In this how to I will show you how to make a version of Eddie Van Halen's Frankenstrat paint job on a cruiser with my own little touch ups to make it look a bit cooler. c: feel free to make your own changes to your own board and make it unique. Its always more fun to add to something rather than perfectly replicating it so be creative with this. Lastly, I listed basically everything I used an provided a picture showing most of the materials I used. Also, I'll provide pictures of the missing materials further on throughout the steps.

*Side Creation (Temporary Board Hanger)*

If you don't know how to hang a board to dry or don't want to risk drip from painting on a cardboard box, you can use my useful way to hang boards easily!

All you'll need: 2 nails (that are slightly smaller than the screw holes in the deck) and metal wire (you can find this at a Michaels or local crafts store)

1. Place the nails into the top holes closest to the nose or tail.
2. Wrap the wire around the first nail and make three basic knots around it before wrapping the wire around the second nail in a figure 8 pattern. Make two knots on the second nail and finally wrap the wire around the figure 8 to creat a secure coil around it. As you tighten the wire, it should pull in the nails making them snug in the holes so they won't fall out.
3. Hook it on any hooked bungee or wall hook and you have a temporary way to hang your board for painting and drying.

•To replace nails simply slide them out and insert new nails.

Step 1: Materials You'll Need

In order to make this board, you'll need the following materials:

•Multiple colors of satin/matte spray and a clear gloss enamel spray (I bought my paints from my local Home Depot)
•1" and 1/4" painters tape. 1" is everywhere while you may have a little bit of trouble finding the 1/4 so you may need to buy it online.
•A deck
•Skateboard hardware, trucks, risers, bearings, (clear) grip-tape, wheels, etc. All of which can be bought at your local skate shop
•*optional* Vinyl decal (IMO Vinyl Disorder is a good online site that could help you out)
•sand paper (150 medium by 3M)
•A US quarter dollar (optional)
•A power drill (to drill holes into the quarter)
•newspaper
•Wood filler (I used Elmer's Wood Filler >Max< Stainable)
•face mask and goggles for protection
•X-Acto knife
•A cigarette or two

Step 2: Sand and Fill In

I used a power sander with the medium grit paper to get rid of the light varnish coat on the deck. I took the wood filler and put about a dimple sized amount on my fingertip to take out any tiny craters on the board. I used a little less than a half peas full to fill in a large crevice. After 15 minutes of dry time I sanded down the excess remains and gave the board another dry time for 8 hours.

Step 3: Natural Wood Lines

Now because this particular deck has a multi wood build, I made lines to somewhat add to create a distressed look to the deck without actually damaging the board. This step is optional but IMO I believe it looks pretty cool after applying all the colors.

Step 4: The First Color

Now I did black for my first coat. Yes yes black under white is annoying to cover but if I made it happen so can you. Anyways, apply 1-2 coats of black spray paint to the board and let it sit 30 min before applying another coat. I gave the board a good 12 hours before removing the tape. You will be doing this for every color on the board so you can prevent the paint from peeling off or other weird things.

Step 5: Onto the White

You're doing the same shown above on how to apply the black except you may need to add twice as many coats to make the white opiate over the black. For the lines I based them off of the front black lines of FrankenStrat. Don't worry if you cover a vast majority of the natural and black because you want to make the red become the dominant color with lots of slim white lines added with a touch of black and natural highlights.

Step 6: Paint Her Red

Repeat the same steps as you have done for the last few coats except in this step you use the 1/8 in artists tape.

Step 7: Adding Details

For my board in particular, I added my logo onto the middle of the board and added cigarette burns around the four corner areas. I used Lucid Gripe liquid grip to give a medium clear grip to my board and keep the natural wood design on my board. Lastly I finished the face of the deck with four coats of clear spray-on lacquer to protect the face from dust and water. If you want some authenticity, drill a couple of holes into a US quarter dollar and take a normal screw, drill a hole into the deck, and screw in the screw with the quarter attached to it.

Step 8: Put It All Together Now

Assemble the deck with your preferred trucks, wheels, bearings, and hardware. You may need a hex-key for the hardware to screw in the screws. You may even need to drill a bigger hole for your hardware to fit, if the deck is not store bought such as mine. Make sure the screw-holes are free of dried liquids or dirt to make sure the opening is clear of blockage.
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That should just about do it. Thank you for reading my guide. I had a lot of fun building this deck and Im excited to make another soon.