Awwwwwwww Yeaaaaaaaaa. B)
~na na na na theme music na na na na~
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvqA7XJ7GpI
You made a good choice clicking on this link my friend! Here we're gonna show you how to make your own beach cruiser board on a relatively low budget :) Now when I say relatively I mean RELATIVELY low. This isn't gonna be a 2 dollar board, and I'm going to assume you have at least some basic tools with you. That being said you're only going to have to invest around 40-ish dollars which is PRETTY FRIKKIN cheap when you think a decent board will cost you at least twice that.
If you don't have these basic tools, DON'T PANIC! Go out and buy them!
They'll be a worthwhile investment not only for now, but for future projects as well :D
Any questions from the class? No? Okay.
HERE.
WE.
GO.
~na na na na theme music na na na na~
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvqA7XJ7GpI
You made a good choice clicking on this link my friend! Here we're gonna show you how to make your own beach cruiser board on a relatively low budget :) Now when I say relatively I mean RELATIVELY low. This isn't gonna be a 2 dollar board, and I'm going to assume you have at least some basic tools with you. That being said you're only going to have to invest around 40-ish dollars which is PRETTY FRIKKIN cheap when you think a decent board will cost you at least twice that.
If you don't have these basic tools, DON'T PANIC! Go out and buy them!
They'll be a worthwhile investment not only for now, but for future projects as well :D
Any questions from the class? No? Okay.
HERE.
WE.
GO.
Remove these ads by
Signing UpStep 1: Step 1: Inssufficient funds.
~theme music for step 1~
http://youtu.be/e69laCvKxEw
There's no point in starting a project if you can't finish it. First, lay out all that you need, how much you think it'll cost, and how much you are willing to pay. I always keep an extra 20 with me just in case. You never know.
So remember those basic tools I told you guys about? Well here they are.
- A Jig Saw: Doesn't have to be a jig saw in particular, but I find it the most practical. As long as you have something that can cut through wood (an axe doesn't count.)
- A drill - You'll need this to drill the holes for the trucks but that's pretty much it. Hole punchers don't cut through plywood so I'd definitely get this requirement figured out before you continue.
- Brushes (optional) - If you're on this site I'm going to assume you have a brush lying around somewhere. Get it ready. If not I guess you could finger paint.
- Sandpaper - Fine and Coarse. You need BOTH guys. 60 grit paper will wear those sharp corners away, but it won't leave it looking clean. Use the fine grade sandpaper after the 60/80 grit and you'll see how big of a difference this makes. Also, the fiberglass will need to be worn away by both of these to get a nice finish. It costs like 3 dollars. Just buy some.
- X - Acto blade - Hobby knife, Boxcutter, Cutter, OLFA, whatever you want to call it. You'll be doing some cutting and I find that using these blades makes the process much simpler.
- Ruler - To measure things.
- Tape (PAINTER'S) - To tape things.
- Pen - to write on things.
- Printer (optional) - to print things
- Gloves - to protect your hands.
If you don't have these items that's okay. You can always borrow! :D
$$$ Things you may need to purchase $$$
$15
Fiberglass Resin - this comes with a small bottle of hardener most of the time. This will give the board the nice finish.
$7
Fiberglass cloth - a pack of 8 square foot cloth is more than enough. This will give the board strength and flexibility
$20
Respirator (REQUIRED) - If you're choosing to work with the fiberglass you will absolutely need a respirator. A dust mask doesn't count! If you can still smell it, it's still killing you, so get a decent grade respirator. I already had one, but you can get one for around 20 bucks. Not only will you look like a Badass, but you won't get cancer. Which is bad for those of you that don't know.
$2
Foam Roller - Get the cheap kind! You'll be using one foam roller per coat of resin and the stuff will harden on the roller! After you use it the foam will become useless, so invest in some dollar store rollers (I found 2 for 1 dollar. I needed 4)
$5
Griptape - It keeps you from falling off the board. Get something you like! It comes in colors too so be creative!
$15
Wood! - This is very important! Find the right wood! Do NOT use particle board. Do NOT use chipboard. Use sheets of fully in-tact wood to do this. There are many instructables that do a much better job than I of explaining which wood to choose so look at those! My wood investment was a total of $15
Because I already had the respirator I only spent 38 bucks. Of course you could opt out of using the fiberglass all together and save a bunch of that money :)
http://youtu.be/e69laCvKxEw
There's no point in starting a project if you can't finish it. First, lay out all that you need, how much you think it'll cost, and how much you are willing to pay. I always keep an extra 20 with me just in case. You never know.
So remember those basic tools I told you guys about? Well here they are.
- A Jig Saw: Doesn't have to be a jig saw in particular, but I find it the most practical. As long as you have something that can cut through wood (an axe doesn't count.)
- A drill - You'll need this to drill the holes for the trucks but that's pretty much it. Hole punchers don't cut through plywood so I'd definitely get this requirement figured out before you continue.
- Brushes (optional) - If you're on this site I'm going to assume you have a brush lying around somewhere. Get it ready. If not I guess you could finger paint.
- Sandpaper - Fine and Coarse. You need BOTH guys. 60 grit paper will wear those sharp corners away, but it won't leave it looking clean. Use the fine grade sandpaper after the 60/80 grit and you'll see how big of a difference this makes. Also, the fiberglass will need to be worn away by both of these to get a nice finish. It costs like 3 dollars. Just buy some.
- X - Acto blade - Hobby knife, Boxcutter, Cutter, OLFA, whatever you want to call it. You'll be doing some cutting and I find that using these blades makes the process much simpler.
- Ruler - To measure things.
- Tape (PAINTER'S) - To tape things.
- Pen - to write on things.
- Printer (optional) - to print things
- Gloves - to protect your hands.
If you don't have these items that's okay. You can always borrow! :D
$$$ Things you may need to purchase $$$
$15
Fiberglass Resin - this comes with a small bottle of hardener most of the time. This will give the board the nice finish.
$7
Fiberglass cloth - a pack of 8 square foot cloth is more than enough. This will give the board strength and flexibility
$20
Respirator (REQUIRED) - If you're choosing to work with the fiberglass you will absolutely need a respirator. A dust mask doesn't count! If you can still smell it, it's still killing you, so get a decent grade respirator. I already had one, but you can get one for around 20 bucks. Not only will you look like a Badass, but you won't get cancer. Which is bad for those of you that don't know.
$2
Foam Roller - Get the cheap kind! You'll be using one foam roller per coat of resin and the stuff will harden on the roller! After you use it the foam will become useless, so invest in some dollar store rollers (I found 2 for 1 dollar. I needed 4)
$5
Griptape - It keeps you from falling off the board. Get something you like! It comes in colors too so be creative!
$15
Wood! - This is very important! Find the right wood! Do NOT use particle board. Do NOT use chipboard. Use sheets of fully in-tact wood to do this. There are many instructables that do a much better job than I of explaining which wood to choose so look at those! My wood investment was a total of $15
Because I already had the respirator I only spent 38 bucks. Of course you could opt out of using the fiberglass all together and save a bunch of that money :)
Visit Our Store »
Go Pro Today »
(check my reply to XP1's comment below to see how I picked my wood out)
Good luck!
However the flexibility really leds itself a smoother ride. With the fiberglass on it as well, I haven't felt like It was going to break and I don't see anything bizarre (warping, splinting, etc.)
I would test out the wood at your woodstore using the 2X4 method I described to the other commenter to really see what thickness you want. Its all about preference. A thicker wood obviously won't bend as much, and a thinner wood may break.
~~~This ISN'T something most people recommend~~
HOWEVER - this doesn't mean it is bad! I've made boards before using the method below and they last :D
What you can do is find some plywood you think would work well and have them (the home depot lumber department) cut you a rectangle just larger than the shape of your board. This shouldn't cost anything and you won't have to pay for the wood until you pass through the register at the front. Then, find 2 loose 2X4 scraps and place them perpendicular to the length of the board under the wood at around where you think the trucks will be. The wood will be elevated and will allow you to hop on (just like you would hop on a skateboard). If you feel like the wood is going to break with your weight on it or if it doesn't behave like you would like, get off and find a new piece. Place your cut piece of wood in the "pre cut pieces" panel of the home depot or just set them aside and you're done. :)
This way you will not have lost any money, will already know how your board will feel, and will not have to spend a fortune on your wood. :)