Hey all!

Basically when I started fingerboarding I was pretty young and it was like 10+ years ago when my first wave of enthusiasm began so all I had to FB on was store bought (mostly tech deck) plastic obstacles or home made cardboard ones! (Some really good quality cardboard stuff but you know, still cardboard.)

Anyway, now I have a re found passion for FBing and also a lot of you guys have really made me jealous with pics of your plazas and such I have decided I will be making new stuff out of wood (because I'm not older and responsible and skilled enough to do so on my own).

I will be making a few actual size models and will rearrange or redesign after testing to see if its rideable or if it flows nicely and then I will reproduce it in wood.

However- I love the idea of a permanent plaza table but am concerned I will regret not being able to move ramps and obstacles around for more combos or if I need more space.

So my main questions, after all this waffling are:

1. What size(s) are your plaza(s) and would you say there is a minimum comfortable size?
2. Have any of you made a plaza to realise that it would be better for you if you can move it all around more?

Thanks in advance for any help and sorry it's a long post!

One of kitchen counters is dedicated to fbing, and although I had planned on filling the centre area with more permanent obstacles, I didn't for the reason you mention. I like being able to move stuff around, make new lines with my smaller obstacles and generally be a bit more flexible. That said, it is my only fingerboarding area. If I had more than one, I'd probably be more into the idea of a fixed plaza.

Which is a long way of saying, if this is going to be your main or only fbing space then flexibility is definitely the thing to focus on.

A decent minimum size would be your arm reach from left to right. Say, 3' x 3'. Also take into account if you are going go be able to walk round it or not.

Also, post pics as you make it! one of the things I love in fingerboarding is seeing other people's creativity!

Also, if you want your mind blown by a fb spot, search youtube for 'finga fingerboards outdoor spot'. They do some crazy big concrete spots. Lots of inspiration there.

Concept wrote:

I like being able to move stuff around, make new lines with my smaller obstacles and generally be a bit more flexible.

I think we are the same with that I love flexibility but also plazas just look so sweet.

I think what I'm going to do is make a fixed plaza but really design it and build it out of cardboard and then redesign where necessary!

Lots of work but hopefully it'll be worth it!

I just hope I don't get to attached to the cardboard plaza and don't build the wood one haha

This maybe sound stupid but you can do a mix, on the sides or corners of your plaza you can build fixed stuff and after the flexibility of the other ramps are good for integration with fixed stuff

@rvlt yeah you have a point there. I had thought about that because I saw the blackriver playground which is basically a qp and one end and a ramp at the other right?

I think that could be a good compromise to be honest!

yes something like that

Not stupid at all, it's basically what I have. I've got a marble 4 set on one end and a big concrete qp with a miniramp at the other. The middle is basically empty of fixed stuff. It works really well for me

@concept sounds like I should probably do that myself after the feedback I've received! I like the idea of a street set up on the side so might do one like yours

post updates when you do some work of it

Yeah will get to work on it soon I hope!

I like to use some sort of sticky tac. I bought some builder's tack or something like that from Office Max and it works so well it literally ripped the paint off of my desk. I can even make ramps and shit out of it and it will hold solid. If I don't like it or am tired of it I just simply rip it off my ramp and adjust accordingly. It's amazing and I recommend it for holding ramps down/and or making home made stuff. Just made a manny pad/ledge combo with a piece of oak and some really smooth plastic. It's gonna be amazing to fb in the morning

I'm going to use hot glue for the cardboard mock up but has anyone tried it for plywood? It's just so easy to use with clean results!

I tried a bunch of time hot glue on plywood and it work well in my opinion

Perfect I don't have to mess about with wood glue cuz that stuff is crazy messy and slow

I love my glue gun!

Alright guys so I'm sorry it's been a while but I'm off sick today from work so I've been making some progress on my cardboard mockup for my plaza.

Spent a couple hours while watching a film making this using cardboard and hot glue and will be using some tongue depressors for the stairs in a second.

Anyways here's some photos for now! More to come shortly...















Let me know what you think! I'm gonna crack on with the stairs now,

Peace!

EDIT: Tried the stairs and turned out a bit rubbish so I went on and carried on using the cardboard!

So here's one half of the plaza complete. Haven't shredded it much yet but think it may need to be a bit bigger so it's more skateable... But here's the pics!


Here's the wonky stairs I scrapped next to the ledge


Decided on three larger steps instead


Stairs all glued up


Better shot of the support behind


Had a different plan for this side of the ledge/stairs but decided on this little ramp/corner bit instead


And here's one half of the plaza finished with the lid on and a rail and bench

looks way too small for me but its nice work

meekin wrote:

looks way too small for me but its nice work

Cheers man I appreciate it!

Yeah I  am planning on making the whole plaza to fit a very small coffee table at 550x900mm so I knew I had to make it kinda small so I basically modelled the size of the ramps on tech deck ramps I have (ramps and rails height etc.)

But after building this now I feel that it's back to the drawing board as I too feel like it's small! May just build a killer fun box instead of a plaza now!

EDIT: oh and also it's kinda cool you have quoted me in your sig haha

haha yeah man, that quote had me rollin! and for sure post some more pics if you make anything else, gotta keep this forum alive with some homemade goodies

Yeah man will do! Might start something later on for the other side. Don't know whether to scale up for it or try the same sort of sizes but ill decide later!

Looks amazing, would have to double the size and make it out of wood for it to be rideable.

this is well made for a carboard obstacle, like bigburt said it would be awesome if it was a bit bigger and made out of wood

ill look forward to seeing more of your creations!

Thanks for your comments (and complements on my handy work) guys, it's much appreciated! I wanted to make it as if I was making it out of wood and so I was a bit of a perfectionist for this build.

I'm going to make another, larger piece as this is clearly not big enough and out of cardboard again before I make one out of plywood, however does anyone suggest how big it should be?

To give you an idea of size, the box above is 75mm tall (roughly 3 inches)

Thanks again

i think the general size of it looks ok, just scale it up a tiny bit

but the bank on the right hand side with the rail should be much longer and much more mellow in my opinion!

Yeah for sure. The only reason I made that so damn steep was because I have plans to make it on a small coffee table and so if I made it shallower then I wouldn't be able to have a run up to it if that makes sense.

If I keep the set up the same I may have to just have it so the bank isn't as tall as the main platform if that makes sense....

Of just end it at the stairs or something!

EDIT: just quickly made a few sketches of alternative ideas and would like some feedback. Any questions then fire away! (Sorry it's not very good but it's hard to draw on an iPhone haha)





Or just make a funbox....