FISHSTICK (Ripstik / Waveboard)

This Instructable will show you how to design and build your own Ripstik that "sticks" out in a crowd. Since it looks like a fish, I call it the FISHSTICK.

The torsion bar is hidden underneath the board and is basically made of a door hinge combined with a very stiff blade of a saw. It took me quite some time to get the "stiffness" of the board right, but with this set-up, the feel of the board comes very close to that of an original Ripstik.
Wolfshade has posted an I'ble on how to build a Ripstik back in 2009. Check it out here because I learned some aspects of it.

The motivation for this project came from the fact that all Ripstiks look alike. Secondly, the design of them simply resembles of two canoe paddles connected by a rod. Can't this be improved?

Step 1 What do you need?

• A plywood sheet to make the deck (90 cm x 35 cm x 0,9 cm)
• A pair of casters and a pair of wheels (diameter 7,5 cm).
• 2 Wooden blocks to connect the wheels (the base of the caster is 6x6 cm, hence the block must accomodate this size).
• A door hinge: width 8 cm (open), length 9 cm.
• A bolt (length 100 mm, M10) with a nut. This will replace the pin in the hinge.
• 8 screws for the hinge (shorter than the thickness of the deck, in my case 9 mm)
• 8 screws for the casters: a set of long ones (25mm) and a set of short ones (15 mm).
• 1 bolt, a washer and Tee Nut.  (all based on M6). 
• A blade of a saw, 14" x 1 3/4" X 0.062, and cut it to a length of 25 cm. I used one of BLU-MOL (works excellent). You don't have to use a saw, just as long it is a strong and elastic piece of metal. Some putty knifes are excellent alternatives.
• 8 Dowel pins (6 mm diameter).
• Masking tape and paint.

Comments

[heat700]

that appears to look like an orange sperm with feet

[cyclops0000]

here are the pics: i don't know how to show them in a comment, so here is the link https://picasaweb.google.com/wesleynance/DropBox?authkey=Gv1sRgCK29jvLPlJCpygE&feat=directlink  you can see how the waveboard castor is odd.

[bertus52x11]

do you think yours is odd or the original one?

[cyclops0000]

i think the original is odd, the angle the caster creates, is almost 45 degrees on its own.

[cyclops0000]

by the way, where did you find that hinge? i cannot find it anywhere! i would happily go with your torsion bar- seems smoother that wolfsshade's, but i can't find that hinge! is it a gate hinge or something?

[bertus52x11]

Those are fairly common hinges for doors or gates. Do you live near a good hardware store? They should have different kinds.
Just to be sure: you realise that it has been modified? (compare pictures of step 1 and 4).

[cyclops0000]

quick question: i built this, but i used wolfsshade's torsion bar, and i cannot figure out the correct angle for the caster block. should it be steeper rather that less steep? i recently got a real waveboard, and the casters are very wierd on it. i'll post pics later, so you can see what i am talking about.

[bertus52x11]

That' s great to hear.
I would recommend to stick as much as possible to the waveboard design (although I don't know what you mean with weird. Are they hooked or something).

I have made a comment on Nov 30 (12:12 am). Please read item 3. It's partially about the angle. Then feel free to come back with more questions.

[cyclops0000]

how does it ride? have you posted a video yet? i am building this 'ible for my science fair project.

[bertus52x11]

Great to hear that you're building!
I haven't posted a video yet, but I'm planning to. Now the streets are either very wet or covered with snow.

[cyclops0000]

what is the point of the tee nut? when you screw in the saw blade does it hold the screw in place?

[bertus52x11]

Exactly, the Tee Nut holds the blade in place.
I have chosen for a Tee Nut as an ordinary screw IN the deck wouldn't be as strong.

[ur momma]

how you cut it

[bertus52x11]

• Reciprocating saw.
• Sand paper 80 grit
• Sand paper 200 grit

[vader406]

The wide tail looks like it's easy to bite the ground, especially on those tight turns.

[bertus52x11]

That's correct, but sometimes you have to compromise if you want to look different (better?).

[vader406]

Haha yes, it does look better, but it's really important to have room because of how the board rotates as you snake around. And I'd be worried that the glossy look won't last very long - painted wood vs. concrete.

[bertus52x11]

It's not as bad as one might think, because the wheels are larger. Hence the board is slightly higher...
The varnish layers are the type used in parquet floors (so designed to withstand the wear from shoes). So far the only damage is underneath the board from laying around on a floor.

[vader406]

I'm gonna attempt to make one, but with griptape on the deck. 8)

[bertus52x11]

Post yours when you're done and I'll send you a patch! (help me remind!).

[=D]

This reminds me of a television show that made constant reference to asking people if they enjoyed putting fish sticks in their mouths.

But all homonym related jokes aside, kudos to this new and (more functional?) design!

[vader406]

yum :9

[zascecs]

south park? lol

[PatentPending]

Hey, could something like this be useful on say, the gray paint on the top surface? Or is there already enough grip from the paint?

http://tinyurl.com/26evo7f

I was just curious as to if the top was slippery or anything. Amazing instructable by the way, so simplistic but efficient!

[bertus52x11]

When following your link, I get an error. Anything that enhances grip is good. The paint in itself, combined with sneakers provides a good grip although any hardcore "Ripper" will disagree that it is not enough...

[vader406]

That's where his link took me.

[vader406]

http://www.google.com/products/catalog?hl=en&expIds=17259,24472,25907,27147,27415,27642,27744&sugexp=ldymls&xhr=t&q=Anti+Skid+Grit&cp=14&qe=QW50aSBTa2lkIEdyaXQ&qesig=SN_B9UZ4MAi8nZwbCGYyTg&pkc=AFgZ2tl2Ras7i8JqJlQvG4D4qUxZ7syOaJCDnwRbHfeMYb4ortP-zpUEgGOuOO1cb1YZQ54o2OOR0UZ15OlPEXV-9c3cmV-DEA&qscrl=1&um=1&biw=1121&bih=828&ie=UTF-8&cid=12937228658931556428&ei=4O7vTOqZEMGAlAe6_qCcDQ&sa=X&oi=product_catalog_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CFgQ8wIwAA#

[gageylawson]

i'm gonna make this over thanksgiving or christmas break!

[bertus52x11]

Let me know if I can be of any help.
If you're finished, post it and I'll send you a patch.

[gageylawson]

how much did this cost for you? I have a really small funding system. Also, how does this work compared to a Ripstik? I have one now, but I think it's broken or something because it's really short and hard to turn. I think i'll cannibalize it for the torsion spring. *ripstik screams and jumps out window*. Or I'll use the saw blade.

[bertus52x11]

If I count my hours it's way, way too expensive !
Approximate figures:
Plywood € 7
caster blocks (2) € 4
Casters (2) € 30
Saw € 8
+ paint

Although I'm not a very experienced "ripper" (just built the board for my son) I can see some differences and similarities:

1. The torsion (stiffness) is very much like a ripstik. I have spent quite some time to get that right.

2. As the wheels are larger (75 mm), the ride tends to be "smoother". The texture of the road (roughness) seems to have less effect.

3. Since the wheels are larger and I wanted to limit the height of the board, I have tilted the wheels slightly more than an ordinary rispstik . It seems that this makes the board a little bit less manoeuvrable, but more stable at higher speeds (it slightly favours going in a straight line).

If you are able to disassemble the torsion bar you can find out what the problem is or how it can be fixed. Isn't there some forum on the Internet that deals with ripstik problems?

[chiok]

Excellent instructable. The photos you took are outstandingly clear and an exemplar standard for the future. Impressive design, but I'm just taken by your documentation.

[bertus52x11]

Thanks!

[Ssslouter]

EPIC!

Did you figure out how to make the twisting part alone or did you get help? Anyways, I really want to build this, it also looks fairly simple.

[bertus52x11]

Partially... The idea of the reversed hinge is mine. The idea of the saw is by Wolfshade (follow the link in the introduction of my I'ble and you'll see).
However, since I was not really limited by the size of the saw, I could choose one that provides a fair amount of torque (something Wofshade has complained about in his own I'ble). The amount of torque is determined by the length, width, thickness and alloy of the blade.
Study his Instructable and you'll see whay I mean..

[Ssslouter]

if I will ever build this it will probably be next summer. Though when I do, i'll combine both of your Ibles, i like wolfshade's hinge system better but your board looks more reliable (i wouldn't dare get on wolfshade's, it looks too fragile and loose)

[bertus52x11]

Good luck, but remember: the thinner the saw, the less torque they will provide.

[Ssslouter]

you should post it to the epilog contest you have 5.0 score

[bertus52x11]

Thanks for the tip, but I'll wait en see what my I'ble does in the Kinetic Sculpture contest. If it wins a price, it doesn't seem fair nor realistic to enter it in the Epilog Contest as well...

[Ssslouter]

true. well, i'll see what i can do when i build it