How to Make a Skateboard Rail
If you have a welder or knows someone who has one and knows how to use it, you can make a skateboard rail instead of buying one. Of course, once you have the technique down, why stop at one? Jon and Ashley over at Loser Labeled have a pretty good tutorial on making your own skateboard rails.
The biggest challenge seems to be making clean welds, however, with a side grinder, even that’s not a permanent issue. Figure out how long you want your rail to be – if it will have turns in it, simply add the length of each segment. Find a steel supplier in your area, and buy enough 2″ tubular steel to construct your rail. This isn’t rocket science, so you don’t have to have exact plans before buying the materials. A rough idea is close enough. You’ll also need a piece of flat, thick steel for the base.
Once you have your supplies, cut, weld, grind the joints if they need it, and paint. Then you’re set for a different kind of grinding!
Take a look at their page for full instructions: http://www.loserlabeled.com/howto_rail.shtml then make a skateboard rail of your own design.
Make a Skateboard with Bamboo?
Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve been studying the various methods used to make a skateboard. I’ve been very intrigued by the use of bamboo veneer instead of maple veneer to make skateboards.
Maple is a hardwood, and it takes a relatively long time to grow. On the other hand, bamboo is a grass, and it very sustainable. It also has many characteristics which make it a great choice for custom skateboards. It’s light, strong, and has a sort of tensile flexibility – just the right amount.
There are quite a few suppliers of bamboo veneer online, and I’ve found thicknesses from 1/8″ to 1/42″ at various suppliers. The only potential issue is that the bamboo is laminated before the manufacturers slice it into thin sheets, usually with a water-based adhesive. This would mean that with a skateboard, you’d want to use a high-quality varnish to protect it. I’d probably use a marine varnish. They’re are made to handle some pretty tough conditions.
If anyone has a bamboo board, I’m curious to know how many layers are in the skateboard and how thick the final board is.
Once I make a skateboard, my next project will be to create a skateboard out of renewable materials like bamboo.
