Anybody made a skateboard?

[Aled Dafis]

I've been asked by my D+T class if they could make skateboards, but the fact is that I've never made one.

I guess that the theory is quite straightforward, I just need to make a former (pair of formers?) and press the veneers in our vacuum press. What glue would be best, I assume that Titebond 3 would be good, but would any cross linking PVA do?

As always in a school environment, cost will be a major issue, so can anybody point me towards a cheap supplier of suitable veneers.

Cheers

Aled

 

[Mr Ed]

I seem to recall reading a blog post about the Roarockit skateboard kit on Matts Basement Workshop last year. I appreciate you don't want a kit, but there may be some ideas you could nick from there.

This is the products site;

http://www.roarockit.com/

Ed

 

[CNC Paul]

I've been asked by my D+T class if they could make skateboards, but the fact is that I've never made one.

I guess that the theory is quite straightforward, I just need to make a former (pair of formers?) and press the veneers in our vacuum press. What glue would be best, I assume that Titebond 3 would be good, but would any cross linking PVA do?

As always in a school environment, cost will be a major issue, so can anybody point me towards a cheap supplier of suitable veneers.

Cheers

Aled

Ale,

Is the pair of formers for two skateboards or a male and female for one board ?

 

[miles_hot]

I just need to make a former (pair of formers?) and press the veneers in our vacuum press.

Aled

I would have thought with a vac press you'd only need one former - the bag would provide the pressure on the top and the former the shape from the bottom - or am I talking out of my **** on this one?

Miles

 

[Jake]

Dump Titebond for a good euro brand D4 PVA it will be every bit as strong, and probably with less tackifiers which are irrelevant (and probably actively unhelpful) in a vacuum press. The yellow food colouring is neither here nor there.

For veneers, you'll need some skaters to tell you what the desired materials are.

 

[wizer]

Do you have a vac pump? I think they are normally laminated forms. Pretty cool project for school students.

 

[big soft moose]

you might find these insteresting / useful

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid ... 785159366#

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6hgEBGtNh8

http://www.essortment.com/hobbies/makec ... e_skfi.htm

http://www.finewoodworking.com/Projects ... x?id=27980

 

[jimi43]

I think the design side would be fun for them...they could draw out all the designs on the flat....

If you get some thin ply you can then laminate it around a former which would give the tail kick-up and leave the rest flat....it's not much of a former.

Do it in sheets so you end up with a long sheet the width of the skateboards with a kickup formed on one side. Then they can cut out their templates and glue them on the wood and cut around them using a jigsaw...or a fretsaw if the H&S abounds.

Then you can safely leave them with some 80 grit to sand up to the lines.

Once done you can move on to painting...etc....

Get a bulk purchase of wheels and axle assemblies and break stops and you are done.

Great projects for kids IMHO....

Then you can let them loose in the playground with helmets, body armour and other such stuff!

Why not get them in teams and have them make a ramp each too!


Jim

 

[OPJ]

I would have thought with a vac press you'd only need one former - the bag would provide the pressure on the top and the former the shape from the bottom - or am I talking out of my **** on this one?

Miles

I agree with Miles (...no, not about the last bit! )

I think you'd only need two formers if you were laminating using only cramps or, in a proper veneer press... Depending on the thickness, some laminations would have to be vacuum-pressed in several smaller stages. With a skateboard though, I reckon you might be okay (always do a 'dry run'! :wink.

 

[would not]

When I was making carbon fibre stuff a few years ago I made a few skate boards. I used epoxy resin between the boards and a pine former. I can't remember what wood I used, I looked it up on the net what others were using. I know there was at least 2 types and I put some carbon inbetween some of the layers. I made some notes at the time if i can find them i'll let you have a copy..

I've just sold the vac pump to Wizer

 

[big soft moose]

Why not get them in teams and have them make a ramp each too!


Jim

http://www.buildaramp.com/index.shtml

 

[wizer]

I've just sold the vac pump to Wizer

 

[Aled Dafis]

Wow!! Thanks for the quick replies guys.

Do you have a vac pump? I think they are normally laminated forms. Pretty cool project for school students.

Yes as I'd thought, a single former will be fine to use in the vacuum press. I see that the Roarockit kits that Ed linked to actually use the little wine bottle vacuum press kits.

The class is a group of kids that became completely dissilusioned by the Media Studies course they'd been forced to study, and as would be expected, they've been playing up and making a nuisance of themselves to the point that the only solution was to find an outlet for them. The boys really are good kids, but academic study just isn't for them.

I only took them under my wing today, and foolishly promised to teach them almost exclusively by doing mini projects as opposed to sitting them down and going through the theory. When I was talking about plywood, I mentioned that Skateboards are made in much the same way, obviously the next question was whether they could make skateboards. It's going to be as much of a learning curve for me as for them.

Can't wait to get stuck in.

Cheers

Aled

 

[wizer]

Can I come to your school??

 

[Smudger]

I've seen the 'How It's Made' on skateboards, and they seemed to use thin ply, laminated and pressed in a former, so a buck and a bag might well work. They then spend time cleaning up the edges (with small routers - could be dodgy!) and appliqueing or silkscreening a design and many coats of lacquer. Then screw the trucks etc on. Looks like a long project, but quite a straightforward one. And the baggy trouser brigade would love it!

And if Tom applies for a place - run!

 

[Aled Dafis]

Can I come to your school??

"Slap head back whingers need not apply" :wink:

 

[Aled Dafis]

I've seen the 'How It's Made' on skateboards, and they seemed to use thin ply, laminated and pressed in a former, so a buck and a bag might well work. They then spend time cleaning up the edges (with small routers - could be dodgy!) and appliqueing or silkscreening a design and many coats of lacquer. Then screw the trucks etc on. Looks like a long project, but quite a straightforward one. And the baggy trouser brigade would love it!

That's what I thought too. It's just a case now of sourcing the Veneer. I gather that 1.5mm maple is the material of choice.

Cheers

Aled

 

[leverb01507]

I did give this a go at one point but i just used clamps and a male and female former (i dont have a vac pump). I actually used woodcare pu glue but only because it was all i had in the shop at the time, still worked ok though. 7 plys of maple was my choice seems pretty standard.

 

[shannyla]

About the material you need, skateboards are always made from maple, traditionally 7 plies of sugar maple veneers. PVA is the glue of choice and you need to leave them to cure for days before you trim them.

One of the main properties you are looking for in a board is durability and toughness, most important if you land one from a good height you don't want it to snap underneath you, as that can smart a bit. Don't ask me how I know etc... but my elbow and collar bone arent really where they should be anymore...

Here's a handy link with mucho detail: http://diyskate.com/veneer.html

 

[shannyla]

If you get some thin ply you can then laminate it around a former which would give the tail kick-up and leave the rest flat....it's not much of a former

I'm going to assume you haven't seen a skateboard since the seventies.. :wink:

Camber and rocker are quite important to register your feet when skating. At one point in the nineties the shapes got incredibly complex and refined, before becoming much simpler again, but they are definitely not flat with a kicktail.