Morning….
this winters project will be building my own longboard…
anyone built their own one and have any tips for me?
Cheers

I assume you are just making the deck?
Theres a few guides on google that are pretty good.
Looks like you just layer wood and glue with a bit of shaping.

yeah just the deck. was looking at layered maple and carbon but finding the maple is proving tricky…. have looked on google but i thought i would ask the hive mind as there is bound to be someone on here who has made one….

I used to skate and should really make my own board as I’m a furniture maker and use vaccuum forming bags and laminates quite a lot, but never got round to it.

We buy lots of hardwood veneers, about 1.6.. thick though what you want is constructional veneers I’d say, which are a good degree thicker but still pliable.

Are longboard decks flat or do they have some concave? If so then I guess you need a mould and access to vaccuuming equipment.

For veneers try Capital Crispin in London, Select Veneers, or Specialised veneers whom I think have an ebay shop.

chers kayak… yes some do have shape to them to give a flexible deck. like me i used to skate alot and now minivader is getting faster on his scooter i reckon its time for me to get some wheels!
i can make the former and do the lamminating but dont really want to buy a vaccuum bag (could i make one??) was thinking that a decent matched former with even clamping should do the trick…

Don’t quote me on this, but I believe that you can rig up a vac-bag for smaller pieces with one of those under-bed duvet/sheet vacuum bag things you can buy.
Its a common misconception that it is the bag that is pressing down on the laminates and as such needs to be chunky and thick. Because its a vacuum its atmospheric pressure doing the pushing.
Google about a bit, and perhaps go on UKwoodworkshop forums and ask the same questions. There should be some folks who can help you on there.
Be interested to see the development if you get around to doing it.. 🙂

definately further information as events warrant! hopfully will have the bits for this soon. plus mrs vader just said that we could probably buy some vaccuum bags… result!!! (tho i doubt that she will want the one i use back!!)

I did a few years ago. Lush longboards used to sell big sheets of ply for making a deck. Mine has got no concave. seems to go alright. I made a cardboard template for nose and tail shapes but only for one side so I could flip it along the centrline for symmetry.

ssd… thats a good idea with the template. was going to draw one fully but that seems like a better idea…. will see if lush still do their ply.

Yes, I’ve made loads of longboard decks and normal street decks.
The street decks are boring to make and involve a vacuum bag.
However, the long boards I’ve made are all hardwood and steam bent to create a bit of flex.
They are quite straight forward to make and look ace.
If you email me direct I can send you some pictures and nurse you through the first one if you like?
My email is in my profile.

many years ago when I was about 10, I cut up a set of my sisters roller skates and nailed them to a bit of fencing board. I assume you are looking for something more than this though.

Eddie YGM Cheers
bruneep…. i got into so much crap doing exactly the same when i was a kid 😆

Me and my dad used to make them back in the 70s.
2 sheets of marine ply, g-clamps, wood glue and a kettle for a bit of steam.
Here’s one of the early models. Still got the one that was made just after this!

Nice debz… want to make mine a bit longer tho!!

Heres mine, not concaved but plenty flexible.

Great fun to make and ride.

The longboard is nearly 4 ft long.

I like the above very very much. This thread has certainly made my day. DezB awesome picture and psychobiker that is amazing

Love that board psychobiker. Which woods have you used?

(you taking orders?)

In school (about 89) my tech teacher let me make a 7 ply board. I broke it and we tried making another. It also broke so he let me make the third out of mahogany veneer! Nowhere near as strong as canadian maple but it lasted fairly well. I got a concave into it,a rocker, a tail and a slight nose to it as well. I shaped,stained and yacht varnished it after copying some Alva graphics and painting it on.

I wouldn’t bother trying to make another board for attempting tricks on. I think it would break easily but I’d deffo give a long board a go as it’s not going to take a lot of abuse. That looks great,Psyc!

Dez,old school concrete has a certain something over all the polished perfection of today’s parks. It’s not perfect but that looks like a place I could skate and ride all day long. Where is it?

edit: Anyone remember Holywell bay skatepark near Newquay? I loved that mini ramp that tapered steeper as it got further down the hill. Flat banked with big rounded off lips too. I heard it all got knocked down many years ago.

Have you all seen the vids by Pietro Vallome? Check them out on Vimeo.
Concave too, no steam involved.
Part 1
Part 2

It’s not perfect but that looks like a place I could skate and ride all day long. Where is it?

That was Plymouth skatepark.
Had an absolutely awesome snake run there. Only went once when we were down there on family hols, can’t imagine the place still exists…

I was toying with the idea of sticking my Lush longboard on Ebay, having not ridden it for ages, but this thread may have just inspired me to keep it.

40s not too old, right?

Love that board psychobiker. Which woods have you used?

(you taking orders?)

I have use maple and walnut sandwiched and maple and cherry sandwiched. Just used up some spare / scrap timber at work. Unfortunately they dont allow us to use the scrap anymore it has to be binned.

If I could get a supply, I would make more, think I did about 6 all in, My longboard, my daughters skateboard, 1 for a charity auction, and I sold a couple. still have one deck left, the one being glued in the pictures. If I remember I will get a picture to show you, with measurements.

Used cascamite to glue the laminations together. they are surprisingly strong and yet flexible without being sloppy.

Another one for over 40 as well.

My brother made one in the 70’s not sure he had seen a real one at the time, it was about 4ft long but 1 1/2ft wide, it had cut up roller skates underneath, it turned alright until you got to about 5 deg lean then its excessive width meant the deck was dragging on the ground.

I hope this helps.

I got a mahoosive Sector 9 I bought in califorinia about 10 years ago but running my 70’s orange 70mm Kryptonics on it.

Just happy to be standing.