Homemade Wakeskate
Wakeskating is a popular water sport for extreme sports enthusiasts, combining wake boarding with skate boarding. Instead of strapping into the board with bindings, riders hold the board to their feet during launch, and stay on the board through the aid of grip tape and skate shoes, like with a skate board. Riders looking to customize their board shape, or simply to save a little money, can elect to make their own board using some plywood and epoxy.
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Things You'll Need
- Cardboard
- Marker
- Tape measure
- Scissors
- 1/8-inch thick plywood sheets
- Epoxy
- C-clamps
- Scrap wood blocks, as tall as your desired bend
- Weights
- Sandpaper
- Drill
- Wakeboard fins
- Spray-on urethene
- Screwdriver
Instructions
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1
Draw the pattern for your board on a piece of cardboard using the marker. Use the tape measure to ensure the dimensions are as desired, and don't hesitate to visit a water sports shop or look online for dimensions of popular boards. Cut out the pattern with scissors after it has been drawn.
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2
Trace the pattern onto the plywood four to eight times, as needed to attain your desired wakeskate thickness.
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3
Identify the piece of plywood with the smoothest side, which will be your bottom, and apply epoxy to the reverse side of this piece of plywood. Place another piece of wood atop the epoxy, and repeat until all of the pieces of plywood are secured together with epoxy.
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4
Use C-clamps to secure the pieces of wood and to prevent shifting as the boards dry.
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5
Position two blocks of scrap wood so that the ends of the board rest atop the blocks. With the blocks perpendicular to the riding direction of the board, place weights in the center of the board so that it bends down to touch the floor in the center. Leave the boards to dry overnight.
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6
Remove the weights and clamps. Sand the edges of the board until they are smooth to prevent injury.
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7
Drill holes in the front and rear of the board to mount the wakeboard fins. Most fins will attach with a pair of screws, positioned vertically along the center of the board.
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8
Spray the board with urethane. This will be the protective layer that prevents the board from being damaged by the water.
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9
Apply a piece of grip tape to the top of the board, and mount the wakeboard fins to complete the board.
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References
- Photo Credit motor boat image by Wimbledon from Fotolia.com
