How to Build a Longboard

This is a simple, easy, and cheap way to build your own longboard instead of paying hundreds of dollars.

Materials
Wood Glue
2 or 3 - 1/4" plywood sheets (depending on the amount of flex wanted) 
Fiber glass cloth 
Fiber glass resin and hardener 
Longboard trucks
Clear grip tape

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LSufPxqGMKs

Step 1: Gluing the Board

First apply wood glue the two sheets of wood (or three if desired). Then using a paint scraper to evenly spread the glue. Afterwards press the wood together. Be sure not to leave air bubbles in between the wood. 

Comments

[ihaveguitarskills!]

Do you need the fiberglass cloth? I'm doing this in shop and don have too many resources, pretty much just wood, wood glue, and a bunch of tools. Please reply soon.

[lauti2000]

where can i get good weels and bearings to make it go fast

[JTMLB26]

Is the fiberglass suff just to protect the paint and design. If so could I go with out it and apply a clear coat instead

[rowdypaco]

did you fiberglass both sides of the board?

[bjc4073]

This is sorta mean, but how much do you weigh? I am making 2 for my cousin and my sister. They are both about 150, but I want it to sustain 200 lbs. Is 2 layers enough or do you think I need 3 sheets? BTW this is very nice, and where did you get your design/template

[bellbros123]

i weigh 150 as well, and the board holds extremely well. Two layers holds perfectly fine for a 150 lb person, but i would add a third layer it you want it to safely sustain 200 lbs. the board may not be as flexible as a result. the template is actually hand drawn. i drew half the board, then cut that side out. i then folded the paper in half, and re traced the side i drew to make it symmetrical, then i cut out the second side. to get the smooth curves i used edges of different sized round plastic container caps.

[thebeastj]

is the bending really necessary for it or does it need to be done?

[bellbros123]

no, not at all, this is just a preference,

[imboredalot]

You can download templates here: http://www.silverfishlongboarding.com/Board_Templates/

[ChiefBordum]

I was just wondering, instead of wood stain. what kind of paint would I have to use?..

[josh1324]

You could really use any paint, oil, acrylic, maybe even watercolours. You're covering whatever you're painting with fibreglass/grip tape anyways

[ckraske]

what i might do is flip the board upside down on the trucks giving you a little bit more flex

[kaine.xiii]

Instead of gluing two pieces of 1/4" birch plywood together, would it be fine to just use one 1/2" piece of birch plywood?

[skishoot]

you really should use the two 1/4in because if you use 1/2in you will not be able to shape it.

[AudioMaximus]

If I have a single piece of wood that is hard enough, but not too heavy, that does not bend at all when I stand on it, is the bending step still necessary?

[bellbros123]

that should be fine if u just want to ride around, but personally the board then feels like a piece of food with wheels. i personally like the feel of an authentic Longboard.

[Tyler5]

Is it absolutely necessary to put the fiberglass on?

[ebend12]

to build on his comment, where can one get the cloth and resin?

[imboredalot]

I got it in the auto department at a local hardware store.

[imboredalot]

Can I use regular skateboard trucks and wheels?

[chaoschao99]

Which way does the board bend when you ride it?

[bellbros123]

because the board bends upward sitting alone, but when i ride it equalizes and is pretty much flat

[ItzConfidential]

now did you use 2 or 3 sheets of plywood on the deck you made?

[bellbros123]

i used two sheets of wood

[wsx587]

this is a very well made board by the looks of it. 1 suggestion i have is that maybe instead of using skateboard trucks and wheels get actual long board trucks and wheels because there is a big difference in both but i do like the design and a very nice step by step process. me i have built about 8 boards and ive had 4 crack on me and you were smart to use fiberglass on the first run

[bellbros123]

they are longboard trucks they r just small ones... im getting nicer, bigger ones that fit the board better... and thanks for the feedback

[mattcc]

If it has been asked im sorry, but can you cut the shape out before you bend it with the weights?

[bellbros123]

yes of course, but the only problem is cutting two pieces the exact same shape then making sure they dont slide around when gluing the layers... its muck easier to cut afterwards

[mr2monster]

Instead of using grip tape, another way to get a decent grip pattern is to mix silica sand and fiberglass resin.. then spread fiberglass resin on the deck.

You could probably even use your electrical tape method and make whatever pattern you wanted.

[punkrocka7]

i've made 5 of these for my friends this way... they work awesome. never broke till my friends dad ran it over with his van lol

[nteri81]

How many Fiberglass cloths per side? And where is the best place to get the Fiber glass cloth, Fiber glass resin & hardener.

[bellbros123]

i got the fiberglass cloth and hardener from Lowe's and their is only one layer of fiberglass on the bottom side. the top does not need the fiberglass because that is where the grip tape will be applied

[mtbcrazy]

Awesome board!! I wana build one but where do u get the trucks??

[bellbros123]

i just took them off of my old board... but you can get a nice new pair from amazon or ebay

[bellbros123]

Here is a link for a vid of the board

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LSufPxqGMKs

don't mind the sides... my brother decided to ride the board through a muddy puddle

[beavercleaver]

I would like to build one of these for my son, with me not being a skater I have 2 questions, the first is I assume you cut the board length wise so the bow is front to back, and up is the top, is this correct? Next, the holes for the trucks, they would be 90 degrees to the deck surface, and is location of the trucks critical, or do riders prefer custom?

[just mike]

The advantage of a longer wheel base is that it is more stable at higher speeds, but like bellbros says you will have a wider turn radius (look further ahead and plan your turns, it doesn't take that long to get used to). most short boards have a wheel base around 20" (axle to axle). that's about the width of my shoulders. my favorite long board has a wheel base of 36". I don't see a reason for going much longer than that. Good Luck!

[bellbros123]

yes that is correct, and the truck location depend on what the rider prefers the closer the trucks the tighter the turns the further apart the wider the turns. also the front truck should be closer to the nose than the back truck is to the tail

[ichen2]

I don't really know what you meant by the board length question but as to the location of the trucks, too far back and you might get wheelbite from the deck (the board might hit the wheels when leaning in a turn) and too far forward might get you shoebite (leaning in a turn with feet on top of the trucks could cause your shoes to hit the wheels). Possible solutions to this are either wheel wells, which are cutouts along the edges of a board to allow some clearance, or using riser, which are those black things on top of the trucks in the finished product picture, until you don't get bite. See: earthwing superglider/miniglider

However, location of the trucks is also a rider preference thing because it determines what a board's wheelbase is. I am a fairly new longboard rider so I'll try to explain the best I can, and anyone who can do a better job please correct me. A deck with less nose and tail is typically used for cruising and carving while a deck with more nose and tail is used for tricks and such. A wheelbase is the distance between the two trucks (axle to axle, I believe) and typically the longer it is, the more stable the board is at higher speeds, within limits. On the other hand, the shorter it is, the easier it is to turn. Therefore, you could always drill two sets of holes to set up for different wheelbases. For more information, silverfishlongboarding is a great place to learn about longboard construction.

Hope this helped!

[LuminousObject]

Wheelbase is not an accurate name for wheelbase since it is actually measured from the inside truck holes. http://www.silverfishlongboarding.com/forum/general-longboarding/213231-hi-kids-im-board.html Good information about decks right there