You may have seen my other thread about where to get luges and stuff. It came down to it, I don't know if I like this sport yet that I want to drop 500+ on a board I can make and try out first. So today me my dad built this luge. Made of pine and plywood. Took a board we had and coped it up and this is what we have so far
Tomorow we are gonna shorten it up a foot. Right now it's about 6ft long and thats to long. Felt stableish on my first run I really liked it.
Trucks im using randal DH R2 in front and in back reg randal 180 gonna be fliped.
looks like a peice of junk because it is right now. Tomorow also paint.
This was for evreyone who wants to luge and doesn't want to spend 400+ on a sled
ok
pine wood? 20 bucks almost
plywood 5 bucks
nuts and blots 6 bucks
bar for handle found in garage im sure you can do the same
if not pvc pipe is cheap or come up with something
trucks just fliped randal 180s with rock hard bushings.
and mini risers cuz wheelbitz a bitch.
the 35° bp of the RII DH is too low for such a long wheelbase. Flipped RII's all around feel great on a sled, to let you know.
And nice work.... I've seen some nice woodies but never one at a race - everyone goes metal. But with some channel stock and some sheet aluminum you can make a nice rail or drop-pan luge for less than $300 depending on where you get your parts. I'll be making one this fall and hopefully a few more... There aren't enough affordable, safe luges on the market these days...
Not too bad looking. My first guess is the handles are too long. Also I would recommend bending them more at a 90 degree angle. Of course riding styles differ, but I will grab the very front of my handles in a tight turn.
Yes wood is a cheap option. Easy to work with, simple to replace if you make a mistake. I think most people race metal or composite luges more for the durability than anything. Talk to Dave Auld, he was one of the last guys to race a wooden board (that isn't a buttboard) before going to metal. Darren Lott designed the gumball machine, which is similar to the design you've come up with.
What is this about coming to Seattle?
By the way, check out luge pics at my site: ChrisMcB.com