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Park builders, ASSEMBLE!

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Toaster-Tony
Posts: 3531 - Karma: 5,850
So the small hill I ski at is deciding to expand the terrain park. This is going to be sweet, but I don't know too much about the actual building of new features. I have some friends who have access to a shop and are pretty good welders, I just need material now.

I'm wondering where do you guys get your material (metal, box topsheet, skirting) and how much you usually spend. We're looking at picking up a few new features so whatever money we save goes right back into more features.
Nov 13 2013 7:02PM
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HeathR
Posts: 4359 - Karma: 1,382
All three of those come from different places. A lot of times it has to do with what the ski resort already uses for vendors. Skirting is just 1/2 cdx ply. For steel I'm sure your mountain has someone they already order from. You can often get other departments scrap steel. Plastic is going to be the most expensive material. Usually around $140 for a 1/2 inch sheet. Sometimes you can find used sheets from hockey rinks or other places.
Nov 13 2013 7:18PM
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TOAST.
Posts: 7501 - Karma: 36,313
If your mountain has any old snowmaking pipe, find it and use it.
Nov 13 2013 7:56PM
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Toaster-Tony
Posts: 3531 - Karma: 5,850
That's the thing.. We've never really had a consistent vender that we go through to get material. We had a few features donated, some were made by metal we just found laying around and welded up, and I think we bought a couple that were already built.

I'll have to hit up the scrap yard this weekend though to see what I can find.
Nov 13 2013 8:48PM
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TOAST.
Posts: 7501 - Karma: 36,313
To add to this you will need to grind a shit ton of rust off so get a lot of flapper disks and a grinder
Nov 13 2013 8:49PM
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kamron_708
Posts: 944 - Karma: 1,129
bring hella skrill with you dog. scrap metal is fuckin expensive
Nov 13 2013 8:55PM
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HeathR
Posts: 4359 - Karma: 1,382
Yup lots of grinding. They make stuff that is better then flap discs for taking off rust. Those get clogged up pretty quick. They have some for the big grinders that will work 10 times faster. It's just tiring holding a big grinder for a whole day.

See what vendors other departments use. They have to buy steel from somewhere. Plastic you will have to source yourself though.
Nov 13 2013 9:00PM
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Toaster-Tony
Posts: 3531 - Karma: 5,850
Thanks for the help guys, +k. I think I might have just lucked out and scored a deal on scrap through a nearby railroad tie gang's vender. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this comes through.
Nov 14 2013 4:09AM
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theabortionator
Posts: 51716 - Karma: 163,128
Regardless of where you buy the supplies you'll save a ton of money building things in house.

If you don't have anything lying around steel isn't that unreasonably priced. You can get it delivered generally unless the mountain is stupidly far from the place.

You can get half inch ply anywhere so that's not a problem.

If you build boxes you might be able to find a place near you. If not you can buy material online but you'll have to use freight shipping if you grab anything over 2'x4' sheets generally.

What are you planning to build? Post some pictures when it's done?
Nov 14 2013 10:03AM
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BWalmer
Posts: 9141 - Karma: 12,885
This.

Some of the best features we've made are made out of old snowmaking pipe. It's a bitch to grind down, but once it's done they make awesome features.
Nov 14 2013 10:09AM
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theabortionator
Posts: 51716 - Karma: 163,128
I hate you all with your snowmaking pipe. Seriously jealous though. Tube rails are so much fun and if you have a ton of that for free you're set. If we add any snowmaking next year I'm going to hope there's some extra I can lay claim to. I'd love a nice 30' tube down rail.
Nov 14 2013 10:17AM
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BWalmer
Posts: 9141 - Karma: 12,885
You're gonna hate us more when I tell you we just took down a lift on our bunny hill...over 100' of lift tower tube.
Nov 14 2013 10:28AM
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theabortionator
Posts: 51716 - Karma: 163,128
Click for larger image

That's sick though. I'm hoping at some point I get lucky enough to have some lift tower status tubing to play with. Build a nice fatty donkey or something.

Got any plans on what you're building with it yet?
Nov 14 2013 10:37AM
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Cotter
Posts: 2546 - Karma: 849
At my hill, were using old snowmaking pipe for rails
Nov 14 2013 11:09AM
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BWalmer
Posts: 9141 - Karma: 12,885
So far, only plans are to put like 4 or 5ft legs on one and put a wall ride down one side. Maybe an a-frame or a dfd. Otherwise we're going for connectables so we can whatever we want with them.
Nov 14 2013 12:14PM
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.frenchy
Posts: 18224 - Karma: 12,345
Sundowns parks this winter are gonna be so mint, can't wait until more new rails are put out!
Nov 14 2013 12:38PM
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Toaster-Tony
Posts: 3531 - Karma: 5,850
Actually, I was planning on building a 30 ft tube rail. I'm waiting on a family friend to see if he can score a 5 in diameter pipe. I would just need to have my friend weld up the three 10 ft parts together smoothly which shouldn't be a problem.

I was also thinking of a Flat Down rail that's raised a ways off the ground. Kinda like a mini version of the red one at Breck last year.
Nov 14 2013 1:35PM
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TOAST.
Posts: 7501 - Karma: 36,313
Mountain just replaced their entire main water line, so we got pipe for days. Don't think we are using much of it this year since we almost have every type of rail in tube form already. Plus we got an old lift tower out of our boneyard, which will be fun.
Nov 14 2013 3:55PM
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jimmydar
Posts: 852 - Karma: 1,628
im park crew this winter and this seems to be valuable information.
Nov 14 2013 4:24PM
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Hammyslapwagon
Posts: 1261 - Karma: 1,411
Idk why .....but when the title "Park builders, ASSEMBLE!" made me think OP was Lion-O from the original thundercats intro calling on the other Thundercats, or in this case park builders.


Nov 14 2013 5:17PM
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Hammyslapwagon
Posts: 1261 - Karma: 1,411
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYbnVeHWCLs

link to those who don't know what I'm referring to
Nov 14 2013 5:17PM
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HeathR
Posts: 4359 - Karma: 1,382
Where are you located? Today we threw away 6 4'x8' sheets of 1/2' plastic. The edges are all cracked out but there is a good 3 1/2 feet in the center that is fine on every sheet.
Nov 14 2013 7:48PM
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Toaster-Tony
Posts: 3531 - Karma: 5,850
Thats awesome!

I'm in northern Minnesota. Do you think it would be possible or worth it to ship?
Nov 14 2013 10:10PM
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HeathR
Posts: 4359 - Karma: 1,382
It would probably be real expensive to ship them that far with traditional methods. I'm in Tahoe. Unfortunately I don't think it would be worth it.
Nov 14 2013 11:05PM
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theabortionator
Posts: 51716 - Karma: 163,128
I miss having a boneyard to pick from. If you feel generous during the holiday season feel free to send me some of that pipe via pm or email.

Maybe a Christmas card in the mail with 40-50 feet of tubing. I'd give you +100000 karma
Nov 15 2013 2:11AM
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HeathR
Posts: 4359 - Karma: 1,382
If you are down to do a ton of grinding and welding you can use pretty shit steel. I just finished making this rail yesterday from pipe that was going to be thrown away because they said it was too destroyed to be usable.

Click for larger image

The steel came from a wind fence that got hit by a cat. There was no section that was straight for more then 3 or 4 feet. Its good practice welding all the sections together. Was even able to use some of the really bent sections to make the first section bend from flat to down.
Nov 15 2013 6:37PM
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theabortionator
Posts: 51716 - Karma: 163,128
Hell yeah. Nice work.
Nov 15 2013 6:53PM
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TOAST.
Posts: 7501 - Karma: 36,313
Ain't nobody got time for that middle foot.
Nov 15 2013 10:49PM
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HeathR
Posts: 4359 - Karma: 1,382
There are no t legs. Those are just stands.
Nov 16 2013 3:18AM
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