Make Your Own Skateboard Deck - How to Make a Skateboard Deck

Skateboards started appearing in the United States in the 1950s. Initially, in the first five years, they did not gain a lot of popularity. However, by the mid 1960s, the demand for skate boards had grown so much that manufacturers were mass producing them. Today skateboarding is one of the most important sport in the culture of the United States and is also practiced in many other countries world wide.

In the initial years the models of the skateboards were quite simple and the board was operated on simple principles of physics. However, as the demand for skateboards started increasing, manufacturers introduced many mass production techniques in order to boost the production capacities. With time the skateboards started evolving and many advanced techniques and concepts were inducted in the simple model. Today, the skateboards have become quite advanced and a variety of techniques have been inducted in skateboard designs. All the manufacturers have some or the other unique feature in their designs.

The following are some of the common components of the modern skateboards.

• Deck: The deck of the skate board is the small platform on which the skateboarder stands.
• Trucks: The truck of the skate board is one of the most important innovation to be used in the design of a skateboard. The truck, fulfills the duty of being the axle of the skateboards. The basic function of the truck is to hold the pair of wheels and also reduce friction that develops during the motion, and connects the wheels to the deck of the skateboard.
• Wheels: The wheels of a skateboard are usually made up of a substance that is known as polyurethane. The wheels transfer the potential energy of the skateboard into kinetic energy and eventually sets it into motion.
• Bearings: The axle of the truck is connected to the wheels to empower appropriate locomotion. The ball bearings are placed in between the axle and wheels in order to minimize the friction and enable a smooth and speedy motion.
• Accessories and other hardware: The accessories include miscellaneous hardware that enhances the performance of the skateboard and also increases the safety of the skateboarder. These accessories include, rails, slip tape, ladder, nose guard, tail guard and angled risers. These accessories are not exactly necessary, however they tend to increase the performance.

How to Make a Skateboard Deck?

Skateboarders are often in search of new designs, ideas and techniques that they can integrate in their own skateboards. Many skateboarders come and ask me 'Dude, how do you make your own skateboard deck?', well this is what I tell them.

It is always advisable to make your own skateboard rather than order a custom-made one. The custom-made skateboards, are extremely beautiful and also very nice to skateboard on. However, making your own skateboard deck is more satisfying and you can also implement many ideas without spending a lot of money. The following is a very simple procedure to make your own skateboard deck.

Requirements

• Maple sheets
• Jigsaw
• Sandpaper
• Primer
• Paint
• Varnish
• Wood glue
• Wood saw

Procedure

• Step 1: The sheets of maple wood should ideally measure 15 cm in height. Glue together the sheets and let them dry for a few hours.
• Step 2: Cut the glued wooden sheets in the dimensions of 29" to 30" in length and 7.5" to 8.5" in width.
• Step 3: To give your skateboard the appropriate shape, use a pencil and another skateboard and sketch out the outline. Then using the wood saw, cut off the desired shape.
• Step 4: Put a coat of primer on the deck, and let it dry for a few hours. After the primer has dried out, paint some attractive designs on the deck and then give it a coat of varnish.

After you have prepared the deck you will need to attach the truck and wheels. You can source these from some junk yard or an old skateboard. You can also purchase brand new ones from a sports shop. After you are done with the assembly give your new skateboard a test ride and do a few tricks.