In this Instructable I’ll show you how to make a stand out of an old skateboard deck and some gas plumbing pipes. The overall build isn’t hard to do and anyone with basic tools will be able to build it. Initially this was going to be a chair but the legs were a little too long and in the end I thought it looked better as a small stand.

The skateboard deck that I used was a well-used one that I picked-up at the dump. I liked that it had some patina and cracks through it (plus it was cheap) but you could also use a new board if you wanted to. Having to have to remove the grip tape is a right pain in the arse but will a little elbow grease you can get the glue off..

The gas pipe is available from any hardware store. I like the industrial look of the pipe but it does cost a fair bit of money. You may be able to come up with a better solution like repurposing some old legs from a chair...

If you want some other ideas, check out this Pinterest page

Step 1: Things to Gather

Parts:

1. Skateboard deck – Use an old one or you can buy them on eBay

2. Matt Black Spray Paint

3. 8 X small screws and nuts (to hold the legs onto the board)

Galvanised Pipe Fittings.

You can find these in any Hardware store. I have put links to Bunnings in Australia but still clip on them if you want to get an idea of what the part looks like

1. 2 x 15mm Flange - Bunnings

2. 2 X Female Tee - Bunnings

3. 4 X 15mm End Caps - Bunnings

4. 2 X 15 x 450mm Pipe - Bunnings

5. 4 X 5 x 100mm Pipe - Bunnings

Tools:

1. Hand Sander

2. Different grit sandpaper – 120 to 400

3. Petrol (to remove the glue on the board)

4. Drill

5. Various other basic tools

Step 2: Stripping the Deck

Steps:

1. The first thing you’ll need to do if you have an skateboard is to remove the trucks. Unscrew the 4 bolts on each truck and remove the truck.

2. Next you will need to remove the grip tape. This can be a bitch to remove so be patient and carefully peel away. I have done this before and there has been no glue residue left on the board. Other times I’m left with a sticky mess – this was one of those times.

3. To remove the glue, just add a little fuel (petrol will do fine) to the deck, leave for a bit and then rub the glue off. You will need to do this a few times to remove all of the glue

Step 3: Sanding the Deck

If you are using a used deck, most likely it has some damage on the ends from all those kick flips, ollies and kick turns. Not to worry though as this will add some character to your board. Sanding will also help to remove some of the larger scuffs and also water marks.

Steps:

1. Grab your sander and add some 80 grit sandpaper and start to sand. This will help remove any divots, marks etc. don’t forget to sand the edges as well

2. Move onto a lighter grit paper and repeat until the board is smooth and clean.

3. Wipe away the sawdust and get it ready for waxing

Step 4: Waxing

I decided to just add some bees wax to the board to bring out the grain. You could stain or just add a clear coat if you wanted to.

Steps:

1. Add some wax to a cloth and rub into the wood.

2. Do one side first and make sure that you remove any excess wax with a clean cloth

3. Do the other side and repeat if necessary

Step 5: Making the Legs

Steps:

1. Screw the Tee into the 450mm pipe.

2. Screw the 100mm pipe into the ends of the Tee

3. Screw the caps onto the end of the 100mm pipe

4. Screw the flange into the top of the 450mm pipe

5. Lastly, make sure you tighten up everything well. Use a vice or grip pliers to ensure everything is nice and tightly joined.

Step 6: Painting the Legs

Steps:

1. Place the legs so they are standing up on the flanges. Make sure you do this outside.

2. Next spray them with the matte black spray-paint and leave to dry. It should dry very fast.

3. Give the legs a good amount of coats – I did about 5 on each.

4. Leave to dry for 4-5 hours

Step 7: Attaching the Legs

The good news about attaching the legs is 2 of the holes in the deck from the trucks will line-up with the flange. This means that you only have to drill a couple of holes for the other 2 holes. You can use putty to fill the other 2 holes in the deck but I decided to leave them.

Steps:

1. Drill out the tops of the 2 holes that you are going to use so the top of the screw fits flush with the deck.

2. Add a couple of screws and bolts and secure

3. Next, flip the deck over and drill a couple of holes into the deck using the flange holes as guides.

4. Drill out the holes and add the screws – the same as the other 2

5. Do this for the other leg

Done!