Cheap rail plan ideas?

[bodyboarder20]

Hey yall... I was jsut wondering if anybody know of any cheap plans available or ideas on how to make a decent plain ol rail for cheap.... thanks a lot!

[CrazyOldFart]

goto Home Depot. for less than $20 bucks you can get a few 2x4s, screws, and some poly-urethane.

[gerard]

Won't you catch an edge on the wood?

[bodyboarder20]

You normally would catch on wood except thats where the polyeurethane comes into play! Nice work man! I know i can build a rail from 2x4s jstu never thoguht about using polyU too make it stay slick... thanks a bunch!

[CrazyOldFart]

I was also thinking you could probably use some metal fencing poles, like the ones they normally stick in the ground, which are like 1.5 to 2 inch diameter.

It would be tougher to build but it would be stronger and last longer. Im not so sure about how slick the poly would be unless you kept it wet or waxed it, or something.

For the metal you would need to drill holes and use like 8 inch or 10 inch bolts to hold 2 horizontal pipes to a vertical support between them. This way you get like a 3 or 4 inch wide base. You could even weld them if you had access to an arc welder. The pipes and bolts shouldn't cost too much either, and you might even be able to put some kinks in it.

You know I may have to look into doing this myself for the backyard terrain park. Maybe this weekend I'll try and talk to the guys who work at the mountain and find out how much a sheet of that white teflon like stuff costs.

[bodyboarder20]

yeah i live in va beach, so its at least a 3 hour drive to any resort.... thats why i wanna make a lil rail because its suppossed to snow quitea bit here in teh next week or so... something to practice on....

[gerard]

I'm gonna pay crazyoldfart's backyard a visit next time it snows if he builds some rails back there. :lol:

[bodyboarder20]

if only i could find a decent hill... nothing big just long and a decent angle... :-/ WHY MUST I LIVE SO FAR FROM THE MOUNTAINS!

[exploit55]

this is my box im buildin. 2' wide 16' long
<IMG SRC="http://pic19.picturetrail.com/VOL1078/3982239/8257465/112865503.jpg">

[exploit55]

crap didnt work

[exploit55]

<IMG SRC="http://pic19.picturetrail.com/VOL1078/3982239/8257465/112865503.jpg">

[exploit55]

crap this sucks

[exploit55]

http://pic19.picturetrail.com/VOL1078/3982239/8257465/112865503.jpg

[kelly]

That doesn't look that cheap... plexi is pretty expensive.

[exploit55]

ya. wats the white stuff that all the mountains use. is that plexi glass

[shredtilyouredead]

in my opinion, welding a rail is pretty tuff, and you probably want something that will last. my suggestion is a box. my school snowboard club built one last year and it was super fun. i also have a friend that built 3 8' boxes last winter. you can do it pretty cheap, except for the lexan. but, as long as you take care of them they will last. good luck.

[shredtilyouredead]

ya. wats the white stuff that all the mountains use. is that plexi glass

it's lexan.

[kelly]

I don't know what that white stuff is, Polypropylene maybe?

Plexi is harder and more brittle than that stuff. It might work, but you'd want to be careful about the thickness, because the thinner stuff snaps pretty easily, especially when scored. And the thicker stuff gets pretty expensive.

[kelly]

it's lexan.
Ah... there you go - lexan is similar to plexi (which is made of acrylic), but softer and more flexible - doesn't crack as easily.
Also expensive though.