Materials

While skateboards are infinitely variable (size, shape, colors, intended use, etc.) the main appeal to me as a builder is the standardization among the materials. Most other technologies have idiosyncratic designs that eschew interchangeability or reuse of technology.

For example, there are only two common bolt patterns for attaching trucks to decks: old school and new school. AND, the only difference between the two is the length of the spacing. The width and hole size are the same and this is universal. Most high-end trucks come with six bolt holes to accommodate either pattern (old or new school). Whether you are in Europe, Asia, or Americas the bolts are interchangeable between metric and U.S. fasteners (5.0mm x 0.8mm or #10-32). The axel diameter and wheel bearing diameters are completely standardized and interchangeable. You can literally put long board hardware on a street deck and vice-versa…

Try swapping wheel or suspension parts between a Ford and a Volkswagen, or even a Chevrolet.

So let’s look at what goes into a skateboard deck. It’s basically a plank to stand on with wheels bolted to the bottom. Virtually any wood will work, but most common and the best performance arises from laminating thin layers of wood (plywood). If you are interested in a flat board any lumber will work and there are certainly many brilliant designs within this style. To create cool shapes and curves the thin sheets are glued together and then pressed onto a form with the desired shape. A big misconception is that flat plywood is soaked or steamed and then “bent” into shape. There are several engineering and structural reasons why this isn’t a good approach, but most importantly is the stress load that would be applied to the previously cured glue.

I have used birch veneer with good results but the most successful (for appearance and strength) is maple sheets. I typically use seven layers of veneer that are 1/16” thick (1.5mm). I’ve made a few boards for larger folks and I’ve used eight and even nine layers but seven is very strong and more than adequate. The typical layer layout is two good quality “face” sheets that will be visible. Sandwiched between the outer sheets will be three “core” sheets and two “cross-grained” (the grain perpendicular to the other sheets). This results in good strength and flexibility.

Titebond III wood glue is applied between the sheets and I use a vacuum bag air press to “clamp” the veneers to a pre-formed piece of styrofoam. After 24 hours the bond is permanent and stronger that the actual wood.

NEXT STEPS: Laying out the bolt hole pattern, cutting the periphery shape, and rounding over the edges.

Look on the “About” page for photos of the process…