ptree Posted September 13, 2008 Share Posted September 13, 2008 A local church has asked me to modify the top rail of the rails on their steps. Skate boarders are grinding on the top rail and the church is wanting to not atrack them, and to stop damage to the rails. Ideas? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dale Russell Posted September 13, 2008 Share Posted September 13, 2008 Jeff , Razor wire ????? Dale Russell Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rustyshackleford Posted September 13, 2008 Share Posted September 13, 2008 I feel traitorous for helping you with this.... skaters choose rails that are very smooth on top, so that they may have a longer grind per attempt. Disrupt the flow and discourage the riders. "Nubbins" perhaps? make them gentle, for hands though. Perhaps a finial type design would suit the application Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ptree Posted September 13, 2008 Author Share Posted September 13, 2008 Found some ideas on line called SkateStoppers. They are indeed gentle nubbins that allow use of the rail, but stop the grinding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nett Posted September 14, 2008 Share Posted September 14, 2008 Skateboard stopping nibs are just too plain easy. You can incorporate a design or theme into your gentle skate grinding inhibitors, but I think whimsical would be cool, too. Perhaps a snakes wrapped around the top rail. A frog would be cool, and maybe some birds. Momma and a covey of quail. Iron mug of coffee. Psalm book. The ideas could be limitless, and could come from the parishioners. Heck, a 'Plastic Jesus' standing on a transistor radio would raise some smiles among the elite hip church goers. YouTube - Plastic Jesus Cool Hand Luke Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blafen Posted September 14, 2008 Share Posted September 14, 2008 Or your church could start inviting the skaters over, and help them build a mini skatepark, the kids could provide the funds and labor all they need is a place to put it, and it keeps everyone happy, the church wont have damaged rails and the kids wont show up find the skatestoppers and then redirect their anger at the church, instead they will have a safe drug free zone to skate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keykeeper Posted September 14, 2008 Share Posted September 14, 2008 Blafen: So, basically, the church is to succumb to the trespass of the skateboarders? And excuse any vandalism the skaters might do, if the church does install 'stoppers', as they (the church) "took away" the skaters place to skate? Where's these kids parents? Maybe they should build them a skate park. My mother would have made me repair the rails, apologize to the congregation, and gave me what-for when I got home. And we wonder why our society has gone down the tubes.:rolleyes: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trollhammer Posted September 14, 2008 Share Posted September 14, 2008 I've skated for close on to 18 years, and always found a way and a place to skate if I really wanted to. I also respected other folks property. I asked before I skated on private property, and would leave with no hard feelings when asked to stop skating on sidewalks and curbs in front of businesses. I'm probably not the norm when it comes to skaters, but there are others like me out there. I don't really see it as succumbing to the trespass of skaters. The church wants something and the skaters want something. The inability of all groups to work together for a better solution or compromise is why our society is going down the tubes, not a single group on either side of the table. There are some really shady folks in the skating community; I'll be the first to admit that, but that goes to both sides as well. Anyways, as to the original question...nubs work really well to stop skaters. Another option would be to take some round stock and make a coil the length of the rail. Space the coils out about the width of the deck and the edges of the board will hit this when they try to grind, effectively stopping the board, skater and all. Mickey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keykeeper Posted September 14, 2008 Share Posted September 14, 2008 Trollhammer, I agree. But the earlier post was pretty lopsided towards skaters and not property owners. Skating is a sport, and like all sports should be sanctioned and proper facilities provided. I have nothing against skaters, however I do have a problem with ANY criminal behavior blamed on a law abiding property owners refusal to cater to said parties demands and trespass. I for one think a skate park in every town there is interest would solve a lot of problems. Sidewalks are for walking off the street, in a safe area, not to get run over by a skater that thinks he/she owns the sidewalk. (yeah, it's happened to me. No excuse me, no sorry, just a smirk with attitude. A few years ago, a well planted shoulder took one "thrasher" right off his board after he challenged my right to walk on a sidewalk big enough for both of us, but that was in my youth before I learned patience.) Really, if people would just be courteous to one another, we would not even have to have these discussions. Everyone would get along, nobody's property or landscaping would get trashed, and the world would be a better place. However, my observations over the last 15 years or so tell me that won't happen anytime soon. And to stay on topic, maybe alternating shapes and profiles could lend beauty and bumps to avoid the "grinding". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trollhammer Posted September 14, 2008 Share Posted September 14, 2008 Keykeeper, I didn't intend to try calling you out. I 'm in total agreement with you on the courtesy aspect. I'll drop a skater behaving badly in a second and not feel bad about it in the slightest. I was too quick to rise up in defense. In my area, skating is pretty much criminalized, no matter where you skate. I do like the idea of changing shapes and profiles. That was kind of where I was going with a loosely wrapped coil around the hand rail...it would provide more grip, look good, be low profile, and keep skaters from even attempting to use it. Mickey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Golden_eagle Posted September 14, 2008 Share Posted September 14, 2008 twisted square bar stock for the handrails... good looking and very bumpy... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted September 15, 2008 Share Posted September 15, 2008 Ptree, rather than modify the rail, and still meet ADA and others guide lines, why not put a large Shepard's type crook at each support. This will become an obstacle for the skaters and allow the church to hand flowers, decorations etc. while remaining in the guide lines of code. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ironrosefarms Posted September 16, 2008 Share Posted September 16, 2008 (edited) blafen, that is exactly what our church did. We built a portable skate park that we set up every other week during the nice weather seasons. What is amazing is the "kid" type vandalism that we was experiencing has stopped because the kids who frequent our park look out for us and stop the problem. The other side of it is we have doubled our youth group numbers on the off Wednesdays and tripled on the Wednesdays we set the park up. The park runs from 5pm to 6:30, then youth service from 6:30 till 8pm. Reaching out to these kids has been one of the best things we have done for the youth of our community. As for a rail design that would discourage skaters short rails do well for this. Keeping each section at 2 foot or so makes for a hard way to ride. James Edited September 16, 2008 by ironrosefarms Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quenchcrack Posted September 17, 2008 Share Posted September 17, 2008 I think a brick wall at the lower end of the hand rail would probably discourage most skaters. Not all but most.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ptree Posted September 17, 2008 Author Share Posted September 17, 2008 Guys, thanks for all the help. Since we had Ike to visit, with much wind damage, this is on back burner for all concerned. I personally lost 22 BIG trees and I had lighter damage then many. We had 3 dead in our community, and more in the north of Indiana due to flooding from Ike. My power/phone etc has been out since Sunday noon. My shop took minor damage as did the house. No one hurt in my imediate family/neighborhood. I have about 6 widowmaker trees to deal with, with one BIG one leaning 15 degrees towards the house. Anti-skater features are probably several weeks out. I like the plant hangers at intervals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melonkernel Posted September 17, 2008 Share Posted September 17, 2008 Skate boarders are grinding on the top rail and the church is wanting to not atrack them, and to stop damage to the rails. I would do as ironrosefarms' church did. Isn't church supposed to attract people and reach out to the different subcultures. Perhaps build some stoppers on the steps, but also a "better" rail to grind. somewhere where it is ok. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ironrosefarms Posted September 18, 2008 Share Posted September 18, 2008 I checked with my pastor tonight about the cost involved in having the skaters here. We pay a $750 per year fee to obtain a rider on our insurance policy due to the liability. This sounds like a fair amount but if your worried about the $ the year before we started this we spent $1600 in repairs from graffiti and other vandalism. So although our intentions was not to stop the vandalism but to reach a group of kids who are often shunned and alienated by society, the benefits that came back are kind of nice too... We have been beginning talking about a long range goal of building a indoor skate and activity building that our youth could dominate... The plant hangers might be the quickest easiest and perhaps cheapest route. Let us know when the life stuff settles down what happens... James Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Hammer Posted September 18, 2008 Share Posted September 18, 2008 Ptree.... Remind me to talk to you (at Quad States) about how a friend of mine deals with leaning trees when he cuts them down.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted September 18, 2008 Share Posted September 18, 2008 Ptree, Taking on a ton or two of wood and convincing it to defy gravity and go the other way is a challenge. One thing for sure, NEVER WORK ALONE. And don't be afraid to ask for professional tree service help. Whatever they charge will be less expensive then repairing the house after the tree falls on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ptree Posted September 19, 2008 Author Share Posted September 19, 2008 My plan for the widowmaker tree is to hire a 955 cat crawler with a 4-way bucket. He has been to my place before. He will push it over center and down. Then on to pushing the fallen trees down further into the forrest and followed by every @#$% pine tree with in 150' being pushed over and into the forrest. I am still without power, and they project 2 to 6 days for power to be restored. A very good hearted guy at work took me to his house and loaned me his generator and power cord, and offered his truck to haul it 46+ miles. We strapped it on my 99 Cavilier, and off I went. We saved the food in the freezers, lost everything in the refrig. My ladies are getting pretty desperate for a hot shower, my plan is that I will enjoy a LONG LONG hot shower when I arrive Thursday at SOFA. I hate cold showers, but when you are chainsawing one has to clean up. Cold showers are sure a water saver:) I have 22 major trees down, but have clear acces down the drive and street now. I am very lucky, thre were 4 deaths in my area from windblown debris. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ironrosefarms Posted September 22, 2008 Share Posted September 22, 2008 ptree, I feel for you today... I got called (by my wife) to go over this weekend to my sister inlaws to take down a couple trees that got damaged in that same storm. When I got there that couple trees turned out to be; 2 Tapulka trees each about 34" diameter each and 9 maples at 28" diameter on up to 39" diameter... My math has never been great but a couple always meant 2 or 3 I thought... I'm a sore sore boy today... The only good thing was I got to use my new Husqvarna... There is no way I could have cut as much wood with my old homelite saw, the weight difference alone is amazing no less the difference in 40 CC (homelite) and the 50CC (Husqvarna)... I like my new saw... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ptree Posted September 23, 2008 Author Share Posted September 23, 2008 Power back on Saturday. Hot Showers are sure nice!!! I bought a new style Sthill saw to supplement the monster I bought 20+ years ago. The little saw weighs about 6# vs the 14.7 of the older. Cuts like a hot knife thru butter on pine. The old saw is reserved for the stuff needing the 20" bar. I will print out all the comments made here and present them to the church for their review. Thanks Guys Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ironrosefarms Posted September 24, 2008 Share Posted September 24, 2008 Good to hear life is coming back to normal or at least you have hot showers again... Stihl is an excellent saw. Husq and Stihl are two of the most respected names in saws around, I'm sure you'll have that Stihl for a long time to come... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ptree Posted September 25, 2008 Author Share Posted September 25, 2008 And the Stikl was even on SALE! With my issues with joints I was only able to use the big boy for one tank of gas a day. More than that wrecked me for at least three days. I can run the little smooth jewel for perhaps 4 hours and not suffer too badly the next day. I think the newer saw runs faster to get the power, and is better balenced and vibration isolated. It is also much quiteier. I do wear muffs. Down to mostly trimming stuff hanging into the yard space. The remainder will get dozed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ptree Posted March 22, 2009 Author Share Posted March 22, 2009 Well the church called a week ago. I went and looked over the rail, and gave them the entire thread above and suggested they review and consider a skate park. They are really concerned about liability, and the skaters have really chewed up the rails, in some cases raising sharp burrs on the hardrail. The hand rail is hung from a taller fence type rail. I ended up welding 1 9/16 solid steel balls at every post for the fence, and some nice tall stringer beads across the handrail at the places where they had chewed that up. The stringer beads are bumpy, but smooth to the hand. Easy on folks hands bumpy to skates. Took 8 hours to well on the 39 balls and all the stringers. The old Contintental engined SA-200 Lincon welder ran like a charm. I am really glad I added a muffler to the beast as it came with a straight stack and was LOUD! Thanks for all the help to all who responded. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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