Tips For Building Your Own Skateboard
18. February 2009 by ZachPlay.
By John Pauls
The quality of skateboard you want may be out of your reach right now. However, if you are willing to put some effort into it you can get what you want. The process of building your own skateboard doesn’t have to be complicated. At the same time it offers you a way to get the quality without investing a great deal of money in it. You will also have plenty of pride too knowing that with your own hands you created this lovely piece of work.
There are plenty of ideas you can find online to help you with building your own skateboard. You can find plans so you can identify the materials you need to purchase. You can also be creative and come up with your own plan for the skateboard you are going to buy. There are many places online where you can buy the materials you want. Take the time to carefully compare prices so you get the best deals. You want to compare quality too though so don’t overlook this important aspect.
Select every aspect for building your own skateboard carefully. Start by evaluating what you will use it for the most. Then you can select the right deck size that is right for your size and what you want to do. Smaller decks work best for tricks while longer ones are best for use at skate parks and at high speeds. Don’t forget the grip tape so that you have plenty of traction while on your skateboard. It comes in many colors so you may want to look around to see what your options are.
You will need two trucks for your skateboard. Take the type of wheels you plan to use into consideration too. If they are going to be very high then you will need to go with higher trucks as well. Your skateboard is going to need two bearings for the inside of each wheel. Without them in place your skateboard will still look great. Yet you aren’t going to get the rolling action that allows you to move around on it.
While you may want to rush the process so you can get out there and use your skateboard, avoid the urge. Instead you want to take your time and make sure everything falls into place accurately. That way you will have a skateboard that is both reliable and safe for you to be on. This is the type of project you can complete though in a couple of days so don’t worry about how long it is going to take you. Risers are optional and you may want to consider them. This will give you more of a lift between the bottom of your skateboard and the surface of the wheels.
You will need some durable bolts and nuts - eight of each in all. This will allow you to completely assemble all of your parts for building your own skateboard. The sizes you will need depend on the other materials you have chosen to use. It is important that you get the right size of bolts and nuts too. Otherwise you risk your skateboard not remaining together like it should.
When it comes to building your own skateboard, you only need some basic skills. You also only need basic tools that you likely already have at home. Have fun with this particular type of project. It is a great way to have a wonderful skateboard that is well beyond what you can afford to buy already put together. You can expect to get plenty of comments about your skateboard too. This is because it will look more original than what most people are used to seeing.
If you want to buy a skateboard, there are two types you can choose. Complete skateboards and customize skateboards. Complete skateboards are constructed by manufacturer. All parts of skateboard are the same brand. It is a good choice for starter. Many skaters have a long skateboarding experience often like customize skateboards by themselves and have fun in it. Some of the pro skaters also choose pro complete skateboards from their favourite brands.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?Tips-For-Building-Your-Own-Skateboard&id=1962941
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Parts Of A Skateboard
17. February 2009 by ZachPlay.
By James R Shaw
Learning about the different parts of a skateboard is almost as important as learning how to ride. When you know about each part, you’ll be able to take better care of your board, and make better decisions regarding purchasing parts. Besides a deck and wheels, skateboards consist of: bearings, trucks, hardware, and grip tape.
The deck is the actual part that you would stand on. It’s made of compressed wood (some more expensive models can be made of maple, etc). The width is about 8 inches or so, with the length being between 30 and 35 inches. Size will vary depending on your preference and the type of skating you do (street or vert). There are hundreds, if not thousands of different graphical designs you can choose to adorn your deck. Top deck companies include: Element, Powell, Toy Machine, Birdhouse, and Alien Workshop. Try choosing a design that will show off your personality and style.
The skateboard truck attaches to the bottom of the skateboard deck. Bushings, kingpins, baseplates, hangers and axles make up the trucks. You can buy these in tons of different colors, and you have a choice of titanium or aluminum. Look for skateboard trucks from Phantom Trucks, Thunder Trucks, Tensor Trucks, or other well known brands.
Skateboard wheels are plastic urethane and can be hard or soft. Softer wheels are preferred by vert skaters, and hard wheels are favored by street style skaters. Wheels can come in small or large sizes, depending on the type of performance you are after. Smaller wheels are best for extreme “tricking”, and the larger wheels are good for beginners needing more stability while riding. Beginning riders might also consider using wheels that a bit wider than normal, to create even more stability.
Grip tape is placed on the top of the deck to provide traction (or grip). You can buy grip tape in several different colors to match your deck and/or trucks. Try not to buy the cheapest grip tape, a few dollars more will provide you with tape that sticks to your deck without peeling up.
Skateboard hardware is simply the nuts and bolts used to secure the skateboard trucks to the deck. As with all other parts that make up a skateboard, you can choose nearly any color you want to match the rest of the parts.
Knowing all the parts that make up a skateboard will allow you to know exactly what to purchase if you need to make repairs, or keep up with general maintenance. Another benefit of skateboard parts knowledge is the fact that you could probably build your own board! Even someone who just started skateboarding can benefit from building their own board. What better way to ensure that you’re riding on quality material?
Display your skateboards and keep them off the floor with Jimmy Racks original steel skateboard racks - holds 3 skateboards and can be installed on your wall in under 4 minutes!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?Parts-of-a-Skateboard&id=1885725
