DIY Slides with skateboards

[adutton]

In the spirit of the original $20 do it yourself (DIY) slides on this thread: http://www.c2forum.com/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=7525

I was thinking about a cheap way to simulate slides. I took some measurements and was thinking about what sort of casters I would like to get. Then, I spied my daughter's skateboard and it got me to thinking. I put the skateboard under the rear of the C2. I didn't have another skateboard but I rounded up a three-wheel scooter and stuck that under the front (I have a model C, if it matters).

I gave it a shot. It took me a few strokes to get it going, but I loved the feel immediately. The trucks on the skateboard add a small element of side-to-side balance. I am going to rummage around and see if I can get another skateboard for the front. I'm thinking that I might need two skateboards for the front to make it stable enough to really pull on.

When I get the second skateboard I'll report back. In the meantime, if someone is looking for a homemade option, it seems like skateboards would work.

[jamesg]

I did the same, but using bits of skirollers fitted under a wooden frame, the machine on top of it all. Worked fine, just got a bit seasick because the frame was too flexible and I bounced up and down. You'll need a wheel guide to stop lateral wander and a deadweight or similar with shock cords to stop fore-and-aft drift.

[johnlvs2run]

Great ideas. Keep them coming.

[kprice]

Thanks for the ideas. I was looking for wheels and thought that inline skate wheels look suitable. I looked for used skates to chop up, similar to the ski rollers, but I did not find any. New replacement wheels are 16 USD for 8 wheels, so now I am looking for some brackets, with the idea to mount 8 wheels on a piece of plywood, then use one platform at each end.

Are tracks on the floor strictly necessary if the floor is smooth?

KP

[kayakr]

I used 4 skate wheels, attached to 2x4 lumber which is cut to rest under the C2 feet. I bored axial holes into the ends of the lumber and inserted 4" bolts to hold the wheels. Getting the axial holes straight was important. Then I used rubber tubing workout bands to provide the centering action, by looping them around the ends of the C2 and placing weight plates on the bands. This worked ok, but the C2 "walked" around laterally during a session. So next I used sheets of furniture grade plywood and added keeper rails glued on to the wood about .5 inches inside the skate wheels to provide a track. This worked ok, except that one of the sheets had a defect that broke through due to the my weight which I needed to fill later. You'd also need to align them carefully. The plywood also tends to warp being placed on a cement floor. Overall it was enough to get the feeling and decide that I just wanted to stick with regular fixed mode operation, saving me a bunch of dollars.