Building An AKC-spec Folding Practice Ramp

Updated: October 28, 2023
Original Article Published: June 11, 2019

Time: Under 3 Hours

Cost: $70.00

Materials Used:

• 2 Count – 3/4 Inch or 1 Inch MDF Sheet 2 Feet x 4 Feet
• 2 Count – 4 Inch Strap Hinge
• 4 Count – Precut 24 Inch 2x4 Lumber
• 4 Count – Everbilt 2-1/2 in. Zinc-Plated Double-Wide Corner Brace
• 8.5 Linear Feet of Ribbed Vinyl Runner (I Purchased A Runner 27” Wide)
• 1 Count of HOMEeasy Clear Double-Sided Seam Tape

Tools Needed:

• Utility Blade
• Drill
• Saw
• Optional: Square

Directions:

1. Decide how tall you would like your ramp to be. Using the pre-cut lumber as-is will provide you with a ramp 24 ¾ - 25 inches tall with a 30 degree incline. This is the maximum height a ramp can be. We built the “table” portion of the ramp this way and then decided that was much taller than the ramps used at our local shows so we used a saw to trim the legs down to 17.5 inches. AKC specs say that the ramp needs to be 15-24 inches high with no more than a 30 degree incline.
2. Line up where you would like the legs to go and secure with 2.5" L brackets.
3. Examine the height of your “table”, if you would like the overall height to be shorter, cut the legs now.
4. Fasten the two strap hinges onto the “table” so that the ramp will fold onto the top of the “table”. We fastened them 5 inches into each side.
5. Fasten the strap hinges onto the “ramp” portion.
6. Lay out the HOMEeasy double-sided tape on each side of the “table” then place additional tape in strips across the “table” and “ramp”. Make sure the hinges are adequately covered.
7. Prepare your vinyl by cutting your 8.5 foot piece into two 4.25 foot pieces.
8. Starting from the hinge side of the “ramp”, pull the paper off two or three strips of the double-sided tape and line up your vinyl runner and press the runner firmly onto the tape, smoothing out any bubbles. There will be “extra” hanging off the other 3 sides.
9. Progress by removing two or three strips of tape and repeating the process of smoothing the vinyl runner onto the surface.
10. Once this is complete, repeat with the “table” side.
11. Use the utility blade to cut away the extra runner off the sides of your practice ramp.