5-Minute Project: Drill-Powered Skateboard

Do you have a skateboard that is gathering dust in the corner of your garage? Breathe some new life into those wheels by zapping them with some volts. Specifically, attaching a battery-powered electric drill to the front of your skateboard will provide effortless nosegrinding and endless hours of fun.

Three factors will enhance your battery-powered skateboarding:

1. More Volts. Higher voltage battery-powered drills (at least 9.6V) will provide more minutes of skateboarding fun.

2. Greater Torque. Drills that can generate more torque will be able to move, ahem, heavier riders.

3. Big, Bad Rubber Wheel. The more rubber that meets the highway, the higher the performance.

Step 1 How to Make SkateBored

5-minutes
Cost: $2.80
Very Easy

Parts List

• Skateboard (salvaged)
• Battery-Powered Drill; at least 9.6V (salvaged)
• 25-inches of 1/2-inch PVC Schedule 40 (1.00)
• (2) 90-degree Elbow PVC Schedule 40 (.90 each)
• Large Rubber Wheel (salvaged)
• Cable Ties

Comments

[thrashermanTotalDIY]

Skateboards don't have axles. nThsi won't work with most skatgeboards

[stringstretcher]

Before you berate the author for his "mistake" you should look again at his instructions. did he put the wheel back on after attaching the drill to the AXLE (yes, they do, they just don't rotate. look at your car) no, he replaced the skateboard wheel with a big rubber wheel fitted over the chuck of the drill. Did he tighten the chuck onto the axle (that word again)? No, he let it hang there, supported by a frame in a position to drive the rubber wheel without the drill backing off the axle.

[thrashermanTotalDIY]

Oh OK I didn't read carefully. Maybe I should. Thank you for taking time Mmr. Einstein stringstretcher to make me feel bad that i made a small mistake. and actually, this makes no sense. don't caLL IT an axle cos' its NOT one. So maybe thw authiors gottabe more precise

[stringstretcher]

Haha! Keep up that sense of humor... I didn't mean to make you feel bad, sorry. Not all axles rotate, though. Look at the front wheels of a car. they are made this way. There are bearings in the hub of the brakes (drums or discs), and the wheels mount on them. Same as this skateboard. I don't know why you won't call this an axle? It is a kind of axle, in any case! btw, you have a great name, there... don't ever change that.

[thrashermanTotalDIY]

also, thanks

[thrashermanTotalDIY]

Tis OK. Sorry to you too. I guess Popsci gotta be more precise. I guess it's an axle, or something like that. I'll find out

[Pizzapie500]

I think if the drill bit/axle-ish part doesn't move, than the chuck of the drill moves? Then I guess it would be one wheel drive, which wouldn't make sense...

[thrashermanTotalDIY]

I know right?

[girlsgames]

Oh, I love you baby


y8friv

[thrashermanTotalDIY]

????????????????

[jimmytvf]

where are the wheels attached then?

[popewill]

The wheels are attached to trucks, which don't rotate. Skateboard wheels move because of the ball bearing wheels inside of them.

[thrashermanTotalDIY]

your answer makes a lot more sense that stringstretcher's.

[stringstretcher]

take your skateboard apart... and then make a list of all the parts. tire, bearing, axle... truck... board.

[jimmytvf]

This is a very good idea, but you can make it even better. Make some threads in the wheel with a Dremel, then, attach to those threads, a threaded band that you can find in a dead printer or scanner, and the other side to the drill, this way you won't let the drill driveshaft get forced to make a movement that's not designed to do, like working with an angle, and lay it flat in the board

[Tmac121]

This doesn't work on a real skateboard. the axle shouldn't rotate.

[daggerofblood1243]

coulden't you just take out the motor and attach it up to da wheel then put a foot peadal switch on the the battery and solder all dat up???( a little more complicated)

[ducttape12]

best idea & easy idea

[lilybadea]

Great Idea and very innovative. This is very best idea to bring in use the waste. now like this one, the skateboard with the power of battery and drill machine have become a nice play thing for children.But i am thinking can we do this for kick scooters as well . Am interested in trying this idea once to my skaeboard. This will be fun.

[dragonfathom]

It'd be better with a system that lets you stand up.

[jsilve1]

could you attach a stronger drill to a bike

[TSC]

Yes you can!! look it up at youtube!!!!

[Raydoom]

tried it , just resulted in a ruined bike.
will try with a proper motor sometime...

[2 stroke]

i am currently using a chainsaw motor for friction drive on a 26 inch mountain bike with a homelite super two i am in the middle of making the mount my angle grinder burned out so ill have to wait and get another one ill post a slide show after i am done or even a ible

[Wesley666]

You could. I have a drill that we put a long metal rod through with people on either end because it you don't and it gets stuck it will flip you on your @55 so fast you won't know what happened. I think it would break your arm first, but it has a 2 3/4hp electric motor I think....but its not cordless... :(

[djread]

what is salvaged?

[inventordude14]

 salvaged pretty much means from ebay or the dump

[MaXoR]

Or to take from something broken, and put into something working. Broken stereo has motors, use motors to power small helicopter model.... that would be "salvaging the motors".

[carrotman42]

what part or definition?

[Odziz]

This goes one step further, a drill-powered bike. 'This Old House' beats 'PopSci' hands down!

Would be quite neat if it was combined with the 8020 Chopper.
8020 Chopper assembly

[sharp8873]

where can I get one of those

[geoslim13]

make mag did an article on how to do so in either issue 20 or 21

[rocker_man_2010]

HAy MAke IT, That's what this site is for is to build things yourself ---T

[KBHELLSPAWN]

HEY WHAT DO YOU CALL THAT wierd LOOKLNG BIKE THAT GUY IN THE VID WAS RIDING? ANYONE

[Labot2001]

we've always called them monkey bikes, but th term can also be used to describe a little motor-driven bike or dirtbike

[Wesley666]

They are also called mini bikes, clown bikes and folding bikes (if they fold that is)

[finnster]

monkey bike-that's what she said

[josh1324]

a little late, but how?

[KBHELLSPAWN]

Thanks

[lebowski]

here's the video from youtube...