How to Make a Longboard Deck With Hardwood

Longboarding is a sub-genre of skateboarding. Rather than the high-flying, stairs and handrails diet of freestyle skateboarding, it draws heavily on surfing as a stylistic influence. Long, narrow decks are mounted on large, soft wheels, to give a smooth, fast ride, and the ability to carve tight turns, emulating surfers on a wave. Because longboards are flat, as opposed to the steam-pressed bowls of freestyle boards, they can be carved from a hardwood plank, using regular tools.

Things You'll Need

  • Hardwood plank, 4 feet by 1 foot by 1/2 inch
  • Pencil attached to a 5-foot string
  • Marker
  • Jigsaw
  • Sandpaper
  • Griptape
  • Craft Knife
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Instructions

    • 1

      Place the plank on a wide, open work space. If you lack a big enough space, you can use the floor for the initial marking-up stage. Measure to the middle of the plank and mark it in the center.

    • 2

      Anchor the end of the string to the ground, around 4 feet from the edge of the plank, level with the middle. Draw an arc on the plank from end to end. Repeat the process from the opposite edge and draw an opposing arc, leaving you with a teardrop shape going from tip to tip. Alternately, you can download a ready-made board template from a longboarding community site such as Silverfish Longboarding (silverfishlongboarding.com).

    • 3

      Draw over the shape and make your own alterations if you wish. You might want to make some cutouts over the wheels to prevent them from biting against the board. A squared-off tail is a popular stylistic element. Once you've finalized your design, trace over it with the marker.

    • 4

      Cut out the board shape using the jigsaw. Cut slightly outside the lines in order to leave yourself with some excess to trim off with the sander, ensuring you get a smooth edge.

    • 5

      Use the sander to smooth down the sides, then round off all the edges.

    • 6

      Peel the backing off the grip tape, and lay the board down on top of it, face-down. Trim around the outline using the craft knife.