Custom Pressed Longboard Deck

I have always been a fan of board sports, living in Boulder for the last few years I have found longboarding to be my primary and most favorite mode of transportation.

Over the years I have made several longboard and cruiser decks that I really enjoy, but they have all suffered from a similar material problem. The plywood I have been using is Baltic Birch, which is fantastic as it’s rigidity and softness makes it very forgiving to work with and shape without the need for a press: the tendency of the plywood to lay flat has enabled me to glue and bend it into shape without the need of many extra supports.

[1] The clamping process in manufacturing my skate decks

The downside of the birch ply is that it is very soft. The decks experience razor tail, or a thinning of the edge from dragging, at an accelerated rate, and any impacts the boards sustain leave deep gouges. To branch out and follow a process more similar to how traditional skateboard decks are made, I glued up very thin sheets of Rock Maple into a laminate following my original manufacturing process and found that the deck was full of air pockets, and was broken rather easily

[2] A failed skateboard deck

For this project I would like to continue in my endeavor and take style cues from my own projects and inspiration from old school 80’s skateboard aesthetics. Old school boards are usually characterized as having wide decks, mellow concave and sharp nose and tail kicks. I found that I really enjoy the surfing inspired design cues that the old school boards possess in addition the wide decks that better suit my shoes and riding style. The sharp bends in the nose and tail are also more accessible for me to design around with my limited machinery.

[3] Moose Old School Skateboard Deck from Moose Skateboards Amazon page

I plan to use Rock Maple sheet again for this project, and I think I would like to use a cherry veneer to capture a warm and surfy feel that I have grown to appreciate. My plan to improve my manufacturing process is to take inspiration from my automotive race team’s carbon composite manufacturing. I will likely create a concave mold from insulation foam to lay the maple and cherry slices over and then vacuum bag the assembly to effectively press the board.

My biggest concerns are finding a release agent or a low effort process to shape the foam that will be applicable to a skateboard deck. The process for creating a carbon fiber aerodynamic element is usually very detailed, and I know that the wood will be more forgiving and less involved.

 

[Image 3] Amazon.com : Moose Old School Skateboard Deck (10″ x 30″, Natural) : Old School Blank Skateboard Decks : Sports & Outdoors