Alright gentleman and @Sapphirinia (you’re the only lady that I know is on here) I really need to start some build threads and I have a few projects in the works.
This one has become my baby. First, I must admit a few factoids to get it out of the way…
Yes, I didn’t grow up on skateboards. I started staking in bowls with my bambino 2 years ago.
Yes, I come from the illustrious Boosted Board background (but that shit is still fun, pretty damn reliable, and just fucking easy.)
No, I knew nothing before this. I didn’t know shit about electronics (still know just enough to make me dangerous 
). Couldn’t solder, couldn’t lay fiberglass for shit, actually didn’t dabble too much into anything that I would call genuine DIY.
Yes, I like beer and I am 5 IPAs deep and counting… this might be a bit long winded.
So no shit there I was circa 10 months ago when I discovered this amazing builder’s scene. I quickly got the itch, and got it pretty bad. So, l started reading. And reading. And reading. I didn’t even make a username on here for a couple months. TBH, I didn’t feel like I even deserved one.
I found myself absorbed. Studying. Fucking studying, like a lot. It is hard to say how many countless hours I spent researching and watching “how to solder” or battery building or whatever I could find. I knew I didn’t know shit, still don’t really, but maybe I know enough, you know? I mean I have somehow spent 18 of the last 216 days on this forum, it would be depressing if this tracker also logged all the reading/research/drooling done not on the forum. That’s ludicrous. I mean, its probably a little unhealthy, but I digress.
So, fast forward a bit… I ordered tons of stuff, I mean like a lot of fucking stuff. Great things from Build Kit Boards, a couple grand to muir skate for God knows what. An arduino spot welder. A Rorockit to use for something or other. A hakko soldering station, gobs of stuff to learn how to solder. Stupidly $400 to Composite Envisions, for resins and fiber because I am a fiberglass/carbon fiber expert now (lololololol). Though I did spend many hours watching videos from Chris and Steve at Fibreglast. It’s a good time.
Happy to say, my wife didn’t take the kids and leave me…
So I don’t want to get too damn sappy or anything, but I appreciate you guys. This has been great for me. Ever since I got out of the army in 2015, I felt kinda shitty about a lot of things. I had a rough time in the army, I was a Green Beret medic, and saw a lot of fucked up shit worked on some friends who didn’t make it. I Missed a lot of milestones of my growing family.
Getting out, I was really happy to have all this time to spend with my family, but I still felt like I was a little lost.
This place has reinvigorated my love for learning, because I had forgotten. This place has introduced me to new friends. How lucky am I that fucking @mmaner lives within driving distance?!?
So, thanks guys. Thanks Mike. Thanks @GreasyGearsWRX, thanks @eb1925, thanks @Deckoz.
And the vendors are fucking awesome too. I appreciate @JLabs, @psychotiller, treenutter, and @longhairedboy for putting up with my dumb ass, you guys are great!
So before this turns into a complete novel (woops, too late), I want to show you one of the boards I’ve been working on!
So I knew I wanted something cool, fucking shocker. And what is cooler than a custom made gorgeous, jaw dropping deck? Very little in my opinion. So only one place to go: RED EMBER BOARDS.
He doesn’t push his product at all (honestly because he has no need to), but @treenutter 's work is simply exquisite. If you need a bad ass deck, message that guy. Like now. Do it. And it is cool his website is password locked. I felt special when he gave me the password. Yes, I am a dork. The ordering process and his cool personal updates are truly one of a kind.
Check this Red Ember Bludgeon out!!
Mmm pretty black (but you can still see the awesome wood grain and midnight blue edges)
****Let me take this time to inform you that I am typing all of this on my phone and it takes forever to dig into my albums to find the older photos, so sorry if their orientation is wrong, I will try to fix it later.
I wanted to build this one with very high quality components, so I went with Surf Rodz RKPs. It took them forever to come in as they were out of black hangers and I got upgraded to these sweet adjustable base plates for free!
For motors, I hopped on some sweet SK3s from @barajabali. Sensored 6374 190kv extended cables. Damn do I love shiney… I come from a Harley background, so chrome and black is super dope to me.
As for mounts, there is truly one option if going Surf Rodz. Psychotiller!!! His stuff is fucking bulletproof and rock solid… and comically he let me trade those black hangers I waited for so long for a brushed hanger because I thought it looked better…lol! (Thanks man) 15266061224248827974410898814667|690x388
Yes, I will be taking off that powdercoat on the clamp so it matches…
Battery wise, I am going 12s5p discharge bypassed (thanks thisguyhere) , and I am making it. I just finished a 6s3p with my arduino. Some guys on the forum, had a battery building party at my climbing gym. It was a blast! Of course I had to reach at to Deckoz for some backup and will need to again, rest assured.
I still need to take a day this weekend to build this one, but the cells are siliconed and waiting.
For the enclosure, I was planning on making a custom fiberglass one… remember that $400 I spent at Composite envisions? It was for all this mess. I am not going to detail my Carbon Fiber adventures here… I will save that for my “Learner Burner” build thread… Spoiler alert, it is a pain in the ass. I dont regret it at all though because I learned a lot and am getting better…
However,
Wouldn’t you know it, fucking psychotiller makes some bad ass enclosures tailor made for Red Ember boards to boot!
However, I wanted to do something fun with it so my whole damn build isnt a “carbon copy” (pun intended) of a psycho build (shit it still is, there are MUCH worse things to model after…actually there are few better). And I want to build my electronics into the enclosure instead of onto the board, and I felt the ABS enclosure better suited as a dust cover. So… Carbon Fiber skinning! Yay!!!
Don’t mind the “scuffiness” of that last picture, I am still in the middle of the process. I just keyed it and will apply 3 more coats of epoxy tomorrow, then more sanding, a final epoxy coat, and polishing. Already looking pretty fucking sweet though. If you are curious about the best process, listen to this guy:
I am going to be using some dickyho 15mm pulleys because the fact they can house bearings and there is plenty of room for that on this build. They aren’t here yet, but I will update when I get em…
Mmmmm griptape. I know it is a little overdone, but I am going with hexagons. I think the dusty clear MOB grip is going to be dope and will pop with the brushed aluminum components and shiney motors.
Hexagons need to be pretty accurate, so I got these awesome quting templates to cut them and it worked a charm!
If you are interested, here is a link:
Oh yeah. One other sweet little detail before I help my wife get the kids to bed (I think she is pissed at me for sitting in the sofa silently typing all of this on my phone). Deckoz pointed me in the direction of “fender bumper washers” for a little flare. They have tons of colors on amazon, and I feel like they really tie shit together.
Look at how cute that match is! Obviously not mounted yet because I need to finish my skin job. But it is adorable.
Once again. Thanks everybody. I will update this thread as I finish this one up. I will put my 12s5p battery build here as well. Please all you experts, help me not burn my Loft down…
I will start my “Star Board” and “Learner Burner” build threads soon. I will try my earnest to keep them more on track.
I doubt anybody made it this far, but thanks for reading!!!
I will fix all my typos and mis aligned pictures later… it is tough on the phone, and my laptop got “orange juiced” by my two year old a month ago and I still haven’t gotten it fixed.
CHEERS!
