Ripstick Under-body Kit

Like to ride at night? Here is how to make an under body kit for a Ripstick skateboard. An under-body kit is a set of lights or light (typically LEDs or neon bulbs) mounted under a car or truck. Under body kits can flash, fade, and flash in sync to music using a microphone. We will be making the simplest kind, which is just when the the lights are a steady on.

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Step 1: Supplies

For this project you'll need a few basic parts and tools including:

-Drill
-Phillips screwdriver/drill bit
-7/32 inch Alan wrench
-Knife from a multitool
-Flathead screwdriver
-3/16 inch drill bit
-Electrical tape
-Dremil
-Cut off/grinder attachment for dremil
-Drum sander attachment for dremil
-Safety glasses; when using the dremil
-1 10-100 ohm resistor
-3 AA enclosed battery holder (recommended)
-10 5mm clear LEDs (any color)
-File
-Slide switch
-Wire Strippers
-Soldering iron
-Rosin core solder
-Hot glue gun
-Wire, 20-24 gauge
-And, a ripstick of course!

Mooch07 says: Nov 20, 2010. 8:52 PM

Wow, good idea!
I'll have to try this on my brother's board.

sloanchilders says: May 30, 2011. 10:30 PM

haha lol break his instead... i like your style i have a little bro two

Electroinnovation says: May 11, 2011. 2:45 PM

Pretty cool...but using more lights gives a much better glow effect.

vader406 says: Nov 22, 2010. 1:28 AM

Now...how could we implement this on a ripstik air? ;)

the_burrito_master says: Nov 6, 2010. 5:29 PM

Thanks for the credit....

metsfan1938 (author) says: Nov 6, 2010. 9:02 PM

I had no idea of the existance of your instructable, i just like to put lights on things, and what do you mean that i didnt frost the LEDs?

the_burrito_master says: Nov 6, 2010. 10:58 PM

You can ether buy, frosted LEDs or frost water clear LEDs by sanding the surface of the led.

I Understand you didn't see mine, but I don't like the way Ive got, 38 instuctables without a single feature. then when you basically recreate my instructable it gets featured...

the_burrito_master says: Nov 6, 2010. 5:46 PM

I'm somewhat annoyed that his got featured when I had the idea first and had a much cleaner finished product. the only difference i see in this instructable and mine is.

The battery pack is on the outside , bad thing.
The wiring is ineficent and likely to burn out the leds ,bad thing.
It has pictures of the tools he used , good thing.
It has fewer lights and he didn't frost the LEDs to get a nicer appearance.

Sorry to be such a jerk about it, but really? He gets featured for making a worse instructable than I did and he's he's second to do it?

ac1D says: Nov 14, 2010. 11:46 AM

You really don't want to frost a led (or buy a frosted one).
They look ugly and are mostly only used in Christmas tree.
What would be nice, is diffused led. But then, you would need either more led, or really strong led.

the_burrito_master says: Nov 14, 2010. 10:45 PM

Beg to differ lol, in some cases yes they look ugly, but i think it looks worse when there are 17 spotlights under your deck, instead of a nice glow.

compare my image and the intro picture.

metsfan1938 (author) says: Nov 23, 2010. 12:38 PM

I wouldn't call them spotlights, the camera takes in a lot of light in a dark inviorment and my picture was from the bottom of the board and yours was from the top.

Opspin says: Nov 4, 2010. 9:43 AM

Cool, FYI it's called a waveboard at least in Denmark (and probably in scandinavia, maybe even in Europe) that would probably help keep the price up :(

TOCO says: Nov 6, 2010. 8:25 PM

In the U.S. There is the ripstick and then there are cheaper knock off brands like waveboard.

mg0930mg says: Nov 4, 2010. 11:08 AM

The brand is ripstick here in the US.

Electroinnovation says: Nov 4, 2010. 1:55 PM

well no there also is a street surfer brand that's called a wave board, maybe that's what he's reffering to.

mg0930mg says: Nov 4, 2010. 4:19 PM

I was just pointing out that it was a brand. It's like calling a rotary tool a dremel or a cotton swab a q-tip. I thought they were called waveboards, but the brand is ripstick.