Longboard Instructions

8/2/2019 Longboard Instructions

1/13

What do we need:

First of all:

Try to find a shop that is selling Birch-plywood.Search on the net (!!!),that's how Ifound it.Other plywood's could do as well,but I never checked it out...Try to find afirst grade ply,witch is not patched up...It will make your boards even look morethan ultra professional!!! But that's not a problem,I could only find second gradeply,and the result is fine...

So...Birch-plywood...6mm thick...5 layers...Doesn't have to be water proof (boardcurve is dry-made).I found ply in panels of a standard size of 5 by 5 feet...enough for 2 boards...

Ok...let everything be cut in 30cm by +150cm panels (that's a good size to make alongboard from...or adjust to your own size you want to build).You will need 2 pieces of that size...(!)the longest side is cut along the grain of the outer layers(lengthwise) (!)

What else...a box of cheap wood screws (+ 50 per board you want to make)...amatching screwdriver...an electric drill...and a drill that has the size of yourscrews...a pencil...some cardboard or paper (to make a template with,same lengthas your plywood pieces...half the with)...any kind of flexible ruler or piece ofwood,plastic,steel (to draw your super slick shape with,at least half the length of

your board)...a paint brush(to apply the glue)...a scale(to measure gluecomponents)...some weights(anything will do)...some pot to mix glue in...Some default workshop gear is also needed...sand paper in differentgrades("P"number)... 2 component wood-glue: I use AERODUX aircraft wood glue...You could find this ina boat builders/restorers workshop for wooden boats...or in vintage aircraftworkshops...

Epoxy resin does the trick as well...but needs at least 3 days to set completely


2/13

A remAERthe sglue plyw

I've uPOLYcompglue same

So here it is...some of the stuff...the 2 pieces of plywood act as a table 8))

The shape...

Which shape?...well it's easy...don't overdo it on the first board you'll make...keep it simpthis:

(1)-The nose of your board is very important because that's the place where you put you

foot"...all steering comes 70% from there...so make it wide!!!...don't make a flashy rocketboard...you will need that base!!!

(2)-Take a simple stretched oval-like shape to begin with...easy to finish...nice shape...eaout later in the procces...

(3)-Make your board not to long...but keep it about 1.25m (125cm)...what is to big can alwmade smaller afterwards...

And how to draw it...

Take your piece of paper (that will become your template) and draw a straight line on one(lengthwise),this is the centre line of the board...measure out the length of your board online...chose one or the other side of your measurement as starting point (being nose or tThe widest place of your board is somewhere about 1/3 from the nose...measure out andthe template (remember:you are actually drawing half a board [lengthwise],so...wanted win half!).


3/13

Start drawing the nose curve...you can do it manually or use that flexible wood that was "need"-list...this is how I do it...use some weights to hold the wood in place and shape toneeds....very simple isn't it...draw along it to get that funky curve...(these plastic curly drare also handy)....

Be precise...1000%....any mistake or error will show up in the end result...so take care ofthat counts for everything you do in life!!!

The end of that curve is somewhere about that widest point on your board...1/3 the total Step backwards and have a look from a distance...like these artists do...really useful!

You are actually making a piece of art!!!

Continued....


4/13

Now you go further down the board...using that flexible stuff again...here I am using a piefibreglass/epoxy board...because I couldn't find anything else...Anything will do to make that shape...

So..draw all the way to the tail...using the overlap technique to get that smooth curve...(odrawing a new line halfway the former one)And presto!...there it is...a half shape of your board...cut out along the lines and that's thtemplate...ready...

Draw a centre line on one of your plywood boards...take that piece that looks the best ...tthe underside of your longboard...put the template on the centreline and trace around it!

Mirror the template to get the complete shape...

Now...take the drill and drill holes on the outer side of your longboard outline...(!)Only in board you traced your longboard on(!)...you've got another plywood board left with no mholes!!!

Here it is...a bit difficult to see...


5/13

Putting things together...


6/13

Simple...you take the clean hole-less piece of plywood...and place it somewhere betweenof something...I used my workbench and a high chair...and put the drilled/traced plywood on top of it...sgot 2 layers now...witch will bend or curve a little downward by gravity....earth magnetismnormally not enough...so...that's where the weights come in....

Put those weights on the 1/3 marking( the widest part of the longboard)...and check it oucurve now?...what is enough...I'm not that sure...my weight is 61 kilo's...

So...check your weight and have a guess how much curve...

Remember this...we will be glue-ing to layers of plywood together,in a curved way...they that way once the glue is set...I mean STAY!!!...there will be flexibility in the longboard,onfinished...but it will always take it's original curve after being loaded with your bodyweig

My boards can flex until they hit the ground by jumping on them...in normal use...they fle

upwards curve to straight,under my weight...they bend a little bit negative(downward)whcarving...Ideal actually

You will have to experiment...by making more than one board

I take about 3 to 3.5cm curve measured on the 1/3 mark between nose and tail...

Take a good look at this picture...


7/13

Are you still with it?...2 pieces of ply...supported on the edges...weights 1/3...curve all rigyour time...and check out if everything is according to plan...don't rush things... :-)By the way...my workshop looks like the inside of a trashcan!!!

The reason I'm explaining everything in detail is because I'm quite handy...and handy pe

sometimes difficult to understand...because they tend to jump certain sequences in the because they know...this site is also for the less handy amongst us...Don't be scared...Ado this!!!...I'm going to guide you trough the process...But...stick to certain principals:-aim for perfection-take your time...and think about how things are done-don't be satisfied with what you did straight away!!!-be patient !!!...don't rush things...-enjoy what you are doing :-)-inform yourself by any means available !

It takes me 5 days to build a longboard from nothing to a finished product (trucks and w

attached)...working 1 and 1/2 hours a day in the evening....

And now....the glue comes in...

Everything is checked and double checked...you have all the stuff that you'll need ready hand...glue...scales...screws...screwdriver(battery powered is really handy now!)...some cover your workspace floor...safety messures(gogles&glooves)....brush...pot to mix the gstick to mix it)...a bucket with warm water if you use AERODUX glue (to clean the brush pot...aerodux is dilutable in water)...accetone if you use epoxy...(only use resins outside.

ventilated!!!)...

Fold open your 2 ply wood boards like you would open a (veggy) hamburger...(you wherthe curve with those weights before)...and put them next to each other...clean them with cloth...

Ok...now...mix your glue as specified...and smear it on there with the paintbrush...both suse 330 gr total mix with AERODUX)...use enough glue or resin because some of the stusucked up by the plywood panels (all execes will be driven out by screwing both ply's toAply the glue and fold the panels back on-top of each other...

So now you've got 2 layers of plywood with glue tucked inbetween them...glue will comepre-drilled holes...don't worry...it should...

Take care of the following..


8/13

Take a wood screw and screw it into the holes drilled at the nose of your skate...1 will dothe 2 ply-layers in place because the whole thing becomes quite slippery...Do not screw any screw in the opposite side(tail)...no way!!!....

Ad the weights again and check the curve...if you are satisfied with it...start adding screwboth sides from the nose towards the tail....glue will by now drip out everywhere...that'scool!!!...should be like that...where there's glue there's no air...

Tighten screws straight away...all along the pre drilled holes...(you can use clamps instescrews...but...clamps are expensive...and we want to attract new young people into thehobby...they'll have to spend loads of money on trucks and wheels)

While you are putting these screws in ,you will notice that your board will flex under thepressure...take care of that by putting something underneath it if necessary

check the curve for the last time...all right?...ok...

Leave it as it is and do something else for the following 24 hours :-)

24 hours later...


9/13

If you didn't clean out your brush,it will be rock hard by now...

Now...check if the glue is set...don't try your board out straight away!!!...it is tempting to the thing and stand on it...cut it out first!!!

By the way....your board is not varnished yet...and you could leave nasty shoeprints on all the screws and cut out that longboard along the traced line...in a proper way...

You should have something like this now....


10/13

And?...is it looking like this?...simply cut out...no varnish...no smooth edges...but nice loshape...

Try to get hold of a belt sander...if not possible...a shave...and if that's not available...takereasonably rough sand paper (p60 or p80) and a small wooden bloc to hold your sandpa

First,sand the edges so that they become a smooth surface...after that,you can make theround by tracing al line about 3mm from the edge (as a guideline)and sanding the edge rshaped towards that line....

When that's done...take some fine sand paper (p120 or p180) and sand those edges agaithem smooth...try to get hold of some transport belt rubber,nice stuff to guide your sandsand the whole board actually...

Now everything should be ready for the first layer of varnish...What kind of stuff do I put there...Well...go for POLYURETHANE varnish...that's the kind of stuff that is very scratch

does not dilute a felt tip waterproof marker!!!

Put the first layer of varnish on the board and leave it until well dry....

Ad some graphics...

If you use a waterproof marker to leave your mark on the board...it will not be running whthe 2nd layer of varnish....

But first checkout if the varnish is well dried up...and ...take some sandpaper again (p600and sand the board...do not sand the first layer of varnish away!

After that,you can add some kind of logo or whatever...

Your board would look like this...


11/13

After you made some marker drawing...you are ready for a 2nd layer of varnish...Always wipe dust from your board with a dry clean piece of cloth before varnishing or paPut the stuff on there and leave to dry...

Maybe you want to add some paint?...ok...take a kind of paint from the same brand as yovarnish...or at least the same chemical compound !

I use POLYURETHANE paint for boats...

Use some paper tape to protect area's that you don't wan't to paint...try out some wicked

But first...if your 2nd layer is dry...sand lightly with (p1000 or p1200)...then put the maskipapertape on there...try to leave a none painted line of about 2mm allong the edge of theboard...that's about it!!!...Just paint the thing...

take of the paper or masking tape before the paint is starting to dry...by this you won't haon the paint...


12/13

Nearly ready...

This is it...paint is dry...ready to drill the holes for the trucks...get your trucks first...then holes!!!...It's not nice to drill loads of holes in your beautiful longboard...

Drill holes...ad trucks+pads...ad wheelzzzz...ad grip tape...and stand back and have a loo

There it is...low cost, homemade Longboard!!!


13/13

So....Final word...

This was my fist try out of a web site...hope you like it...It's intended to be kept up to datemy best to expand it...

WARNING: Always wear protection...Don't do things that you're not up to yet...

don't be a hero!!!...Never use someone's skate without checking it out on an easy slope.eye on each other...Enjoy your ride... 8))

Documents

Longboard Instructions