Gary Dykman wanted to spoil his grandchildren, but rather than toys, he opted to build a mini amusement back, complete with a backyard roller coaster. This retired mechanic said it wasn’t too difficult to figure out and actually got the idea before his first grandchild was even born.
Though not difficult, he did still have to spend 3-months building the roller coaster, with several 10-hour days on the weekends thrown as well as a few sessions after an entire day at his workplace. What kinds of parts did he use? A race car-sourced seat, twenty-four wheels from skateboards, a hay baler chain drive, and chicken plucker pulleys. The fiinshed roller coaster can reach speeds of up to 20 mph, while a seatbelt and handlebar ensure rider safety. For those interested in backyard roller coasters, this teenager also built one that you can actually ride.
- BUILD YOUR OWN ROLLER COASTER: The Cyclone from CDX Blocks is engineered for quick assembly and realistic operation via gravity and is our flagship...
- REALISTIC MECHANICAL OPERATION: The roller coaster ride features an ingenious gear system to bring the roller coaster up the initial hill climb, for...
- UNLIMITED POSSIBILITIES: All CDX Blocks model sets and accessories are compatible with the world’s leading building block system for maximum play...
Photo credit: Elvia Verdugo
When I heard that I was going to be a granddaddy, I got excited and built a roller coaster. So it was done before she was even born. It was fun. I had a great time figuring out the angles and, like, the speed of the chain coming back up the car. It’s the only time I’ve ever used Pi in my life, to figure out how fast to come up and I was amazed I remembered it,” said Dykman.
