A skateboard is a simple object that can be built by most people with just a few tools. The easiest explanation of a skateboard is a piece of wood with two axles on it. Other details include the surface of the top, the distance between the trucks and the size of the wheels. The wrong measurements can ruin a plan for an efficient skateboard, so accuracy and thoroughness are imperative. If balance is compromised, it can have a negative impact on your safety.
Make a Plan
Making a skateboard on the fly is a method that will likely produce imperfections. Sketching out preferred dimensions will increase the chance that your skateboard is completed without problems. You can make your skateboard as long or short as you want, and as wide. The size of the board will determine the trucks and wheels that you choose to attach.
Measure Your Deck
You can draw your own skateboard shape, but Skatepaige recommends tracing an outline of another skateboard, called a deck, with a pencil on top of a sheet of wood. Pencil in a line down the vertical axis of the deck as well. After you have a penciled outline, use a jigsaw to cut out the deck. Then sand the edges to a curve.
Set Up Trucks
The trucks hold the wheels, and the deck should not be more than 1/2-inch wider than the trucks. According to Warehouse Skateboards, the wheelbase is the distance between the inner edges of each set of trucks, and the average wheelbase is between 13 and 15 inches. Measure the width of the trucks' base and divide it in half, then make dots on the underside of the deck that are equidistant from the center line and equal to the trucks' width. Make another set of dots between the first set of dots and the end of the deck to complete a square. Drill through each dot.
Attach Trucks and Wheels
Place the trucks over the holes and attach them to the deck using screws. According to Kidzworld, you need to put hardware nuts on the ends of the screws and tighten the nuts using a skate tool or socket set. Slide the wheel bearings into the wheels and take the nuts off the truck's axles before placing them upside down inside the bearing. Screw the bearing and wheel combination onto the axle.
Lay Down Deck Tape
Cover the top of the deck with deck tape to help your feet grip the board. Peel the backing off the deck tape and place the adhesive side on the board. Press hard to make sure the grip tape sticks to the board. Wrap the grip tape over the edges, then cut it after securing a small portion to the bottom of the deck.
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