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Homemade Foam Pit

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B_K
Posts: 723 - Karma: 1,293
yea title says it all...i plan on making a foam pit in my backyard this summer..anyone ever done this and could give me some pointers? i know the obvious stuff like what materials i need and how big im going to make it but other than that i need some tips...+k for help
Apr 9 2012 11:01PM
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Flying~Squirrel
Posts: 6494 - Karma: 192
the part thats hard is getting the foam because its really expensive. and dont try why i did and fill up trash bags with packing peanuts, you fall right through them.
Apr 9 2012 11:04PM
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stupendous-man
Posts: 8637 - Karma: 13,293
I see your thread is in SG... so im assuming this is for skis and not bikes/moto. for starters, lets take a look at the drop in for the foam pit at woodward:

Click for larger image

If you have seen videos of it or been there, you will know that it really doesnt give you much time in the air even with such a big drop in. so, unless you can build that in your backyard...
Apr 9 2012 11:06PM
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B_K
Posts: 723 - Karma: 1,293
im putting it next to my tramp
Apr 9 2012 11:08PM
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c_roll
Posts: 584 - Karma: 246
i calculated the costs once and it came out to be like $30,000 just for the foam, and then you need some sort of tow in or drop in....... so good luck with that
Apr 9 2012 11:10PM
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B_K
Posts: 723 - Karma: 1,293
yea i know foam is hella expesive but i think im just going to pick of free couches off craigslist and take the foam out and call a local upholstery shop and ask for there scraps
Apr 9 2012 11:14PM
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k-fred
Posts: 5363 - Karma: 1,598

like this?

Apr 9 2012 11:17PM
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jerm
Posts: 947 - Karma: 1,061
if youre just going next to a tramp then maybe look into gymnastic/track and field pads. you know those things pole vaulters and shit land on. knew someone that got used old ones from a highschool once. think thatd work good.
Apr 9 2012 11:17PM
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B_K
Posts: 723 - Karma: 1,293
thats exactly what im tryin to do
Apr 9 2012 11:19PM
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Dmarc
Posts: 1035 - Karma: 83
this would be insanely sick if u did it and the foam from the couches is not a bad idea i thought about this when i biked but never new how i could have done it make a thread about it if u make it
Apr 9 2012 11:49PM
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.skiwi.
Posts: 898 - Karma: 40
Also free beds
Apr 9 2012 11:58PM
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theabortionator
Posts: 51643 - Karma: 162,232
Can put a tramp at the bottom of it. Use old egg matts and other foam shredded up. Buying blocks is $$$$$$$$ IF you can find scrap foam that's your best bet. Framing it out is pretty easy if you know how to build and have a some good tools. Could knock the framing out pretty quickly and have that shit fucking solid.


I was gonna make one for bmx like 10 years ago. Ended up just hucking shit into dirt and saving the money.
Apr 10 2012 12:09AM
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Backyard.Skier
Posts: 5397 - Karma: 1,497
those blocks are expensive as shit. try to find something else thats soft
Apr 10 2012 12:21AM
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JacheOReally
Posts: 3597 - Karma: 253
Go to the dump and get as many couch cushions as you can and cut them up, it's gonna be gross, but free

Any sort of pillows and shit cut up, beds could work too
Apr 10 2012 12:59AM
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Tsands
Posts: 229 - Karma: 629
My Friend tried this a few years ago for BMX
He Got lucky as one of the local gymnastics centres was replacing some of their foam.
It only ended up filling up a third of his Pit so we also got some old Matrices but this still wasnt enough foam to fill up his pit for BMX, so we just put a tramp next to it.
If you go manage to get enough foam together. make sure you cover it up properly and dont let the sun get to it unless you are using it. After about 3 months, all the foam started deteriorating because it wasnt covered up enough! Everytime you jumped into it dust would go in your eyes from the foam, The foam was destroyed and we couldnt use it any more. Keep this in mind
Apr 10 2012 1:07AM
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Bumblesteeze
Posts: 3092 - Karma: 748
1. Buy a giant paper shredder
2. Buy loads of sponges at the grocery store
3. Put any mattresses you find in your house in the giant paper shredder
4. ??????????????
5. Profit.

Apr 10 2012 1:14AM
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razors-chaz
Posts: 2255 - Karma: 1,250
Foam pits i have been in before pack out the bottom of the pit with old crash mats so craigslist/ask gymnastics centres for that then cut all of the foam off of couches from craigs and the scrappie, asking local foam shop for offcuts is a good shout but you kinda want the pit width to be around twice your height so you dont wreck off the sides if it goes bad. Possibly the thinner crash mats lining the edge of your frame.
Apr 10 2012 5:18AM
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.ZT.
Posts: 5679 - Karma: 2,792
Buy an inflatable kitty pool and fill it with whatever foam scraps you have. shouold be fun or get a mat.
Apr 10 2012 7:27AM
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Da_CONK
Posts: 528 - Karma: 93
Watch out for snakes and water / snow will be a problem so find a good way to cover it if you end up building one
Apr 10 2012 8:52AM
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ChocolateMilk.
Posts: 1129 - Karma: 220
Old couches and matresses on craigslist free sec and cut out the foam win!
Apr 10 2012 9:20AM
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OssargYormada
Posts: 671 - Karma: 186
sounds raunchy but I'd abuse a foampit if i had one
Apr 10 2012 9:22AM
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Ski_Alot
Posts: 5900 - Karma: 3,644
http://www.instructables.com/answers/how-do-I-make-a-foam-pit/
make sure to keep that thing dry... it would suck if the foam were to get moldy
Apr 10 2012 10:22AM
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speedin
Posts: 731 - Karma: 131
If I were to tackle a project like this I would make sure I had a decent sized hill that I had access first. Odds are your not going to have the funds or the know how to make a run in and a ramp.
If you have access to a hill, I would then completely ditch the idea of making a foam pit. It costs way to much money to do it right, and it will take you a very very long time to acquire the needed material necessary for a foam pit from scraps.
You should look into an air bag. You can get a very large airbag from china for cheaper then you might think.
If you want the ultimate setup, go with the airbag, get some of those rubber mats that they use for wrestling, and lay it ontop of the airbag. Then if you really want to go further, buy some some snowflex and attach it to the rubber mats. That would be amazing....it would allow for nice give while actually being able to land a trick without falling over from too much sag and give in the airbag. Snowflex is hella expensive I am sure you could substitute something else for it.
Apr 10 2012 11:09AM
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Errl
Posts: 2082 - Karma: 451
the chance of serious injury from landing wrong an airbag is pretty high... i would dive head first from the air into a foam pit, but not an airbag. snowflex would also be incredibly uncomfortable to fall on
Apr 10 2012 11:21AM
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k-fred
Posts: 5363 - Karma: 1,598
wtf read the god damn thread before posting, he's talking about a trampoline not a ski jump.
Apr 10 2012 12:10PM
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sagesnow
Posts: 3116 - Karma: 1,593
foam is expensive as fuck broooooo. $1 per block
Apr 10 2012 12:15PM
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TOAST.
Posts: 7481 - Karma: 36,054
I wouldnt dive head first into a foam pit, easy way to break your neck.
Apr 10 2012 2:27PM
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theabortionator
Posts: 51643 - Karma: 162,232
I would if I built it or it was a legit one somewhere. If it was made by most of the kids on ns I wouldn't even jump in feet first
Apr 10 2012 4:14PM
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colleenator
Posts: 885 - Karma: 60
if you come through with this, post pictures cus id so make one!!!!
Apr 10 2012 4:55PM
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ohboy
Posts: 1177 - Karma: 2,528
Good foam blocks are $1 per block.
Good luck. Show pics if you get it done.
Apr 10 2012 5:01PM
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270on420out
Posts: 7508 - Karma: 51,054
a friend of mine had the same idea. So he went to the junkyard and bought ten couches and ten matresses for 200$. Then he spent about 2 weeks cutting them up. After that he built a decent sized drop.
And guess what? it sucked horribly. We had to make a bigger drop, and re-orient the entire foam pile.( we werent allowed to dig a hole so we had to make it a giant pile). It kinda still sucked and we could barley throw flips n' stuff into it.
Apr 10 2012 5:49PM
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Lucas
Posts: 4881 - Karma: 1,575
This is such a bad idea
Apr 10 2012 6:53PM
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prosnurfer
Posts: 1842 - Karma: 83
better idea is to find a bridge with water,i find that a 30 to 40 foot cliff jumpis equal to the air time off of most medium jumps at the mt.  its cheap and the only thing u have to spent money on is weed and beer
Apr 10 2012 11:06PM
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zahava
Posts: 7791 - Karma: 12,039
Only thing I can think of when I see these threads is that mice, snakes, birds, squirrels, bunnies... all like soft stuff to best in; I wouldn't want to jump into a pile of foam filled with rat poop let alone an actual animal.
Apr 10 2012 11:56PM
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Thrash
Posts: 821 - Karma: 9
woodchips.
Apr 11 2012 12:27AM
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TaranItUp
Posts: 1313 - Karma: 802
Why don't you just try tricks on the trampoline? Or go to a local open gym that already has a foampit. Or go to Woodward. All will save you plenty of money and will make your life much easier.
Apr 11 2012 12:35AM
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