The Absolute Easiest Way to Build a Longboard
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- Опубликовано: 20 июн 2024
- In this video I'm going to show you how you can make your own longboard deck with only a handful of tools and less than $50 in materials. Let's get building!
Baltic birch plywood sheet:
www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07...
Titebond III:
www.amazon.com/Titebond-Ultim...
Grab a free bolt hole drilling template:
www.goodroadscollective.com/s...
Or drill perfect bolt holes with the Scarab drilling guide:
www.goodroadscollective.com/s...
Rounding your deck’s rails is a breeze with the Bishop router mount:
www.goodroadscollective.com/s...
Want to support the channel? Check out the Patreon:
/ goodroads
IG: @chrisfromgoodroads
Tunes by Drew McCann:
drewmccann.bandcamp.com/ 
Хобби
Old woodworker trick, sprinkle some regular table salt on the glue surface, it’ll act as “sandpaper” and prevent the glue-up from moving on you. The salt dissolves into the glue.
Best video on how to make a longboard 🤙🏽
Wow, thanks!
I agree!!!
I love surfing and I want a 33" mini longboard, so I followed your instructions with the help of my grandfather and his tools. I used riser pads as my guides for the holes. It came descent, I just had issues with the rocker. Thank you for this video. Hello from Singapore!
I used this method back in high school to make longboards with my friends. We didn’t have enough clamps so we used a car and some jacks to put pressure on the mold.
That will definitely do the job. I've never done a car press but it totally works
Man that’s so cool. Now that’s improvising, love it 😃
I've done some hobbyist woodworking but never any kind of lamination. I've recently gotten into longboarding and this video (and others of yours) gave me the confidence to tackle my own longboard deck build. The lamination came out better than I could've hoped. I'm anxious for the finish to cure so I can set up the board and enjoy the fruit of my work. Thank you for the thoughtful and helpful content! I look forward to seeing more of your projects.
That's awesome! Congrats on the build!
this is THE MOST helpful shaping video I've ever seen; I have not wanted to build a concrete hydraulic/clamp press type mold-thank you so much for sharing these techniques!!
My pleasure, I'm just passing the techniques along!
you know what would be cool? you sending some of your creation to braille to shred!
100%, I've got some projects planned for this year that I want to tackle before I send them something though. I want it to be legit. And if their crew is down, obviously.
This was excellent, thank you for showing me a way around the vac bag trick.
Awesome tutorial, and bonus points for protecting your melon! I'm 6' and 210 lbs and ride a 46" pintail, and it's tough finding alternate decks to match it's beefy qualities. I'd like to try your method to make a similar-sized deck with a kicktail and maybe a weird shape to it. If I ever get around to it I'll send you a photo!
Please do! I'd love to see it
That bolt guide! Got me one thanks!
Oh that video is just perfect ... I want a longboard but also I want my money ... So this video will help my dad make me a longboard . 😀
Brilliant, I've been wanting to build a board to my specs for sometime now, this guide is perfect. Gonna head to the workshop now and 'use what I've got.'
I loveeeee the vibe this video gives, super chilled
Great video!
That was so fun to watch and learn. God bless you ☺️🙏🏼❤️
Completed the first step, created a press and glued the first. Waiting 3 days to release the board. I want to thank you.
Awesome! That's going to make such a great gift
Underrated video and channel as a whole, i have a longboard but I want a shorter deck available as well and this video is just what i needed!
thank you this was helpful
Thanks for this video bro! Appreciated :)
Wow phenomenal video presentation editing description board build I can go on and on no time for commas. Love jt!!
thank you so much for this. I've never seen a tutorial on this as clear as this video
GREAT VIDEO MAN!!!! Thank you for making it! I want to make a long board deck for a good friend of mine as a thank you for some help he gave me while I was down and out.
Now I’ve got the tips I need to make it happen. Keep up the SOLID WORK!! 😀👍
Thanks for the tips! I've been making skateboards with your previous tutorials
That's awesome! Send me some pictures!
Nice quality Video, nice vibes, enjoyed to watch! Nice greets from Germany
Nice help👍thx
Excellent, thank you! I think I'll make one with camber.
Definitely inspired 🔥🔥
muy útil amigo , gracias
just finished making my press! Now on to making the mold while my veneers come in. Thanks for all the help, I will let you know on how it goes!
Sweet! Can't wait to see what you come up with
Gate video, I don’t know I was just that easy! Tank you😁
Didn’t*
Making it now with my son. It is a lot of fun!
I love hearing this! What a great way to spend time together with your family
This is a great video bro, I’m making a deck from epoxy and wood like the river tables. But this was great for giving me an idea of how to form my board after it has cured and is flat. Thx man
Love this video. Thought about making boards as a business because I used to love skating and had many injuries that prevent me from actually skating. It’s a good way to stay involved, just not sure I have the skill for it.
Thanks for the video! You inspired me to make a board for my son for his b-day here in a few weeks. I've ordered all of the components and wood and have a press ready to go for when it gets here. I'm very excited about it and hope he will be too!
That's amazing! What a great gift. I'd love to see what you come up with.
@@GoodRoads I got it all done! I put up a blog post about it. If you hit the link in my about page, it'll take you there! Thanks again! He loved it!
Checked out your build, looks amazing with the automotive blue! Any issues with the board so far?
@@garretteverett2613 Thanks!! It's been rock solid! It feels a little too flexible when I ride it (180lbs) so I'd go thicker if I were building another for me, but he's put it through a lot of abuse over the past year at 130lbs or so and it's been great! Thanks again!
You inspired me to make my own
That's awesome. I'd love to see what you come up with!
This glue really is amazing I bought some for maken rifle stock
Cool 👍🏻👍🏻
New subscriber here….you have an awesome channel….your videos are super helpful and not confusing and complicated like others out there!! Peace from Oz 🇦🇺😃🙌🏼
Thanks! Glad the vids are helpful. Peace from the States!
My pops has a work shop and is a carpenter himself, this might be a fun project for us
Superb video! I don't think I'll ever build/shape a deck myself, but some pizza or pizza-paddle shaped would be the dream... however, subscribed!
I subbed before 900 and I can't wait to see where your channel goes :D
It's so cool. I am also enjoying learning longboards in South Korea.
Sweet! Have fun with it!
Koreans are nicee with itt
Nice Thanx, sounds easy so lets try that out :DDD
Love to hear it! Let me know how it goes!
One of my favorite videos on dyi longboards. I made mine out of 4 plys of 1/8 baltic birch. Got some really deep concaves.
Nice! I'd love to see your build if you want to hit me up on IG or shoot me an email
Good Roads thanks. Whats your email? One of my boards is looking promising other one, well Ill show you. Might be a bust. Just noticed a crack in between bottom 2 and top 2 laters......bit of a bummer. Thinking if its reparable
@@mahala81 chris@goodroadscollective.com sounds like you hit some de-lam which can be repaired in certain cases. Send me a shot of the deck and we'll figure it out
Love your channel. U rule
Thanks dude!
Nice 😁 👍🏼
Thanks for sharing this information. I have heard (haven't used it yet) that you can put some salt on top of the glue that will help keep the boards from shifting.
I've heard that too. I'll have to give it a try at some point
nice! will try build one for my kid. any advice on trucks/wheels set? have no clue on that matter...... cheers from Portugal and be safe!
My favorite longboard trucks are still the old faithfuls: Randal R2s. Seismic is my go-to wheel company, I like the Orangatangs I've ridden too
thanks, its really good to see how you can make your own board by using hand tools, instead of having to spend all the money to buy the machinery to do it.
That's how I got started: just a couple chunks of wood and some threaded rod. That's what's so cool about the hobby, you can really do a lot with a little
That’s was great! So easy! Where do I get the grip that goes on top of the board?
You can do search for "grip tape" or support your local skate shop if you've got one!
If you’re able to get the shape and concave you want with this method is there an advantage to making the foam mold (other than ease of duplicating)? It seems like there’s a higher chance of delaminating along the edges that don’t really get much clamping. I suppose you can probably add small clamps if they fit to help with that. This method seems easy to tweak your shape without having to actually reshape the mold.
Really enjoy and watch your video from iran . And have a question , iam going to start my company and what happen if i have no cross bond veneer and all long grain , and if i use 2 sheet bamboo and 5 maple will be good ? Where should i put the bamboos?
If you don't have cross grain veneers your board will split in half along the bolt holes. If you can't buy cross grain veneers you can cut up a long grain veneer and glue it across the deck in sections.
Bamboo can go anywhere in a deck, and where you put it will have different effects. Experiment and see what you like!
Hey, me and my Grandpa have built two longboards already and it was super fun and I wanted to make yet another one. Just curious on what trucks and wheels you used for the board. If you could let me know that would be awesome! Great video!
The wheels are a set of Seismic freeride wheels that aren't being made anymore, I've got a set of Orangatang Fat Frees that are a really similar wheel and I actually prefer them over the Seismics. The trucks are a set made by Paris
Hey I have a question for you? Could I create a downhill deck? Like is this sturdy enough to do downhill on
Thanks. 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻🙏🏻🇧🇪
Nice. Best video on hot to make one. What kind of wheels did you use?
Those are a set of Seismic Bootlegs and they're okay. I like Seismic's grippier wheels better. I've also got a set of O-tang Fat Frees that I think I like better for freeride, They break out a little easier.
Good Roads thank you so much. I am planning out on making a longboard and did not know what to do for the wheels.
Hey, I watched this and your snowboard urethane sidewalk video. Have you ever experiment with adding urethane sidewall to a longboard deck?
Not yet, but I'm hoping to do that this summer :)
Good Roads great!!!! Notifications turned on.
I’m thinking about making my own board and was wondering how many sheets of would you used and do you have another link for the wood?
Because of supply chain issues Baltic Birch plywood has become really hard to get a hold of. The best way to find it is to actually call around to local lumber yards, they'll usually get you a much better price than what you can get online too. Two sheets of 1/4" ply or three sheets of 1/8" will work unless you're making a super long deck like a dancer, then you'd want an extra layer or two.
Can I do it with simple birch plywood? Btw the video is awesome
Thanks dude! Most birch plywood you find in stores has two thin birch face veneers and then much thicker, lower-quality wood for the plys in the middle. This stuff is weak and while you can make a board from it, it won't last very long. When you're looking for plywood, look at the edges of the sheets and see if the layers are all near the same thickness. That's the marine, furniture-grade stuff we're looking for
How would you make the deck to the far right on the scenes when you’re talking?
That's whats called a v-lam board, or vertically laminated, it's strips of hardwood glued together side by side. That one is a particularly complicated one I build for a board build-off a long while back made from oak and mahogany. I've been toying with the idea of doing a how-to on that style board, should I just pull the trigger? They're pretty easy builds.
could you give a template of a drop throw deck pls?
Hello there! Great videos! The best I’ve seen about “how to”... You inspired me to make my own pintail longboard.... Question: I’m 5’9 and 170 lbs.... thinkin about 43’’ long and 9’ wide board... What would you recommend for thickness? I just would like to do some easy carving while cruising, maybe practising some sort of Longboard surf classic style....
tks again for great videos!!!
Two sheets of 1/4 baltic birch should work. Good luck with the build, let me know how it turns out!
@@GoodRoads thank you so much for quick reply!
I'll try that.... which truck/wheels dimensions and setup would you suggest and wheel base? Thanks again!
All of that stuff is a matter of personal preference, especially the wheelbase. I like Randall rII trucks and Seismic wheels though
I have a question. The wood sheets you have given a link for to Amazon are sold out. And I've found some others that are 3mm instead of 1.5mm can it be as good if I don't put a extra 3mm on top?
Yeah, 3mm ply will work. The biggest difference will be since you've got stiffer sheets and less glue seams your curves won't hold in place as well, but it will definitely still work
Great Vid +1 Sub
Got an updated link for the wood?
if you past more thin layers on each other will this be better or is this only more work?
This method relies on the layers having some stiffness so that the clamping pressure gets distributed through the board. You could probably press a deck this way with 1/8" or 3mm sheets, but any thinner than that and you're going to need a mold of some kind
Hey Chris,
First off, love the channel. Found it a few days ago and have had your videos on non-stop since!
I've got a question. I'm looking at making a 27" cruiser, but with more of a kick tail than the longboard you've made in here, closer to a skateboard tail, can I still use the methods in this video to achieve that, or do I need to use a mould like in your How To Make a Skateboard series.
Thanks, and keep up the excellent work!
Hey, thanks man, I'm glad you like the videos! You can put a kicktail into a deck with this method, you won't have a _ton_ of control over the shape, but here's how you do it: You put a block of wood under the tail to prop it up off the table, and you clamp a spar down as hard as you can across the deck where the kicktail meets the concave. That's the part of the board that street skaters call the pocket, for reference. If you've got a couple c-clamps it can also be helpful to clamp your sheets of plywood together at the end of the tail to avoid de-lam. Good luck with your build, let me know how it turns out!
@@GoodRoads that's brilliant thanks for the advice. I'm not too worried about it being perfect as this one's just to see if I like doing it before I commit a bit more, and definitely seemed like the simplest method.
Thanks for your help, you're doing a great thing here and should be really proud!
Thanks dude!
Would the concave process be the same with a 7 ply sheet?
Do you mean a 7-ply sheet of plywood or making a deck with seven plys of veneer? You can do this with thicker plywood, you'll just have a chonky board, but everything should still work. You can NOT press a deck this way out of veneers, for that you need a good mold that will apply pressure evenly over the whole surface area of the deck.
I watched your video and I made my first board. I am surprised by the outcome and quality of the board. There isn't a tail on my board so I wondered what the best way is to put a tail on your board. Is this possible with screw clamps? Or do I have to make a mold?
You can do it with clamps, I think I'm going to do a video on that soon because I've been getting that question a lot. The short version is: you do the same setup I show in this video for the concave but you only do it for part of the length of the board. You prop up the end of the tail of your board on a block of wood then you clamp a beam of wood down where the concave transitions into the tail. It can also be helpful to put some small clamps on the end of the tail to avoid delam
Would maple plywood work well too since a lot of skateboard decks are made of maple? None of the stores near me have baltic birch in 1/8 or 1/4 inch, but they have maple in those thicknesses.
If all the plys in the plywood are maple that's some really good stuff. If it's just the outer face veneers with some other wood in the middle it might not be strong enough
I looking to make a board for my grandson, can you please sent the actual measurements for the board and a list of materials I will really appreciated. Do know much about board but I have a excellent wood shop at home which I use for my other projects.
The board is pressed from 1/4" baltic birch plywood and glued up using titebond 3 wood glue. The deck I made is 37" long and 9.5" wide. There are links to all of that and a bolt hole templates in the description.
Hi, So made a board, and my press didn't work correctly and I now have air bubbles in my board. Would the slight lopsidedness created from the bubbles damage my trucks or bearings ? Thanks
So, you have run into what's called de-lam, where the layers of your deck didn't bond together quite right. It won't damage your trucks or bearings, but it does mean that your deck won't be as strong as it could be. It's a super common issue with board builds, so don't feel too bad about it. What material did you press your deck out of?
What would you recommend for people who want to get a longboard but are on the heavier side
Honestly, I haven't bought a deck in like eight years, so I don't know. You're going to be looking for a stronger deck though, which usually means thicker, with more plys, or one that had fiberglass or carbon fiber or something like that.
If you wanted to make a stronger board similar to the one in the video you could use five sheets of 1/8" baltic birch instead of the two sheets of 1/4". You could also make a board the exact same way and then glass it in the way I demonstrate here: ruclips.net/video/ElhN-GsAvog/видео.html
how thin in mm is your board and bb sheets?
Can you please repeat the wood that I have to buy I need a stif board
my English are not very good and I can’t understand the woods that I need for the board
and if you know bison wood glue is good for this project?
It's called baltic birch or sometimes russian birch, it goes by different names in different parts of the world. Look for a marine grade birch plywood. I don't know if bison wood glue will work, the only way to find out it to test it.
So I can use marine grade plywood?
"Marine Grade" refers to the glue used in making the plywood, it mean's it's waterproof. A lot of marine grade ply is made using soft woods like doug fur which isn't going to be strong enough for what we need. If you look for marine grade _birch_ plywood you'll probably get something you can work with. Baltic birch and russian birch are common industry names for this type of plywood.
Commenting for RUclips algorithm
I sent this to my step dad so he can maybe help me make it!!!
Hope he says yes!
Good Roads HE DID!!! We’re getting the stuff tomorrow
That's fantastic! Tell your step dad he's awesome and good luck with the build! Send me pictures when you're done!
Good Roads ok
How does this compare to your dimm press build where you used foam to add concave to the skateboard
The qualities of the deck are similar since they're both birch, but the single glue seam and lack of a mold mean that this method is a lot more limited in the types of shapes you can make. The press + mold method is a little more difficult but you can do more with it and you have more control over the outcome.
@@GoodRoads Thanks for the reply
Hi, could someone please etimate how much does the board spring back after releasing? Is it like 20% or so?
Thx a lot
With birch plywood I usually get somewhere about 5-15% deflex. You don't have a ton of control with this method
Can I use this process to make a dancing and freestyle longboard, with 2 5mm bamboo sheets, and fiberglass in the middle?
(usually this is the composition of the dance / freestyle boards)
I have little knowledge, but I'm trying to learn how to do it.
I see brands that use industrial presses (will it be necessary for me to make a good board?)
I read about that it is necessary to soften the bamboo to be able to bend it to make the concave, and tail and nose inclined. Thank you friend
You've got the right direction but I can offer some advice that will give you a better chance at success:
Bamboo splits like crazy along the grain and needs to be reinforced laterally. You can do this with veneers, other woods, or composite cloths like glass. If you're looking to press a deck in the way I demonstrate in the video a layup that works really well with bamboo is you have your sheet of bamboo (or two for a dancer perhaps) in the middle, then do a sheet of 1/8" baltic birch plywood on either side, sandwiching the bamboo. This method or pressing decks relies on the stiffness of the outer layers to shape the curves and make sure the clamping pressure gets spread out, that's why the plywood is so important. The "Don't Panic" deck behind me in the videos was pressed that way and it was great.
Another pointer is if you're doing a composite (fiberglass, carbon fiber, kevlar, etc.) you almost never want the composite layer in the middle of your layup. The qualities of those materials have the most impact on the surface of the layup, so at the top, bottom, or both: sandwiched around the board. That's what you'll see in most bamboo and glass decks like the ones Loaded makes. You could do a layup like the one I described above without a mold, using glass and resin between the layers instead of glue, and I think it would be pretty much bomb-proof. So: baltic birch - glass and resin - bamboo - glass and resin - baltic birch.
@@GoodRoads Friend, thank you so much for passing on your knowledge, if I ever have a longboard brand, I will baptize a deck with your channel name or with your name XD.
Wouldn't the Layup you describe make the deck too heavy?
Many brands use triaxial fiberglass, would this be a substitute for baltic birch? (Above I mentioned only fiberglass)
I see marks using 3 3mm bamboo sheets, so I imagine that triaxial is used to reduce weight, or am I wrong?
@@Gabrielongboard No sweat dude, good luck with your build!
Hey, sorry, I didn't see your questions the first time around, didn't mean to ignore them:
Unidirectional, biaxial, or triaxail are terms that describe which way the fibers in the cloth are running. In a composite, cloths like fiberglass only offer stiffness in the direction of the fibers. Biaxial has fibers running at 0 and 90 degrees, and will make the board stiffer nose-to-tail and across the concave,. A triaxial has fibers running at 0, 45, and -45 degrees and will make a board stiffer tip-to-tail, across the concave (but less than biaxial), AND it will make it torsionally stiffer as well.
You can get any of those options in a number of different weights. I've made boards with 8oz, 18oz, and 22oz glass, and the weight corresponds to how thick it is. The thicker the cloth the more resin it takes to wet out and the heavier it is in a layup.
You could 100% make a deck that's just glass sandwiched around bamboo, a lot of great decks are made that way, but you couldn't make it the way I show in this video. You'd need a proper set of molds and a press for that
@@GoodRoads No problems friend XD. I have no words to thank you for your help. Very grateful for your words, and again, thank you very much :D
By the way, thanks for the videos.
what type of FLEX do i get ? if i make a deck using this method... Dancing type or medium for longboarding
For the Baltic birch is it one ply in a box?
The one linked in the description is 24" x 48", so it's a single sheet, but if you cut it in half you have all the wood you need for this project
Hi again!
I am looking to make a pretty decent amount of boards (maybe 10 to 20), in the cheapest possible way that is still somewhat durable and performs decently. I don't particularly need it to be this easy, although it is nice. Would you recommend this method? How does it compare to a standard construction with individual veneers? Also, do you have recommendations for better/cheaper places to buy this kind of wood other than amazon?
Thanks!
If you're making a batch of boards I would definitely make a set of molds. I've got videos on the channel on how to make molds using high-density insulation foam, and I think that's the cheapest way to go. The birch plywood builds are easier and more forgiving than making decks from veneers, especially if you go the two-sided foam mold route. You can definitely get the materials cheaper than on amazon. Hit up your local lumber yard! They may have some 5x5' sheets in stock or they may be able to special order it for you, but that's definitely the best way to get the most bang for your buck. Good luck!
@@GoodRoads Alright thanks! I will look into some lumber yards. Also, I'm pretty experienced with 3d modeling and printing so I 3d printed a mold. I only printed the bottom half, and I was just planning on using a piece of wood on the top like you did here. My amazon order will finally get here in around a week, so I'll definitely let you know how that goes!
Sorry for so many questions, but I was confused about another thing. It seems like a lot of boards have a little dip right after the truck holes and right before the kicktail starts. What is the point of that?
@@adamhung4595 That space between the curve of the concave and the curve into the kicktail is needed because wood REALLY does not like bending in two directions. It will split. So we bend it one way for the concave, let it be flat for a little, then bend it the other way for the kicktails
@@GoodRoads Oh gosh ok good I found that out before I pressed without it.
as for woodglue, i don't know if this is available in other countries outside the Netherlands, but i've made myself a deck which i glued with "Construction Glue", an Expanding Urethane Glue.. since it expands while setting.. it "impregnates" the wood, making the bond even stronger..
Yeah, there are a bunch of glues out there that will work, finding one that you like is part of developing your style as a shaper
Will this hold someone up to 230? I'm planning on making my own longboard because I'm tight on money
That's one of the reasons I got in to building too, you can sometimes make what you can't afford. I'd say if you're worried about the strength of the deck you can always beef it up a bit by adding an additional layer just to be safe
I’m thinking about making mine out of bamboo ply. Would that type of wood do the job?
If it's actual bamboo plywood with multiple plys it should work just fine. I get some single layer 'boo sheets for some of my builds and they always need cross-grain reinforcement of some kind, it splits along the grain like crazy, but a plywood should already have that.
Yes that will work. Bamboo ply is flexible and it turns easier as it's lighter
Question how do you know if you need to use the old school template or new school template?
It depends on the trucks. If you already have a set, just print out the template linked in the description and see which bolt holes line up with the ones on your trucks. If you don't have your trucks yet see if you can get info on whether the ones you're buying have the new school or old school pattern. Most manufactures have something about that on their sites, and if not you can always email them to ask. Good luck with the build!
Good Roads thank you for the response
anyone know how to make smooth indents on the underside for grab rails?
A router with a cove bit might work for what you're looking for
does the wood need to be wet at all to bend just wondering
Nope! The pressure from the clamps is enough to get it to flex
Rasp will make faster work for roughing out the shape and a file to smooth
how would i add a kick tail?
I get this question a lot so I'm going to do one of these "easiest way to build a..." videos on that soon. I think I've also described a way to do it here in the comments somewhere
Can you please tell me where to get the wheels
Those are Seismic Bootlegs which aren't in production any more. I love Seismic's wheels though, check 'em out: seismicskate.com/product-category/wheels/
Can we use bamboo wood for the deck?
Yes, but bamboo is only strong in the direction of the grain, it splits super easily so you have to sandwich it between another material to give it some cross grain support, or use a bamboo plywood. If you wanted press a deck like the one in the video using bamboo you could do a bamboo core and two sheets of 1/8 baltic birch on the top and bottom. That layup works great, the "don't panic" deck on the wall behind me was built that way and it only broke because it got ran over by a firetruck.
Good Roads Awesome! Thank you so much for the help :)
Damn, great video! After watching it, I feel I could actually make my own skateboard 🛹👍
You totally can! Go for it!
I haven't built a deck before and not sure how to choose
Sorry but I have to challenge you on the claim you made in the title. The absolutely easiest longboard I ever made was buying a 70 inches long, 1 inch thick and 8 inches wide oak plank and bolting a pair of 150mm Randalls on it. 🤙
Now, I eventually did cut it to strips and made a composite board from them, but it was a fun mellow set up for long distances. It really showed the difference in handling when riding from the front or from the back. Hang tens were hilarious.
Don't ask how much the plank cost...
I started with a flat v-lam bamboo deck that split along the grain after a couple days of riding. The flat plank boards can be fun but I think concave makes such a huge difference
Question, can I use hard woods like mahogany instead of plywood? And what are the pros and cons of using hard woods?
Good question. There's a lot to tackle here:
First up, the veneers we use in board building *are* hardwood. A standard deck is made from hard maple veneers, and this type of DIY deck is made from birch plywood. Maple and birch are both hardwoods so in both cases you have thin sheets of hardwood glued together. Plywood just has some of the gluing done ahead of time. The advantage to this method is the flexibility of thin sheets of wood and the ability to control the direction of the grain.
There is a style of deck called v-lam or vertically laminated that is made from strips of hardwood glued together instead of layers of veneer (h-lam or horizontal lamination). I'm going to do a video on that at some point. Those can be really beautiful decks, but they're hard to get curves into, and since all the wood grain is going the same direction (typically nose-to-tail) they have a tendency to split.
You can make a pressed board from thin sheets of hardwood, like mahogany, but here's the catch: You HAVE to have some kind of cross-grain support. I've had success doing this with two sheets of 1/4" bamboo or oak with either cross-grain veneers or fiberglass on the outside. This outer layer holds the long-grain "core" together during the layup and reinforces it against splitting. I've only ever done this style of build with a mold.
Let me know if I can clarify any of that! Thanks for the question man, it was a fun one.
Oh, got it man, I've been thinking of making my board out of hardwood to skip the molding part but I'm not sure if it can hold the pressure when I ride it, specially when you do tricks, I'm worried that the board that I'll be making will split.
Thanks for the clarification man! I got a lot of ideas.
Can I also put a thin wood in the middle to make some kind of W-concave?
To do a W concave you would need three strips on the bottom and two on the top that fit in the gaps
Unfortunately I got trouble finding baltic birch plywood nearby, and I can't just roam around due to the pandemic, Can I just use marine plywood instead? And what are the pros and cons of using marine plywood? Thank you in advance
Sorry if this is the second time I’m posting this comment, but I can’t seem to find my original comment.
I loved your video! But I do have a few questions. I’ve seen some people use 4 sheets of 1/8 inch plywood instead of 2 sheets of 1/4 inch plywood. Would using 4 instead of 2 infuence the strength of the deck? I also wonder if I schould use sheets a little thicker or a little thinner then you do. I live in country that uses metric instead of imperial so I can’t find the exact same thickness of plywood. Would using thinner or thicker plywood be better? For the last question, what kind of finish do you use? Again, absolutely loved the video an I will absolutely be using it to make my own deck!
No problem man, glad you like the vid. You can use two or three sheets of 1/8" or the same number of 3mm sheets (I think that's whats available in places with SI). Two sheets of 1/4" should be the same as four sheets of 1/8th, three sheets of 1/8" is going to be weaker and flexier, so it's more suited to a shorter deck.
The only thing I would suggest is to keep an eye on the edges of the board during your layup. You may need to clamp along the edge to keep the thinner sheets together. For finish on this one I just used some water-based polyurethane I had around. Good luck with the build man!
@@GoodRoads What's the advantage of using more than one sheet? like why use two sheets of 1/4" or four 1/8" instead of just buying the plywood at 1/2"?
@@blackravens5 The glue seams between the sheets are what hold the curves of the board in place. You can make a deck from 1/2" ply but it will be flat, which is pretty boring in my opinion
@@GoodRoads thanks!
@@GoodRoads If I didn't care about it being flat, do you think the strength would be about the same? Was just wondering the downfalls if I wanted to make a easy, boring board like that. :)