I would like to build a luge but can't afford to make the one I have in mind. So I was thinking of using Eastbilt uncut planks to make a wooden luge. It's 11plys as you can see but is that thick enough? I'm new to street luge and want to get into it. How do I go about figuring out the the lenght of the luge. Is it my height and then some?
DK
Yeah, go with Vulgar's idea. It takes 20 minutes to make one from ply, and if you like it (which you may well do) then you can go on from there and build something like Darren Lott's gumball machine (search the forum for info, I know it's been talked of before)
Oh, and fat - Buttboards aren't necessarily more fun than luges. I find that luges are more fun for racing (personal preference) and going on long joy runs, they just make it more enjoyable. Buttboards are good for hitting your local hill lying down and not having to lug a sled back up.
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~#### I Ride~
DH Setup - Dregs Race, Bombers, Orangatangs
Some other skateboards.
Luge - Roger Bros. Pegless, 83mm Amber Flys, Z-Rollers
Well my plan of right now is to build a carbon fiber/ cloth fiberglass luge with aluminium. But thats a bit spendy for a first luge. So I want to build one with the Eastbilt planks to see if it's some thing i'll be into. What is the difference between a buttboard and luge? No peggs?
DK
Well my plan of right now is to build a carbon fiber/ cloth fiberglass luge with aluminium. But thats a bit spendy for a first luge. So I want to build one with the Eastbilt planks to see if it's some thing i'll be into. What is the difference between a buttboard and luge? No peggs?
DK
There are pegless luges. The difference is the guidelines by which they're made and raced. For instance the wheels on a buttboard must be 70 or under mm. They can only have two trucks. I'm not sure what all but it's based upon "classic" luge. Luge can be made of many different materials and using many different styles. There is no truck number limit (I'm pretty sure) and no wheel size limit. I'm not sure about all of the rules but these are just a few.
Classic luge (or buttboard) is designed to be a "spec" clas and to keep the cost of the equipment under $200. A buttboard is essentially a plank of plywood (no longer then 4 feet) two trucks and 4 wheels.
A luge on the other hand can have handles, and head rests and dropped and a boom with foot pegs.
I enjoy my buttboard, but generall ride my luge. I'm not going to say one if more fun than the other, they are different. I do believe that riding a buttboard will make you a beter luger.
If you are unsure about the sport, getting a buttboard is the way to get started. Its cheap. Its easy to build. One size to fits all.
It doesn't take long to build one. Darren Lott built one the day before a race when his luggage didn't show up. If you had the proper tools you could probable make a complete buttboard in a few hours.
A luge is way more complicated. I wouldn't recommend a gumball machine immediately. Although it wouldn't take too long to build.
Back to the original question, How do you figure out the length of the luge?
Well that all depends on what you are trying to build. Do you want footpegs, then measure from the bottom of your feet (sort of) back. Is it going to be a dropped board? If so the trucks need to go somewhere around mid thigh or slighty forward, with the rear truck somewhere around the head or further back. These locations will depend on your drop which will sort of depend on your torso size.
I would suggest building a protoype first. I mocked something up using 2x4s before I start cutting metal.
Feel free to check out my website for pics of how other people built their luge.
I've built two Eastbilt luges. I ended up having to do so much work to convert it into a luge, I'd never do it again. I could have made the luge so much easier by making it out of 13-ply baltic birch from scratch. I've said so many times before, either build a Lott Classic buttboard, or build a flat luge. All you have to do is get some 13-ply baltic birch from THE WOOD & SHOP Inc Since 1983, give it a 45" or so wheelbase, cut it to fit your body, put some griptape on it, slap on some R-II's or Indy 215's with some hard bushings, attach a wood spine to the bottom, throw some Gumballs on there, and you have a stable beginner luge. As you ride, you will be able to design in your head what changes you want to make.
i am pretty sure that toothless has a buttboard build description and an aluminum luge. But i could be wrong, but his site is always worth checking out.
i recently snapped a board made from an eastbilt blank. if you are going to do this i would just go for some other type of wood than the kind eastbilt supplies
i am pretty sure that toothless has a buttboard build description and an aluminum luge. But i could be wrong, but his site is always worth checking out.
QUOTE=ton;903865]i recently snapped a board made from an eastbilt blank. if you are going to do this i would just go for some other type of wood than the kind eastbilt supplies
good luck though![/quote]
I have checked out that site before and thats where I got the idea to begin with hahha. I want to make a drop deck luge. The luge on daddies board shop though is exactly what I want to build but instead of a pan made from aluminum carbon fiber and fiberglass cloth.
How did you snap a board? Looking at the wood shop.com what is the difference between them and Eastbilt? Just quality I'm guess right?
DK
EastBilt Wooden Luge
