Nothing can give you a fun and exciting experience as cruising around the streets on a skateboard. Yes, you can also upgrade your game to make it as a pro skater and rule the skating rinks, but you have to take a start from somewhere.
If you are a beginner and can’t yet afford to buy a durable and fancy skateboard with one of the best skateboard decks, it’s a great idea to take the DIY route. With the right tools and some basic carpentry skills, you’ll be able to build your first skateboard and gear up to polish your skill on the streets. So, how to make skateboard? Here we have everything you need to know.
Materials and Tools Needed
- 1/2-inch plywood
- 3/4-inch hardwood
- Danish Oil
- Skateboard hardware including best skateboard wheels, trucks, bearings, mounting bolts, and grip tape
- Band saw or jigsaw
- Epoxy (optional)
- Drill with necessary drill bits (13/64)
- Straight Edge
- Rasp
- Sandpaper
- Router with a flush-trim and round-over bit
Before You Begin
To begin with, you need to have all the tools and materials required for making your own skateboard. Here, it is important to consider the size of the skateboard you’d like to have. Generally, it should be 8” in width and the length should range anywhere between 26” and 48”. If you want to cruise around the streets, you’d like to have a shorter board. Normally, anything around 36” in length is good enough.
How To Make Skateboard?
To make the best skateboard for kids using the DIY method, you’ll have to first make a template and then implement that same template on the wooden board to make your perfect cruiser. Let’s find out what you need to do in each step.
Make a Skateboard Template
It is very important to make a perfect template for your DIY skateboard. So, you should cut a bigger piece of plywood compared to the size of your skateboard. Next, follow the steps below to make your skateboard template.
- Draw a line in the center to mark the middle of your skateboard on the plywood.
- Transfer or draw the shape of your skateboard on the plywood. Draw both the halves of your skateboard if you can now visualize your final product. If you can’t clearly visualize it, just one side of the board drawn on the plywood would do.
- Mark the points where you’ll put the trucks.
- Cut the waste away using a Jigsaw. Try to get as closer to the line as possible to avoid any work to be done by hand. The idea here is to ensure that you make a clean cut.
- Use a file, rasp, and sandpaper to work the edges so that you end up with clean curves as well as a smooth edge. By now, you should be able to get the feel of how your skateboard should appear. Don’t forget to run the fingers along the edge so that any lows and highs can be found.
- Use 13/64 bit to drill the trucks’ holes into the plywood.
Make The Actual Skateboard
Once you have the template ready, start making the actual skateboard by using the template. To begin with, do any necessary prep work on the hardwood. Cut it to length, make it square, or do whatever else needs to be done. Next, follow the steps below to make the skateboard.
- Put the template on the hardwood for drilling out the holes to attach the trucks. They also serve the purpose of aligning the template. Now, use a countersink bit for creating an appropriately-sized hole where the truck bolts can sit flush with your skateboard’s top.
- Align your template with the hardwood by putting pins in several of these truck holes. Once aligned, trace the template so that it marks an edge of the board. Next, flip it over and trace that same shape again.
- Roughly cut the board and try to get as close as possible to the line while making sure that you do not go over.
- Use pins again now for aligning the hardwood and the template. Double-sided tape can be used for creating a solid connection.
- Follow the edge of the template with a router that has a flush-trim or template bit on it. Do it cautiously as you’ll be moving against the hardwood’s grain and that increases the chances of wood cracking.
- Change the router bits swapping them with a 3/8-inch or 1/4-inch round-over to create a clean edge on your skateboard.
- In case, if the wood has any knots, it is advised to use some epoxy to stabilize them. After curing the epoxy, do some sanding to make it flat.
- Do a good bit of sanding on the entire board, down to 220 grit. Once done, remove all that dust using a tack cloth or a shop vac.
- Apple some Danish oil coats on the board and then polyurethane coats to protect your skateboard from any unwanted elements.
- Apply a couple of grip tape strips, showing off some wood. Just where you have the holes for the trucks, poke the holes into the grip.
- Mount the trucks and put the wheels on. Your skateboard is ready to roll!
So, no need to wonder how to make skateboard anymore. Just follow the procedure above and you’ll have your first skateboard ready in no time.