Introduction: DIY Skateboard Stool

By Check out my YT Channel!
About: I'm a DIYer and creator likes to build, capture, and share my creations.

Full Video of the build is below which can be found on my Youtube Channel, followed by full steps and materials list / tools list that you'll want to have to complete.

Step 1: Gather Materials and Get Psyched!

I happened to have a skate deck sitting around my apartment, and I knew that at my parents place, they had a full skate deck that no one had touched in 10 years. I did a bit of research and found a bunch of cool DIY skateboard projects that I knew I could tackle in half a day.

My design didn't quite match up with other ones I saw - most required 3+ boards which I didn't have, but I did a bit of math and figured out what I could make. Hope you enjoy!

MATERIALS

  • 2 x Skateboards (both were 8.25"W x 30.25" L)
  • 1 x Skateboard Truck w/associated washers and nuts
  • 4 x Screws (Phillips head, #10, "24" thread count, 3" long)
  • 8 x Nuts (#10, "24 thread count)

TOOLS

FILM / EDIT EQUIPMENT:

Step 2: My Two Skateboards

Above are my two decks - it does not matter what condition your boards are in or if they have grip tape or not - just get two boards and get excited about the project! They also can be different lengths and widths!

Step 3: Remove the Trucks and Hardware

I started by removing the trucks - you can save the hardware but you won't need it for this particular project.

Step 4: Cutting: Round 1

I measured and cut my two boards to 19" long.

This length is totally up to you and doesn't make or break the design - feel free to cut whatever length you want - just make sure you make them equal and keep in mind that you'll want to keep a good amount left over for the seat! I'd say for a stool, stick to 17"+.

NOTE - Grip tape is basically sand paper and will dull your saw blade!!!

Step 5: Cutting: Round 2

I marked out how I was going to cut out my pieces. Draw a line down the middle (it can go as far down as you want - I don't even remember my length!), and then connect that center point to your two corners. You can cut this out using any cutting tool - hand saw, jig saw, circular saw, table saw, or band saw. I used my circular saw as that was easiest.

AGAIN - Grip tape is basically sand paper and will dull your saw blade!!!

I cut my second piece the same by using the first triangle I had cut out to marked the lines. This kept them nearly identical. Next, I sanded down the cut edges with 60 grit sand paper using my orbital sander.

Feel free to sand these down as fine as you want. I followed up the orbital sanding with a hand sanding block at 120 grit (not pictured).

Step 6: Prep Your Skate Trucks

Next - remove the wheels from one of the trucks - you can keep them and use them for a future project (DIY Camera Dolly??). Keep the hardware close - you'll need it later!

Step 7: Drill Your Leg Holes

I marked a point 4" down and in the center of my legs (this was based on how low I knew my truck wheel points would be) and used my 3/8" drill bit to cut out holes in all four pieces.

Step 8: Double Check Your Pieces

Above are all the cuts and hardware for the build.

NOTE - I forgot to include one set of nuts (you should have EIGHT (8) total, not 4), so you can tighten both from the top and bottom of the truck when you attached (you'll see what I mean later!)

NOTE 2 - One thing I realized after is that using an extra four screws to hold the longer screws tight to the board was a good idea as well as using two additional wood screws (maybe 7/8" long) to hold the two sets of legs together (see below for clarity!)

Step 9: Countersink Your Large Screws

Using the same 3/8" drill bit to counter sink the screws so they'd sit flush with the seat board.

Step 10: Attach Your Trucks!

The first picture in this stack shows the additional four screws I'm using to hold the long screws tight against the board. The second picture shows me using a second set of four screws to secure the trucks to the long screws.

This thing is held together purely with pressure - no glue or any other fasteners. This happens by simultaneously pushing the trucks up close to the seat using the four small screws while also having the two truck bolts stick outward through the legs. Everything becomes tightly secured once the legs are forced against the bottom of the seat. Hard to explain, but you'll feel it come together when you build it!

NOTE - You might want to use glue and/or washers to help avoid having your nuts slip. Just a post DIY project learning.

Step 11: Prep Your Seat Legs

As mentioned above (Step 7?), last minute, I used a single screw on each leg to hold them together so the legs wouldn't slide when pressured against the seat. I didn't have to drill a hole for this - I just use the existing hole from the truck screws.

I then use my circular saw to mark and flatten out the tops of the legs so that they would sit more flush against the bottom of the seat. Not pictured here is me using my belt sander with 60 grit paper to flatten and shape things further to make it more snug - I recommend doing this as well as although your cuts will be straight, it helps to angle the edges slightly to fit the convex nature of the skateboard.

Step 12: Attach Your Legs!

Time for final assembly. Remember that hardware I told you to save?

I attached the two legs to the trucks using the same hardware washers and nuts that held the wheels on. I then tightened the four screws on the truck (third picture) so that everything was forced together through pressure. The tops of the legs will be forced against the bottom of the seat but retain their shape because of the additional screw added earlier. When the legs push up to the underside of the seat, it pushes the truck up against the four screws you're tightening, making everything quite sturdy.

My one reco is to tighten all four screws initially, and then tighten them all incrementally with a wrench to that everything tightens up evenly.

Step 13: Square Up Your Leg Bottoms

Lastly, in order to have the seat sit parallel to the ground, I cut off a bit of length (not going to give a measurement here as it was unique to my size and leg length) on two of the legs. Just use your best judgement - start with less and cut off more if needed.

Step 14: Test Out and Admire Your Work!

Then I tested it out! I'm not the biggest person, but at 160 pounds, this thing was rock solid, and will be even better if you include washers and/or some super glue. A few close up final pics included!

I love this thing. I love it even more that people sell them on Etsy for $200+ and I was able to make one for $5. If you have any questions - feel free to reach out to me via the "Get in Touch" section and I'd be happy to answer them.

MATERIALS (Again)

  • 2 x Skateboards (both were 8.25"W x 30.25" L)
  • 1 x Skateboard Truck w/associated washers and nuts
  • 4 x Screws (Phillips head, #10, "24" thread count, 3" long)
  • 8 x Nuts (#10, "24 thread count)

TOOLS

FILM / EDIT EQUIPMENT:

As always, thank you for reading! I would be so grateful if you could please subscribe to my Youtube Channel for future projects. I try to put out content every few weeks.

Cheers! Zach