This instructable is how to make a longboard of professional quality. When my friends saw mine they thought it was store bought until i told them. it is also a cheap alternative to the high priced ones that you can buy. I spent around $40 for everything and it was the best money i ever spent and saved me a few hundred too! This one is made in a way that is different than others that make it stronger and better fitting.

Step 1: Materials

The first step is to gather materials:

wood glue, or gorilla glue wood work great!
jig saw
clamps
wheels and trucks (can be bought on ebay for around $20)
drill and bits
chalk line (optional)
stain, or paint
grip tape

Step 2: Cut Wood

in this step, cut the wood into 1"x4" rectangles, you will need three of these to make your longboard, be sure to cut along and across the grain. you will see why later on.

Step 3: Glue It All Together

in this step, you will glue it all together. Use wood glue or gorilla glue to do this, first lay one piece of plywood down, making sure it is the piece is the one with the grain going along the long part of the wood, lay glue down and spread evenly. Do this to the second sheet(the one with the grain going parallel to the short side of the piece) and lay them on top of each other so glue on both sides are touching. Do this to the third piece and then clamp and add weights. You want to compress it enough so that glue will squeeze out the sides use weights or whatever you have on hand. Let dry overnight. notice how i bent my long board. you have to do this while the glue is wet, and this is why this is the best way to make long boards, because you can adjust the curve and shape it the way you want, which you cant do with a normal piece of wood alone.

Step 4: Cutting It Out

Now that the glue has dried, take off the clamps, and lay the now solid board on the saw horse. i made a template for my design, but you can either choose to do that or lay a long board on its front and trace it on the board. Either way works, and you can make it any shape you want pretty much, as long as you mark a center line, that will come in handy later. Use the jig saw to cut out what you outlined. once it has been cut out, use the sander to smooth out the edges and surface.

Step 5: Sanding and Painting

Now that the board is cut out, it is time to sand it smooth. Sand everywhere and especially make sure edges are smooth. Now it is ready to be painted! you can do whatever you want for this! i sometimes like seeing the grain so i stain it, but also you can use all purpose spray paint or normal paint. Use painters tape if you want to make nice stripes or clean edges. If you are going to stain it, if you want to, iron-ons work well on wood, so you could print on an iron on, then iron it on the board for a cool decal, i did one of a sun as you could see in the very first picture! have fun with it and be creative!

Step 6: Attatching the Wheels and Riding!!

finally it is time to add the wheels. First thing you have to do is find the center line of the board, if you did not do this start by measuring the width in a few places, and putting a mark in the middle. Connect all these dots with a line and that is your center line. When you get your trucks from ebay, measure the width of the trucks and mark the middle of the trucks with a marker. Do this to both trucks. The front of the front trucks are about 4 inches from the top, and the back of the back trucks are about 7 or 8 inches from the bottom. Set the trucks where they need to go, and use them as a template to mark the holes for the bolts, mark the holes, then drill the hole, all 8 of them. Bolt on the trucks, then attach the bearing and wheels. You have just made a long board, go out and ride it!!! i have made about 5 so far, and none have ever come close to breaking and each one is unique, even my brother made his own that he uses! now go and make your own! oh and when riding put your dominate foot in front, push with other, then put both feet on so they are perpendicular to the centerline, have fun and be safe!