How to Make a Longboard

I ordered all the parts to put together a longboard and the cost ended up being $200 but I wanted to be able to longboard with my friends that don't have a longboard so I decided to build one myself.

I didn't take any pictures while I was making it so I'm just going to use pictures off the web. The board itself is 36" long and has a center width of 9.88". Also yes the cover picture and this picture are the same board I live in the country and the roads are covered in tar so it gets dirty.

Wood - I used a five layer pressed hard maple - that I had laying in my barn.

Trucks / bolts - I used some old trucks and bolts from an old skateboard of mine.

Wheels / bearings - I originally used old wheels from the same old skateboard but they were not as good for carving so I ordered some 97mm flywheels

Shock pads - optional

Their are many types of longboards you can search an image on Google to pick one.

First thing to do is drawl a line of symmetry then you drawl half the board. I drew it and went over it a few times with pencil so I was able to press paper on it to transfer it to the opposite side of the line of symmetry to make both sides exactly the same.

This can be done in other ways because not everyone has a sawzall but that is the best way because it gives you the greatest ability to move freely. I had no troubles at all I just set the wood up on some saw horses and started cutting it only took a few minutes but it is crucial to use a fine wood saw blade so it won't chip up your board.

To start off you need to use an extremely rough grit to round out the edges then switch out to a smooth grit so make everything soft. Also using an electric sander is best even with one it takes about 20 min to sand a board down if it is done by hand it will take hours.

You have to have holes to mount the trucks on the board. You should still have the line of symmetry on the board and now you will be able to use that to still the holes. First thin is to take the trucks and place them on the line on symmetry. I used a ruler to make sure they where level and placed them a fair distance apart. Then I used a marker to mark the wholes through the holes on the trucks. Then it's time to drill! You need to use a bit that is slightly smaller than your bolts so when you put them on for the first time it will thread the holes.

A good board has to have a stain even if it's just on the top. I used a light oak gel stain it does take longer to dry using a gel stain but it turns out better in the end. I used a plastic tape to create the two lines on the middle of the board.

You had to protect your board from the elements so I start off with using a clear spray varnish that gives a little protection then I top it off with a high gloss polyurethane coating that can be bought at any store by all of the staines.

This is optional but if you are going to be cursing down long hills, carving, or sliding I recommend using grip tape. Once the sticky side is taken it can be placed on the top of the board and smoothed out so all air is out. Then it is time to take a taser blade to trim off excess tape and cut out the drill holes.

Now you can go long-boarding on your custom board. If you need information on how to mount the trucks and wheels you can check out my other instructables on doing so.