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Infiltration Forums > Archived UE Tutorials, Lessons, and Useful Info > drain boards (Viewed 364 times)
tick 


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drain boards
< on 5/23/2005 3:25 AM >
Posted on Forum: Infiltration Forums
 
Ok... I've always heard about using modified skateboards to explore smaller storm drains. Who here has actually done this? I don't have a skateboard, so I was thinking of building a drain board from scratch. Any suggestions? Ideas? Commentary?

lordpook 


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Re: drain boards
<Reply # 1 on 5/23/2005 3:37 AM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Check out the encyclopedia entry "skunneling".

Random 


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Re: drain boards
<Reply # 2 on 5/23/2005 12:09 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
It's becoming yardsale season, you could probably pick one up cheap that way. Also, you could pirate some castors from a computer chair or something similar and bolt them down to a plank. We used to do that and pull them behind the car. (Very dangerous, not suggested.)

I'm designing a high-tech drain board built from bike parts, one which you could pedal while laying down. I'll report back if I succeed.




EDIT: Added second paragraph.
[last edit 5/23/2005 12:10 PM by Random - edited 1 times]

GreyDeath 


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Re: drain boards
<Reply # 3 on 5/23/2005 3:30 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
About 10 years ago I use to go draining in one (and only that I can think of...) storm drain with a few friends. They built a sort of cart that you could lay on and just kick yourself along with. It was pretty neet. Just a piece of plywood with 2x4's running the length of it with casters attached.

I wonder if it's still down there...

-Me!

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HolyJesusILoveCreed 


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Re: drain boards
<Reply # 4 on 5/23/2005 4:53 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
A creeper that mechanics use would maybe work as well

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wooble 


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Re: drain boards
<Reply # 5 on 5/23/2005 5:07 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
I believe the main problem associated with skateboards is that the small wheels often become stuck in gravel, mud or even gaps between RCP sections. Brick pipe is right out unless it's smoothed. also, the suspended grit in the water and curvature of the drain tends to knacker the bearings in fat skateboard wheels fairly quickly.

I think some explorers have solved this by making drain boards with narrower, larger diameter wheels (rollerblade or micro scooter wheels would certainly be an improvement. something with foam tyres would be even better) Of course, if the diameter gets too large, the board gets too high or inconvenient to use, so it's a trade-off.

Something about the size of a wheelchair front caster or a bit smaller would seem perfect to me.

Macsbug 


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Re: drain boards
<Reply # 6 on 5/23/2005 6:10 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Cheap Cheeeep skateboards. I've got a $5-10 piece of shit I bought at target, that I do not care if I mess up or destroy. You could throw on bigger wheels if you wanted. The creeper idea was floating around in my mind before, but it doesn't seem like the wheels (castors?) on those would roll as smoothly in RCP as a skateboard.

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Random 


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Re: drain boards
<Reply # 7 on 5/23/2005 8:17 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
I wouldn't want to use a mechanic's creeper to go down a tunnel. I'm a mechanic and use the things all the time. They're a pain to use. They are very hard to control and hang up on the tiniest little thing. A cheap skateboard would be the best ready-made tool, especially one of the ones with the Tonka-truck looking wheels.

scabskate 


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Re: drain boards
<Reply # 8 on 5/23/2005 9:13 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
I'd recommend at least 60mm wheels or else you're going to get caught up in all the usual junk you'll find in a drain. A longboard would be nice, for more ground clearance/control

Fubster 


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Re: drain boards
<Reply # 9 on 5/24/2005 3:44 AM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
You could pick up one of those Wal-Mart "mountain boards" for pretty cheap. They have the large rubber wheels.

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Re: drain boards
<Reply # 10 on 5/27/2005 3:32 AM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
I found an old ATV SK8 board at a garage sale. It has 3 inch tractor tire style wheels with about a 2 inch riser pad above the trucks which gives it pretty good ground clearance and goes over gravel pretty well. It's some off brand like a Nash or something but does OK. I did a search on Ebay for "all terrain skateboard" and found like 30 that were different styles, some of which look pretty cool and might fir the bill.

I'm a blatant waste of time and resources.
unicycler 


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Re: drain boards
<Reply # 11 on 5/27/2005 6:49 AM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
You could take 3 bike wheels, and the frame of a small bike could make a nice little drain board type thing. I'll take some time during summer and try to make a prototype of some sort and post some pictures as it goes... Wish me luck, I don't have any of the materials and I don't have money to buy them.

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Re: drain boards
<Reply # 12 on 5/27/2005 11:49 AM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
I've rode bikes up drains that I can't stand in. Riding dirt bikes/mopeds in drains is also plenty of fun.

But I also have a skunnel board. My little brother finally gave up on trying to be like those guys in video games, so he gave me his crappy skate board.

Louie


Edit: fixed grammar.
[last edit 5/27/2005 11:52 AM by Louie - edited 1 times]

Wabbit 


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Re: drain boards
<Reply # 13 on 5/30/2005 3:09 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
How about one of those recumbant bikes, lower profile than a regular bike, and more expensive too. Expensive is always important.

-wabs
Barry Kooda 


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Re: drain boards
<Reply # 14 on 5/31/2005 5:21 AM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Heh!
Yeah, we gotta be good consumers.
I like the recumbent bike idea too. I've been trying to make a 4 wheel recumbent since the front wheel would always be in the center of the pipe where all the rocks, gravel and other stuff accumulates.I'm leaning toward something like one of these but with 4 wheels.
37800.jpg (26 kb, 400x300)
click to view

37801.jpg (14 kb, 400x300)
click to view



I'm a blatant waste of time and resources.
Infiltration Forums > Archived UE Tutorials, Lessons, and Useful Info > drain boards (Viewed 364 times)

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