Making a Longboard Skate Deck

Obtain two sheets of birch or maple plywood at least 2-feet wide by 4-feet long. Choose wood with a thickness of no more than 1/4 inch for a two-ply board, or as many as six sheets measuring 1/8 inch thick for a six-ply deck. Cut the sheets with a table saw so they are at least 4-by-1 1/2-feet wide.

Take a large sheet of paper and pencil out the exact dimensions of your board deck. Draw a center line on the paper and measure all the dimensions out from the center line. Try to create a design with a rounded nose and corners at the tail. Flare the front end and tail out a bit so there’s room for a rider’s feet to position on the deck. Avoid getting too complicated on your first deck design – better designs come with practice.

Transfer the paper design to a plywood sheet. Place the paper on top of the sheet after cutting out the board perimeter with scissors. Mark the center line on the wood per the paper design. Trace the perimeter of the board on the plywood.

Use a power drill to create eight 1/4-inch holes in the plywood sheet well outside of the drawn board perimeter, four on each side. Line up the sheets with each other and place them in a stack. Position four wood block supports underneath the stack in the four corners. Place weights on top of the stack to cause the wood sheets to bend slightly where they have no support underneath. Keep them in this position until they are permanently bent in the curve that you prefer. Wait a few days for the weight and gravity to take effect.

Take the now bent sheets and paint them with industrial glue using a paintbrush. Apply a thick layer of glue so that there are no surface areas left dry. Squeeze the sheets together. Use the previously-drilled eight holes to insert 1/4-inch nuts and bolts. Tighten the hardware with crescent wrenches to keep the sheets pressed together as the glue dries. Place a weight on the sheet with supports underneath if the curve needs additional pressure while the glue dries.

Remove the hardware when the glue is finished drying after a day or two. Position the board on a band saw assembly. Cut the glued sheets along the line you previously drew for the perimeter of the deck. Wear gloves and goggles for protection. Turn the band saw off and cut the power source when finished.

Apply a rough and then a fine sandpaper treatment to the deck, including the side edges. Sand until the deck is completely smooth and the edges are rounded off. Clear the sanding dust off by towel. Use a power drill to create the truck assembly holes where the skateboard trucks will bolt to the deck.

Use a paintbrush to paint varnish on the finished deck. Hang dry the deck for a day. Sand the varnish layer with fine sandpaper. Towel off the deck and apply a final paint, decal or second layer of varnish as desired.

Lay a sheet of grip tape on the top of the deck. Use masking tape to hold it in place temporarily. Cut the edge of the grip tape, trimming it to match the edge of the deck. Pull the grip tape off and remove the masking tape. Pull the backing off the grip tape and apply it to the top of the deck. Press it slowly in place as you apply the tape, keeping out any air bubbles. Prepare the finished deck for use.