These are just guidelines for construction. You won't find detailed plans or measurements here. This information on fiberglass Street Luge construction is based on my own experience, observations and experimentation. Tim Novak and HAE are not responsible in any way for mishaps, damages or injuries incurred while operating any streetluge built using these guidelines. Remember, street luging is a dangerous activity, especially when it is done on a poorly designed craft or when used without proper safety considerations.

     Having built street luges from wood and metal, I wanted to give fiberglass construction a try. With my friend Pete making a street luge at the same time, we shared some expenses and ideas as we worked together in my basement. If you're planning to glass up a 'luge, know that lots and lots of dust will be generated so be sure your work space is prepared for a VERY messy asault! Dust masks and good ventilation are definitely required.

     Building this street luge was a pretty large commitment of both time and money. It took about $250 cover all the material and tool costs. Lots to buy: glass fabric, epoxy system, plywood, styrofoam, sandpaper, small paint rollers, rubber gloves, face masks... There were two major work phases: shaping and glassing. The entire street luge was "carved" from wood and styrofoam first. I opted for a "pegless" design with two front trucks for increased traction in the turns as well as the added stability. When the desired shape was achieved, the foam and wood "core" was covered with the fiberglass fabric and "wet out" with the mixed epoxy. After four months of building, glassing, sanding and painting, my luge was ready to ride. Of course, most of that time in the basement was spent drinking beer while discussing our designs and I believe the project could have been completed in a couple of weeks.

     The "core" of my street luge was mostly 2 inch Styrofoam insulation purchased from the local home improvement mega store. The foam was cut and shaped with jigsaw, hacksaw and table saw cuts first. Before the exterior shape was considered, we created a plywood skeleton which fit "inside" our foam. The plywood also provided stable and flat areas where we could mount the trucks and wheels. As for keeping all the core components together, we used Gorilla Glue because it has a unique space filling expanding cure that works great at adhering foam to plywood as well as being easy to sand. Once the street luge shape was finished, I attached the handle mounts and prepared to lay on the fiberglass. If you have never handled fiberglass before, I suggest you read up on the process or find someone who has done it to help you. (that's what I did... thanks Pete). The process requires multiple layers with lots and lots of sanding.

     I did a test run before I painted my street luge to confirm my design was sound enough to race. It also let me know BEFORE I paint where the scraping and grinding would occur. The paint I chose was a "hammer tone" finish that is great at masking the inevitable scratches and scrapes that you should expect during a day of street luging. I ran this 'luge during my first Amateur Street Luge competition at GSI's New york race with a finish of 8th (out of 12). I was very pleased with my first fiberglass street luge and learned quite a bit during the process. I can't wait to start on the next one...

The "next one" is finished.