Skate ramps are one of the most awesome expressions of DIY individuality, and I post regularly about them – check out my roundup of online ramp plans among others. Thanks to my pals at diy website Built By Kids, one of the masters of skate ramp building, Jeff King of the TV show Built to Shred, supplies a handful of ramp making tips to help make your next project better than ever.
A key line that destroys my favorite childhood ramp material:
Just for the record I don’t ever think masonite should be used for a ramp. Indoor or outdoor.
Sure, there are Land Rovers, Landcruisers, Broncos, G-Wagens, Scouts. Even the original Hummer. But every now and then I stumble across something that I hadn’t seen before, something that makes my eyes widen and makes my feet want to step on some pedals. Case in point: my recent trip abroad, where I discovered the Portuguese 4×4 UMM. A French-designed truck that was manufactured from the late-70s until mid-90s (attempts to bring it back in the 2000s were unsucessful), it looks like an awesome mix between an early LR Defender and the VW Thing, with a French-70′s-retro-futurism slant. Leaf-sprung front and back, with a fully selectable transmission setup and body geometry that allows for steep approach and departure angles. Available in 100″ and 120″ wheelbases, and with petrol, diesel, or turbodiesel engines. There aren’t many of them, but it seems most have a utilitarian function, much like the Land Rovers in the UK.
My favorite UMM sighting occurred the morning after a stormy night in Baleal, a still-rural beach area north of Lisbon that is very popular with surfers (not far from Peniche and the world famous Supertubos beach). Watching the churning ocean while waiting for the bus to take me to my next destination, I jealously watched as a UMM pulled into the parking lot, scouted the surf conditions, then whizzed off. Something so romantic and ideal about that scene — rugged 4×4, relaxed Euro-surf lifestyle, energetic waves — I’m trying to figure out how to switch places with the guy driving that truck.
Here’s some UMM info from a fan site about these trucks (click the British flag in the top left corner for English translation). The downloadable manuals have some great diagrams for you guys who get excited about schematics (like me). Also, another fan page full of UMM pics (including the UMM Popemobile).
And below are the pics and video I took of a few of the trucks I encountered.
UPDATE: Here’s an offer to get a year of Popular Mechanics for nothing more than just a few pieces of personal information.
Once again (but only until December 3), Amazon is offering a $5 magazine subscription deal on some great titles. Perfect timing for your holiday gift buying needs — magazines are one of those gifts that are always appreciated, and they last a whole year.
When it comes to safety, sometimes you gotta spell it out loud and clear. “This machine will sever your hand at the wrist. This machine will crush your fingers like a garbage disposal.” You get the idea.
Take a bike with no pedals and a super low center of gravity, head to the top of the tallest hill you can find, and let gravity do the rest. Gravity biking, kissing cousins with downhill skateboarding, is a niche sport that attracts extreme racers who are happiest when they average 50mph and peak out as high as 80mph.
The basic standards are:
Wheel size – 51cm / 20” max
Bike weight – 34kg / 75lbs max
Axle to axle length – 127cm / 50” max
Many more rules can be found in the rule book. But where we race, none apply
Tools needed or have access to:
Welder
Metal cutting tools of some kind – Angle grinder and cut off wheels, metal band saw, hacksaw, hole saw.
Assortment of wrenches
Drill press
Vise
The more the merrier!
Materials:
We dig through metal scrap bins for most of our metal material and then let the material inspire.
We did buy 8ft of .75″ x 1.5″ x .125″ mild steel for this project.
Paint
Rim Brakes
Brake Levers
Brake cable/housing
L200 foam
Wheel cover
x2 20 inch wheels
Old bmx bike to pluck any tid bits from
Shaft collars
Lead
Rally racing, awesome as it is, tends to be a European phenomenon. Hilly, public tracks, often off-road. Rallies have been around since the advent of the automobile (mimicking horse-and-buggy races), and nowadays are high-speed, handbrake-turning, hump-jumping affairs. Outside of the European races, a few prominent rallies exist, with the Baja 1000 and the Paris-Dakar being two of the largest.
With that history behind us, here’s a fun way to show of how cultured and European you are: papercraft rally cars you can print and make to adorn your work desk. I’m fond of Volkswagen Touaregs, but the Mitsubishi Lacer with those all-terrain tires looks pretty aggressive too.
I found these and many more on the Czech site car-models.webnode.cz, via one of my fave sites, Paperkraft.net. You’ll need .rar software to unzip the files. If you make any of them, send me pics and I’ll post with your info for all the world to see.
Once removed, the bulbs are accessible for changing. Replace by following the steps in opposite order.
A few days ago a friend asked me to help change a burnt out tail light on her Versa hatchback. Sure, piece of cake, right? Well, Nissan had other plans, and made it a little tricky. Here’s a step-by-step guide to getting into your rear lamp console.
Use coupon code at checkout online or print to use in store. Click for printable version.
Tomorrow, April 24, 2011, Harbor Freight offers up a one-day, one-use only coupon for 25 percent off any one item. I already know what I’m getting with it. How about you?
Use this coupon to save 25% off any item when you shop Online or at a Harbor Freight Tools store. *Cannot be used with any other discount or coupon. Coupon not valid on any of the following: gift cards, Inside Track Club membership, extended service plans, Compressors, Generators, Tool Cabinets, Welders, Floor Jacks, Campbell Hausfeld products, open box items. Coupon not valid on prior purchases after 30 days from original purchase date with original receipt. Coupon cannot be bought, sold, or transferred. Original coupon must be presented in-store to receive the offer. Valid One Day Only. 4/24/11. Limit one coupon per customer.
My Series III, somewhere in the southeastern California desert (with my Land Rover guru Steve).
In case you didn’t know, I’m a classic Land Rover nut. Their rugged, no-frills style matches everything I like in life. Go-anywhere badassery, marching through deserts and over mountains. Or even better, desert mountains.
After my brother-in-law Steve got me bit by the LR bug, I found and bought a 1973 Series III in need of a little TLC and promptly dismantled it to get it back into “safe” running condition. That truck took me through the Baja desert, into the Arizona highlands, and on a very amazing slow-paced cross-country trek (a max range of less than 200 miles per tank combined with cruising speeds around 50mph kept me connected with small-town locals for a couple weeks).
Nowadays, my Land Rover is our beach vehicle in Rhode Island. Not being able to tinker on it regularly, I find myself watching videos of other people working on their trucks. Here are two batches of timelapse rebuilds and assemblies – the first, a 1958 Series II, the second, a Defender 90 built ground up, done by one dude alone! Enjoy.
Another great documentary from Michael Evans (who shot the awesome video “Naturally Risen,” about Una Pizza Napoletana’s Anthony Mangieri). Watch as master bicycle maker Sean Walling expertly glides from machine to machine, cutting, grinding, and welding his way towards a gorgeous, custom steel frame beauty. I took some notes from this – especially the way he uses those hole saws to mate up the tubes.
Sean Walling, owner of Soulcraft, builds top notch custom steel bicycle frames. This short film documents Sean’s fabrication methods: a well choreographed dance of experience and muscle memory producing a seemingly effortless ode to process.
From Steel: invites the viewer into Sean’s machine shop for an up close and personal look at the work that results in yet another awesome Soulcraft.
Musical score provided by the internationally praised duo, Mattson 2. Courtesy of Galaxia Records.
Hi, I'm Mike. I’m the co-host of Science channel’s Punkin' Chunkin' and Catch It Keep It. I work on TV shows explaining and building the crazy machines that crush stuff, blow things up, shoot fire, all in the name of science.
You may have seen me on fuse TV's Rock and Roll Acid Test, where I helped put some of rock's biggest legends and lore to the test.
I'm a former staffer and current contributor to Wired and ReadyMade, two awesome magazines that focus on technology and diy living.
This site is where I keep a list of instructions for fun projects I've done or am working on. I encourage everyone to get involved - get up and make something!
ŠKODA FABIA S2000
