Introduction: Urban Sports - Grindoes (Updated)

This Instructable won the First Prize in the Converse Back to School in Style Contest. So thanks to everyone who voted for it! =)
In return I uploaded a trailer, which you can see here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAj6z9PseCM

This Instructable is for everyone who likes freestyle urban sports. And for those who don't want to get rid of their old shoes.

With Grindoes (What a revolutionary and creative name - I know) you feel like Aggressive Inlining without Inliners. It is something like a training for learning how to grind with Inliners. You don't need a long inrun and it's not that bad if you miss the rail. I am pretty sure you learned to walk earlier than you learned to skate.

Actually, there is an Instructable that shows you how to make related shoes, but this one is cheaper and easier, you probably have everything you need at home and the design is less noticeable (No offence, MKohen's Instructable https://www.instructables.com/id/Soap-Shoesmake-your-own/ is really very good ;))

Summing up, Grindoes are shoes which you can grind with.

Step 1: What You Need

Along with a weakness for extraordinary sports, you need:

- Shoes that fit: Don't take your favorite ones - They might go bust. I use my old Etnies, because they have a thick base. Normally, big and expensive shoes have thick bases.
- PVC pipe: It should have a diameter of about 4cm (16"). It doesn't have to be longer than 15cm.
- Screws: 8 small screws with a length of about 1.5cm (0.6")
- Tape: I suggest crepe tape, but every other tape is okay, too.

- A saw: It should have a more or less thin saw blade. I will come to that in step 3.
- An electric drill: You need two diameters, a thin (~2mm) and a normal (~6mm) one.
- A file: You need it to smoothen the PVC pipe and the hole in the shoes, before you use the
- Sand paper.
- A screw driver: It should fit onto the screws mentioned above.
- A pen
- Grind wax: Any candle will do.

Step 2: Getting the Pattern

You need to cut a half hole in the base of your shoe.

To get the cutting line, simply hold the end of your pipe on the base of your shoe and copy the curve with the pen. The image shows where the hole should be. You can find the right spot when you have your shoes on and stand on a ledge comfortably. Then mark on the shoe where you want to have your hole.
Don't make it too high, or you have the plastic pressing in your foot. Take the sole out and find out where you can still cut the base away. On the outside of the shoe, you can detect it because of the stitching, which is usually a bit above the lowest point on the inside. So make your half circle a bit under that line, if you have one.

Do the same on the other side of the shoe, be sure that both half circles are parallel and symmetric.

Step 3: Cutting the Hole

Now you will have to cut along these lines. For getting into the rubber, you can use a tenon saw like in the first picture, but when you get to the curve, you need a thin saw blade, like in the second picture.
If you want to clamp the shoe, fill it with a piece of wood or something else, so that it keeps its form and doesn't slip away.

The first cuts will be harder than the later ones, because the rubber is about 0.5cm thick (0.2") and underneath, there is a foam-like material.

Cut from both sides until half of the circle (See picture 3, I'm sorry for the bad quality, but you get the point) and then remove the part, so that you get a result like in picture 4.

Step 4: Making It Fit

Hold the PVC pipe under the hole to see if it fits. Use a rough file to make the hole in the shoe rounder, so that the pipe fits in. Even if the pipe already fits in, you should smoothen the hole a bit.

Then hold the pipe like in the second picture and use the pen to copy the edges of the shoe.
The lines on the side should be accurate, while I recommend you to make the cut along the pipe a bit under the line, it will be cut away later anyway.

Step 5: Cutting the Pipe

Cut the pipe along the lines with the saw. It doesn't have to look nice, it will be smoothened later.
What you should hold in your hands now should look a bit like the Wiimote-batterycover.

Put it in the hole of the shoe to see whether it fits, and mark 4 points where the screws will be drilled in. These points should be where you see the screws in the second picture and the red dots in the first.
Drill these holes with a small drill that makes a hole where the screws fit in.
Then use a bigger drill to make a crater for the screw heads. You can see what I mean on the third picture. I was told this technique is called Countersinking. This prevents that they scratch on the grinding surface, so be sure that they are deep enough in the plastic.

Step 6: Fixing the Pipe

I still call this thing pipe, although it is not really a pipe anymore. It is more like a third pipe or something.

Fix the pipe with the aid of the tape, so that it fits correctly.
When you take a look at the piece of the shoe that you cut out (Don't chase after the garbage vehicle if you have already got rid of it - It's not that important), you will see that the point where you will put the screws in, is fully rubber, so the whole screw will be covered by rubber and not that foam-thing. When you put them into the shoe like picture one shows you (I know, it is difficult to put screws in without even holding the shoe. But I had to take the photo.), they should sit very compact within the rubber.
You can use your hand to feel if one of the screws got out in the shoe. If this is the case, take it out and screw it in again.

Step 7: Smoothing

Now you have to use your saw to cut along the bottom of your shoe like super blurry picture one shows you. The pipe has to be flush with the base.

Then smoothen the edges roughly with the file. Don't forget about the 4 edges, they should also be flush with the shoe.
When you are done use the sand paper to make it really smooth.

Step 8: Halftime

Your first shoe is done.

You can put the sole in again and use it as a template for he second shoe.
The second picture was made before the pipe was fixed, but you can it do now, it doesn't matter.

When you have copied the pattern, start with the other shoe from step 3.

Step 9: You Are Done!

Now you have made your own Grindoes.

But what are they good for? The next step will describe how to use them.

Step 10: Doing Tricks

It is recommendable to get some practice before you go out. A sledge is just perfect to learn how to grind.

Before every session, you should use the wax to make the shoes grind better. Rub it onto the surface where you want to slide and also on the PVC pipe.
Turn the sledge over and stand on it like in the picture, to get a feeling of the right balance. Slide your feet a bit to know how it will feel.
Then do the walk-and-jump-on-the-rail-motion slowly and carefully, before you start to do it in the right speed. At first, do some 'Kiss-the-rail's, which means that you jump on the rail very lately, only to touch it. When you feel comfortable, try it along the whole sledge. Please be careful, I don't mean to hurt anyone.

When you think you are done with practicing, go out and find some good spots to grind. Please don't damage anything, and remember to have fun ;)

This is a video showing how to use your shoes:
http://www.fileshost.com/download.php?id=F07D22301

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