Introduction: Fast Food, a Fanciful Skateboard

When I saw there was a skateboard contest I knew I had to build an ice cream sandwich skateboard. It is a great show piece or perfect for costumed participants in a parade. Watch someone riding an ice-cream sandwich and you cannot help grinning a bit. In fact you are most likely smiling just reading this. Dimensional drawing are included and construction options are discussed.

Step 1: Ice Cream

For the ice cream part you will need a piece to wood 2" x 7½" x 20". I glued together 10 pieces ¾" wide of aspen. I used aspen because it is white, light, and cheap. Round the four corners to a ¾" radius

Options

Instead of aspen you can use 10 pieces of common pine 1x3 (¾" x 2½"). Either rip them to 2" wide or use as is and just have your ice cream a ½" thicker.

If you want the wood whiter I recommend you paint it, preferably with some white milk paint but any white paint should do.

Step 2: Cookies

For the cookies you will need two pieces of walnut, ½" x 8" x 20 ½". On each piece you will need to drill the dimples on each piece. The dimension drawing includes the dimensions to position the holes. They need to be ¼" to ½" in diameter. I made a template from ¼" MDF for a busing and a rounding drill bit. I have included a SVG template file that allows you the laser cut a template with either 9/16" bushing (red) holes of 1/8" (blue)holes for a marking punch. After drilling all the holes, on each piece, round the four corners to a 1" radius.

Options

Instead of walnut you can use ¾" thick pine and stain or paint it chocolate brown. The extra thickness should not be a problem.

Step 3: Assemble the Ice Cream Sandwich

Give everything a final sanding and inspection. Glue and clamp the ice cream between the two cookies and let dry. Seal with your finish of choice. Take a selfie while holding it. This is what it felt like to have an ice cream sandwich when you were one year old.

Step 4: Attach Trucks

Trucks are the hardware that connects to the skate deck and the wheels. I bought a kit on Amazon.

trucks...

I got black metal with white wheels. I got these because they were cheap and they said they would work for 8" wide decks. When they came I was impressed at the quality and axle tip to axle tip is 8"..

You need to mark the mounting hole positions on the ice cream sandwich deck. The dimension drawing includes the dimensions to position the holes. The temple file (SVG) also includes 1/8" pilot (green) holes for mounting trucks.

Mark the pilot holes and drill them with an 5/32" drill, 1½" deep. Position the trucks and attach each with four #10 1½" round headed wood screws.

Now this kit came with some riser pads. I don't know why you would want them but I installed them. My reasoning is that whomever I give this too, it is easier to keep track of them if they are installed. They can be removed later, if desired.

If you look at the first picture you will see I am using "Old School" hole spacing. I thought old school was when you disassembled an old clamp on skate and nailed it to the bottom of a 2x4.

Step 5: Just Add Wheels

Wheels come as a kit with four wheels, eight bearing, and four spacers. For each wheel place the spacer inside and snap the two bearing into place. For each axle, add some washers to move the wheels out a little farther and add the little washer that came on the axle. (Next time I will buy with 8½" spacing between the axel tips.) Place the Wheels and the second little washer. Finish with the lock nut. Tighten so the wheel doesn't rack but not so tight as it doesn't roll. Repeat for the other three wheels.

Now turn the board over and go out and play.

Skateboard Contest

Runner Up in the
Skateboard Contest