Now that you know how to build your own skate box, you might be starting to think about adding a flat bar to your setup. We can already hear you say: “but, I don’t know how to weld”… That's not a problem! There’s an easy way to build your own flawless flat rail without even having to weld anything. All you’ll need is a few pieces of wood, a metal pipe, a couple tools and screws and an hour or two.
If you have the tools and knowledge to weld your own flat bar together, that’s great! Thing is, most people don’t have the skills or the tools to do so. That doesn’t mean you can’t build your own flat rail though. The process is actually very easy. Let us show you how!
Gather your material
Before getting into it, know that building this type of flat rail is very simple and there’s not much you’ll need to make it happen. You’ll basically need one big sheet of plywood, Seven x 8 feet long 2x4s, a box of 3 inches screws and a box of 2 inches screws.
**IMPORTANT** For this tutorial, we're going to pretend our 2x4s measures are really 2 inches by 4 inches, but they are a bit smaller in reality. Make sure you always measure the heights and lenghts at every step with your tape measurer so you don't end up with the wrong measures
You’ll also need a 9 feet metal pipe, preferably round and with holes already drilled in it. The reason why our metal pipe is one feet longer than the structure itself is because we like it when the pipe hangs up just a little bit at the end. It makes it easier to get out of tricks like smith and feeble grinds.
As for the tools, you should be good to go with the tools you already have in the shed. If you don't have everything, your friend, dad or uncle probably has what you need. In other words, a circular saw, a drill and some drill bits, a pencil and a tape measurer.
Build your frame with the 2x4s
The first step of your build is the easiest one. Place your 2x4s into a pyramid shape to form the base of your rail. In this case, we wanted the rail to be about 10 inches high, but you can play with the height of your rail by adjusting your pyramid with more or less 2x4s to make it lower or higher.
Screw the 2x4s together using the 3 inches screws and your drill. Screw the pieces together until your pyramid frame is solid and sturdy. If you can lift it up without feeling it moving or shaking, that means it’s solid.
Cut your pieces in the plywood
This is the most technical part of the process, so take the time needed to calculate the width and length of your pieces with precision. Calculate the sizes of the pieces you will need and then use your pencil to draw the pieces on your sheet of plywood. In our case, we will need two 11 inches x 96 inches (8 feet) pieces of wood to cover the sides of the box and two 11 inches high triangle with a 12 inches base to cover the extremities.
The reason why our side panels and triangles are an inch higher than our actual frame (11 inches VS 10 inches) is simple. The extra inch on each sides of your structure will act as a socket for your pipe later.
Same goes with the triangles. You’ll need to cut them one inch higher than our 10 inches frame. Once you have both triangles in hand, cut an inch off the top part of each. By doing that, you’ll be able to have a nice and sturdy spot to place your pipe on top of the structure. When you place your pieces together, the top part of your structure should look like the drawing below.
Cover your frame with your wooden panels
Once your frame is up and sturdy and that all your plywood pieces are cut, it’s time to mount it all together! This part is pretty easy… Just place your plywood on each sides of the structure and screw them in the 2x4s. Do the same thing with your triangles on both ends of your flat bar.
It doesn’t matter if the side plywoods don’t touch all of the frame’s 2x4s. What’s important is that it touches at the bottom and at the top so you have solid screwing real estate.
Place the pipe on top of the structure
The last step of the process, but sure not the least. Now you got your triangle shaped structure, but there’s nothing on it to allow you to slide and grind.
If you've done the previous steps properly, you shoud have a nice and safe spot to drop your pipe without it rolling on its sides. Place your pipe with the holes facing up and screw that thing in your frame’s top 2x4.
