Custom Handmade Skateboard, Part 2

Mapping deck shape and truck location.

I wound up making two skateboards, one out of a solid piece of poplar, with a design resembling a twin-fin surfboard, and the other out of a solid piece of red oak, a short board replica. After mapping out the deck and the truck location, I cut the deck out of the solid wood with a saw.

To drill the holes for the trucks, it is imperative to get a straight hole, so a drill press is key. Luckily we had a drill press and did not kill ourselves messing with it.

The only way to get the proper shape was to bust out the block plane to shape the rails, nose, tail and overall dynamics of the board, then sand the crap out of it until it is smooth, even and symmetrical. It takes quite a bit of time and an eye for it (as well as a couple other people's eyes to tell you when it looks like crap).

The shaping and sanding is time consuming, and could probably be done quicker with a palm router, but using a plane and sander gives it little extra character. Once shaped and sanded, the decks look mean and quick—straight up Dogtown and Z-Boys throwbacks, wooden hand-shaped bullets.

For the twin-fin, I got some inexpensive gear to test the board out. Using some Cargo 129mm trucks with Sector 9 'Nine Ball' 61mm/78A wheels and some Bones Reds bearings, I raised them up a 1/4” so the wheels would not rub the rails and I would not have to carve out wheel wells. The board is fast and maneuvers like a gem. Even though it is pint-sized, just under 30” long, the board can fly down the road and turns quite quickly.

Red oak shortboard up top, poplar twin-fin with the blue wheels.

I was a little worried that the poplar, a much lighter wood then oak would be a little weak and bend under the pressure of my 175lb frame, but it holds up perfectly. Word of advice, use soft risers versus hard. Since these decks are solid wood they do not flex like ply, so the squishy risers give just a little, keeping the ride smooth. I was afraid the board would ride like an old Jeep Wrangler with a suspension as stiff as a tractor, but these things are as sweet and soft as a marshmallow.

For the solid oak bullet, I went a little oversized for the gear, more for a fashion statement and an added bit of maneuverability. Slapping some Randal RII 180mm/50-degrees on a 1/2” riser, with some 70mm wheels and Sector 9 Platinum Abec 9 bearings (smooth sailing for $30, like the $100 Bones Swiss Ceramic bearings but a third of the cost), this board straight up flies. It looks like a surfboard monster truck, and as unstable as all hell, but don't judge a book by its cover. Once your on this thing and cruising, its all gravy; turns like a dream and rolls on for miles.

Jorge's board in the forefront.

My Colombian brotha Jorge over at RainySun Design came by this past weekend for a little woodshop class and made a fat popsicle of a board. Longer then the little minis, Jorge's board is also made out of solid red oat and sits around three-feet long. We slapped slightly larger Cargo trucks (149mm) with 1/2” risers on the deck to make up for the size difference. And with the Mother always on our minds here at Shore Life and Rainy Sun, Jorge went for the Dregs eco-savvy wheels, the Luv Yo Mutha 71mm made out of soy, eschewing the oil-based polyurethane wheels of old. (We'll keep you posted on how these bad boys hold up. This is a relatively new technology to skating, so the verdict is yet to be rendered, but if they burn out or hold up, we'll let you know.)

With the slightly larger deck and bigger set of hardware, the 'Bro-Sicle' handles much more like a traditional longboard skateboard without the major flex the ply-made boards usually undergo. This board is perfect for cruising A1A at Carlin Park.

Both the poplar twin-fin and oak shortboard, handmade skateboards.

These boards are unique, so if you are not wanting attention on a busy sidewalk or street, skate fast, because people will try to stop you to look at the goods. The next step is design. Still working with some different paints and varnishes, so we'll have to catch you later when the project is complete and have a full report.

Cheers and enjoy the Shore Life! 

*Photos by Rainy Sun Design