 holes at every foot ½ for the entire length of the rail. Make sure your holes are deep enough to allow the 2 inches’ screws to go through the PVC just a little bit.

Go back and put a screw in each hole. Make sure that the pipes are flush with the 2x4 when you screw them in. To make sure everything stays in place, put the rail on the ground and apply pressure with your foot while screwing it in.

5- FINISH THE FRAMING

Once your PVC pipes are drilled in, take off the duct tape and mount the second 10' 2x4 on the bottom of the vertical spacers to obtain a full rectangle structure. Grab the 2 feet sections of the 8 feet 2x4 you cut earlier and mount them on the bottom of the rail where your rails legs are located. 

Remember the right-angle pieces you prepared earlier. Screw the right angles on each side of the legs to increase your rail’s solidity. You want to make sure the thing will last at least one season.

There you go! You just built your own rail. In a couple hours and with only a few dollars, you now have the opportunity to shred whenever you want. Let’s get it!!