While there are lots of nice skate/longboard decks out there to base your electric builds on, they can sometimes be beyond the budget of the DIYer.
It occurred to me that this forum doesn’t yet have a thread on which we can share our favourite deck shapes. We could do this in a low-tech kind of way; simply by tracing the outline of your deck onto sequentially numbered sheets of A4 paper held together by sticky tape. Then the outline is traced onto each page and then scanned, and saved as a PDF file. You could then provide a hyperlink to file which is hosted/available online.
So anyone who wants to make that deck shape can download the PDF file, print it out, and sticky tape the pages together to make a deck template! It allows them to customise the deck design, flex and profile to their own preferences. What might be worth mentioning, if the board has heaps of concave in its profile, as this can affect the width of the final deck template.
Of course when sharing a design for a deck with the community, you should ideally provide photos, maximum dimensions, and of how it was constructed, e.g deck materials, how many ply it is, and any relevant links which could potentially help the DIYer recreate (or reinterpret) the design.
I am just suggesting A4 paper size and the PDF file format convention as it is low-tech, yet well known standard for PC users who have access to household laser printers. I have used 5 sheets of paper for my examples diagrams (below), but it would vary depending on the actual length of your deck.
An example of a popular board shape could be the Loaded Vanguard. I have done a quick diagram below, as well as another fictional downhill deck with large wheel cutouts. This is what their template files might look something like when printed out.
Hi there,
i would love if you can share the vanguard template, i have a old and stiff snowboard that i think could have nice feeling on wheels, this is something i was thinking a lot and i never ask for.
Thanks a lot for your offer, i really appreciate that!
Hey guys, when I was making my own longboard, I used a picture of a Landyachtz Mummy (longboard I liked) and made its shape in a vector programm (Zoner Callisto, simple to use, free, any other programm like photoshop should also be good), then I enlarged the shape to the normal size and printed it It is quite easy way, takes about 1-2 hours to make it
I’m not using a press specifically designed for the vanguard. I am going to use a bolt press like in CashedOutBoards youtube video.
I will trace the template onto some Canadian Maple that has been glued together to form at least 1/2" of thickness and then place that on my press. The press will have a tiny piece of wood on each side so that when pressure is applied in the middle it bends. @longhairedboy has a proper hydraulic press that he got cncd I believe.
I’ll hopefully have a proper mould cncd in the future if I really want to make decks but for now my current option is cheap and able to do what i need.
Skateboards are for everyone. No matter your gender, age, and preference, you’ll always find a way to enjoy the sport. And while there are a few things to consider when buying skateboards, they should not be, in any way, hindering your athletic goals.
