How to Make a Toothless Longboard

Use a straight edge to mark a straight line on one side of a long piece of cardboard or paper; this will act as the center line for your board template. Measure the desired length of your board on this line, marking the points where the nose and tail will be. Most longboards are 33 to 59 inches long, and a standard mid-length longboard is 37 to 50 inches long. Draw a curve back from the nose of the board, custom tailoring the curve to your aesthetic taste and desired weight properties. Only draw the left or the right half of a board for the template, as the template can be flipped while creating the board. The widest part of the board will be about one-third of the way back from the nose, and the width of the board will be twice the distance from the curve to the center line. As an alternative to drawing the curve manually, bend a flexible piece of wood and clamp it in place to act as a guide for drawing the curve. When the outline is finished, cut out the board template with scissors.

Draw a center line on one birch plywood board; this line should be the same length as the template's center line. This will be the underside of the longboard. Tape the template's center line to the newly-drawn line, aligning them carefully, and trace the outline of the template onto the plywood. Flip the template over the center line, taking care to keep the center lines aligned, and trace the outline of the other side's curve. Remove the template and drill holes around the outside of the board shape on the plywood board. Drill each hole at least a centimeter away from the drawn line, and the holes should be about 2 centimeters apart.

Place two sawhorses or similar supports about 2 feet apart (chair arms work in a pinch) and place the plywood board that has not been drilled across them. Place the drilled plywood board on top of this, and align the boards. Move the boards on the sawhorses so that the widest point of the board's outline is centered between the sawhorses (this should be about one third of the way back from the nose of the board outline). Place weights on top of the plywood boards at the one-third point so that the boards curve downward. Add or remove weights until the board curves the desired amount. A board with its widest point (where the curve is greatest) at 3 to 3.5 cm from level is an appropriate board for a 130-pound person.

Remove the weights. Flip the drilled top plywood board over and place it next to the bottom board, so that the side with the board outline faces downward. Clean the top surfaces of both boards with a dry cloth and prepare for gluing or epoxying. Mix the glue or epoxy in the mixing pot and use a paintbrush to coat the top surfaces of both boards with it. Flip the drilled board over onto the bottom board, so the glued surfaces touch each other. Align the boards and screw a wood screw through one of the drilled holes near the front of the boards to hold the boards together.

Place the weights from step 3 onto the boards at the one-third point, taking care to achieve the desired curve. Starting at the nose, drill wood screws through the pre-drilled holes, alternating sides and tightening the screws to firmly clamp the two pieces of plywood together. Check to make sure the curve does not change as you are screwing the pieces in, and add or remove weights as necessary to modify the curve. When all the screws are in and the curve is correct, leave the boards to dry in position for at least 24 hours (or whatever the instructions for the glue says).

Remove all of the wood screws from the boards once the glue or epoxy is fully set. Use a bandsaw or other similar tool to cut the boards along the drawn outline. Use a belt sander, power sander, or coarse sandpaper to sand the edges of the board until they are smooth and match the outline. Trace another outline on the board approximately 3 cm from the edges at all times, and sand the board's edge to a round shape which meets the board's flat surface at the new outline.

Coat the whole board in a layer of polyurethane varnish and allow it to dry. Lightly sand the bottom of the board with 800-grit sandpaper, taking care not to remove all of the varnish. Add any desired logos, graphics, or additional designs to the bottom of the board using waterproof marker. Coat the board in a second layer of polyurethane varnish and allow it to dry. Sand the second layer lightly with 1200-grit sandpaper. If desired, you can paint the board with polyurethane paint (such as boat paint). Use masking tape to create any desired patterns or color schemes and to guard the edges from running paint.

Use the longboard trucks as a template to guide where the truck holes in the board will be. Mark and drill the holes and attach the pads, trucks, and wheels according to the included instructions. Attach a layer of grip tape to the top of the board.