How to Make Skateboard Decks
As you become a more accomplished skateboarder, you will want a deck that is custom designed to your style of riding. You may also want to try different designs and truck placements to see how they affect your riding. But, you might not have the money to invest in several different commercial decks. You can design and make skateboard decks fairly easily for less than you think. Using a simple method of laminating thin sheets of maple wood together, you can create a custom deck that will deliver the responsiveness of a commercially made one.
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Things You'll Need
- Paper
- Pencil
- Tape measure
- Scotch tape
- Scissors
- Sheet of maple wood (1/8-inch wide)
- Jigsaw
- Wood glue (1 gallon)
- Paint roller and tray
- Clamps
- Rough-grain sandpaper
- Fine-grain sandpaper
Instructions
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Sketch out the design for your skateboard deck. Your drawing does not have to be to size or accurate, but you want to include any aspects of the design and notes to yourself about how you want your deck shaped.
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Measure an existing skateboard deck that you have liked using. Write down the length and width on your paper. Now, make any adjustments to these measurements that you will want to make in your deck. This is the blueprint you will follow to construct a deck that is custom built to you.
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Now, draw an outline of the deck you want to make on a sheet of paper in the actual size that it will be. Use a large sheet of paper or tape several small ones together. When you are satisfied that you have an accurate outline of the deck, cut the paper deck out with a pair of scissors. This will be your template.
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Trace your template on your sheet of maple wood. Take your time and go slowly, trying to be as accurate and smooth with your pencil lines as you can. You will want to trace the template on the sheet about nine times so you can cut nine decks out of the board.
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Cut the decks pieces out of your sheet of maple using the jigsaw. As you finish cutting each deck piece, brush both sides of the piece free of any sawdust or debris, and set it to one side.
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Pour your wood glue into the paint tray and dip your paint roller in just as if you were getting ready to roll paint onto a wall. Coat one side of one deck piece completely with a thin, smooth layer of the wood glue. Then, take another deck piece and place it onto of the one you just applied glue to so the edges are perfectly applied. Apply a layer of glue to the top of that piece and stack another new one on top of it. Repeat this until all of your pieces are stacked with a layer of glue between them. Do not apply glue to the top of the very last deck piece.
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Clamp the pieces together tightly, making sure the edges stay lined up, and watch that the center does not buckle up, allowing the pieces to separate. When all your pieces are firmly clamped together, set them aside and allow them to dry for about 24 hours.
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Remove the clamps from your board. Using a rough-grain sand paper, sand the edges till they are even. Then, use a fine-grain sand paper to smooth the edges and curve any corners. You skateboard deck is ready for grip, graphics and trucks.
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Tips & Warnings
Place several books or boards on the center of your stack of decks to press them more firmly together as they dry.
Make sure that the glue has completely dried before shaping and finishing the edges, or you could break the adhesion between your deck pieces, causing the board to fail later when you are using it.
Resources
- Photo Credit Roarockit, Inc.
