57" Grain Cedar HW(s)kateboard build.

Whats up!!! Alright, As promised, here is my build thread! Finally have enough pics to make it worthwhile!

 

Some info:

 

I started with 2 10x5.5 planks of grain cedar from HD. Cut down with a circular saw (PITA!!!)… next time I will use table saw (need to acquire one though)…

 

it gave me uneven cuts, so still working out evening stuff out… everything else has been done by hand, sanding, planing, etc… long process but I love it nonetheless!

 

I cut 1 inch strips and glued together with TBIII, with a Red Oak stringer. I made 2 blanks I plan on sandwhiching together since I know I need added support due to using grain instead of ply. I plan on sandwhiching both blanks together for total blank thickness of 2", then probably shape it down to 1.5inches before glassing over using 4 oz (or 6 oz glass) 2 layers and possibly hot coat.

Now I have heard that I need to use epoxy for glassing this board. Is this true? Why do surfboards usually use poly resin while this may require epoxy? Im confused on that note!!

Here are some pics. There is still alot of planing left to even them out before sandwhiching but you get the idea! :slight_smile:

 

whatcha think??

 

Its like a mini surfboard!!! Im hooked lol

Very cool.  You can use poly, but test it first.  Epoxy has less issues with the oils that occur naturally in some woods.  Sometimes poly won't set up properly, but there are stories in either direction.

Before I had a table saw, I took my circular saw, and attached it with screws under my workbench, then ran the blade full depth so that it came up through the bench top.  I then measured off the blade, and nailed a block/guide at the desired width.  Kind of an impromptu table saw.  The trigger was duct taped in the on position - plugging and unplugging was the on/off switch.

On second thought, don't try this at home LOL.

lol that sounds reaaaaal dangerous I think Id prob just go with a craigslist table saw lol…

 

Cedar is a pretty oily wood right, I dont wanna beef it up so I might just wait to splurge on a gal of epoxy… I will test it on some of the wood scrap first though… if itll coat that itll coat the board… maybe ill make a mini-rear view mirror skatebaord hang thing or something out of it lol…

 

PS where does one acquire epoxy? HD has a tube I couldnt coat my foot with… thats the biggest size… next option is West Marine at $100/gal but as I remember during a previous surboard build of mine, it comes out sort of yellowed…

 

Anyone know where to get good quality CLEAR epoxy from?

more pics…

 

On left is top deck, planes and rough sanders, almost ready for
sandwich, right, unfinished bottom deck hasn’t been danced it planes,
currently gluing a thin strip on one of the thinner boards so its even
with the rest…

 

After planing, ready to be glue sandwiched:

 

 

 

At an 1 1/2" thickness I don’t think that the strength of glass and epoxy will be necessary.  The only concern is that cedar is a soft wood and may chip.  There are a number of suppliers for epoxy…Greenlight, and Foam EZ come to mind.  You can also get epoxy at a boat supply store.  Glad to see that you realize that Hucks table saw could be dangerous.  They do work, but safety is an issue.  Save up for a table saw.  Check garage sales and Craigs list.

yeah craigslist is my friend!!!

 

As far as stability is concerned I did a mini test today, layed both blanks on top of one another, with the sawhorses about where the trucks would be and kinda did a reverse dip on the middle of the board. put all my weight on it… it didnt budge much at all!

 

So heres to sturdy construction!!! woooo!!!..

I was just concerned because I know people say grain wood is a little less sturdy than plywood, yeah this is definitely some soft cedar, I have to be careful with clamping, always use a piece of scrap in between the board and the clamps (well at least now in the finishing stage when i dont want dents)…

 

I didnt even think to try FoamEZ. I have ordered blanks through them waaaaay back… totally forgot about them ! DOH! (smacks forhead)…

 

I definitely want at least a layer or two of glass, I know I am pretty rough on my board sometimes, although im going to baby this one… i dont want all my hard work to chip and disintegrate :slight_smile:

 

thanks for the suggestions and for stopping in!

 

Im so proud of this project… its my first woodworking project since i was a kid, and it totally re-ignited that passionate flame for arts n crafts :slight_smile:

Alright its sammich tiiiiime… Ran outta bar clamps so had to improv-VISE. LOL…

My lil bro is making me a logo I’m going to use pyrography to get on there, and then sign it . Glass it. Affix trucks (do i predrill? I assume after glassing? How do you ensure the fiberglass won’t crack where you drill in the trucks?)

 

**If you do use epoxy or urethane make sure you give the board a thorough wash with acetone  as you said it is oily the oil in pine is a chemical make up simular to petroleum and will retard the desired bonding to the cedar the petroleum dose biodegrade but it takes along time so make shore the cedar is well seasoned for at least 30 years. Also be aware of the moisture content in  woods h2o will expand in the board especially if it is a solid piece of wood and will cause expanshion and delaminate the coating if exposed to change in ambiont heat. The most sensible approach would be to oil it or wax it and let the wood behave naturally.**

** **

**Hope this helps**

**HYDRO **

 

you dont think itd be too weak without glassing it?

 

 

I think Im going to wash it with acetone and then let that dry, then glass over it with 2 layers of 4oz glass

 

**Yea If you’re going to glass it the epoxy is you’re safest bet. **

 

Nice looking boards!

Just out of curiosity, why would you glass a skateboard? I use a wipe-on Poly as a base coat and then a Spray hi gloss Poly as the final coat for my boards.

What are you going to use for grip? You definitely don’t want to hide that wood.

Edit: Some of my boards are in this thread http://www2.swaylocks.com/forums/longboard-skates

 

Thanks!! it will atually be one board, I sandwiched them together… I think the reason people were recommending me to glass over it is that I used grain cedarwood which is kinda soft instead of a plywood… I didnt want to run into problems down the line since its a vlam… I think itd be a little weaker than ply-boards??

 

Im planning on doing a similar method as you for the grip, (i read your thread, great boards!! i love the retro shapes!)… I agree I dont want to hide the wood, Itll get so much more beautiful once its “wetted” up with the resin… much darker color… I plan on taking some of our famous Florida sugar sand and putting in a salt shaker, or mixing up with a bit of the epoxy and do a gloss-coat type thing… im not really good with fiberglass … last time didnt go so hot when i used it so i need to take my time with this go and make sure i do it right…

 

What do you use for making your biscuit joints?? do you have any pics of the jointing you could share?? Im a very visual person…I never even though to joint it though!.. they are just straight glued (as seen in pics above)…

 

I see you use mainly hardwoods as well!..

 

might be a good source of input and advice for me :slight_smile:

That is going to be one beefy board glued up together. The thickest board I have made was 1 1/4" for myself…it looks like yours will close to 2"? I like it.

I use scrap hardwood stock I have left over from other projects, almost always the boards are 3/4". I have a small 6" bench top jointer in my home shop that I use to square off all of the edges. If you don’t have a jointer get a good quality ripping blade for your table saw. Check craigslist if you need either tool. A table saw can be had for 50 bucks or less and I picked up a 4" jointer for $60 a few weeks ago as a spare.

As for jointing the boards I put a biscuit every 6" in and leave room at the nose and tail because when I shape those parts I don’t want an exposed biscuit. Every 6" may be a overkill, but I don’t think it hurts. I mainly use #20 biscuits but also use #0 and #00 for thinner pieces, like a stringer.

I attached a few pics of how I mark out the boards before gluing up. It’s pretty specific, I’m sure it can be done with less writing but it works for me. First I mark out the lines for the biscuits every 6", then I notate what size biscuit to use depending on the thickness of the piece. I like to use pipe clamps with sacrificial blocks so the board itself doesn’t get damaged by the clamps. I use Titebond 3 and let it sit for 24 hours before working or stressing the board.

FWIW, I made a board with ribboned mahogany, basswood, and an ash stringer, for a friend and it was only 3/4" thick, he uses it almost daily with no problems despite it being made with such lite wood. I don’t think you will have any problems with the cedar.



Thank you for your input!! I really appreciate it!

Yes shes gonna be quite beefy! and correct…about 2inches thick! I still have to shape it down some more so I cant say on a “final” estimate…but Id say itll be about 1.5-1.7 inches thick when im done… I have already put all my weight on it and it doesnt seem to flex too bad or seem unstable… I may forgoe the fiberglass this time to see if it works… if so, you are THE man in my book… next time I will just make sure to biscuit joint so it has added stability…I knwo this sounds stupid…do you make the biscuits yourself? or do you buy them? and what do you mean by #20 or #00 biscuits? Im a complete noob so you are taking me to SCHOOL right now!..

 

i glued up the strips with TBIII but sandwiched the 2 blanks together using a mix of TBII and TBIII since I didnt have enough TBIII left over… (is that bad that i mixed them??? ))…

 

you ROCK!

 

You may well have saved me $120 just with those words!.. Resin is expensive and Id have to drive to melbourne, FL to Atlantic Surf supply (they are really great people and plan on using them soon…but…its… (2 hours, each way…)…

 

So what kind of “wipe-on” poly do you mean? any way you could find me a comparable product link online that I may be able to compare it to stuff in my area?

what kind of spray on poly do you use?

I bought some poly resin from walmart i thought i was going to use but may just use it for surf repairs… I dont know if it would work for this application or not??

just bought gullwing rasta 10" 50deg trucks with orangatang 75mm 86a wheels and sector 9 abec stainless steel bearings…all told for the wheels/trucks/bearings $150… is that normal??!

 

thank you for the pictures! very helpful and I can see myself being just as detailed… more detail the better in my book this way you know whats going on and planning pays off!

sorry for all the questions! I really really appreciate your help x 10000000000% :slight_smile:

 

warmest regards,

 

Ian

Happy to help.

You can make your own biscuits with a heavy duty press, but they are fairly expensive and not really needed. I purchase my biscuits in bulk, or you can go to HD, Lowes, Ace, etc. and buy biscuits for around $8 for a hundred. Biscuits come in various sizes, #20 being the largest and most common. #10 is the ‘medium’ sized biscuit and #0 or #00 are generally the smallest common biscuit used. For the purpose of making decks I think you would be fine with a bag of #20 and if you plan on using narrow strips of wood, say 1/4" or so, then a bag of small #00 as well. Just make sure the biscuits you buy are made from hardwood, brand doesn’t matter IMHO.

http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Search?keyword=biscuits&selectedCatgry=SEARCH+ALL&langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053&Ntpc=1&Ntpr=1

To use biscuits you will need a biscuit cutter, or plate joiner. Check craigslist or pawn shops for a used one. You should be able to pick up a quality one used for $75 or less. Brand new they cost around 200-300. Makita, Bosch, DeWalt, Porter Cable, Freud are all good brands. I found this one doing a search and it looks like a great buy, and Freud is a well respected brand in woodworking.
http://www.amazon.com/Freud-JS104K-Biscuit-Joiner-Case/dp/B001ET78TW/ref=sr_1_5?s=power-hand-tools&ie=UTF8&qid=1320538911&sr=1-5
I have had an older version of this model and it has outlasted my DeWalt I purchased a few years ago.

Using the joiner is pretty straight forward. Most have a dial that you turn to the size biscuit you are cutting, #20, #10, #00, etc. It sets the depth, line up the fence with your mark and push forward. It cuts a perfect slot with a small circular blade. You may have noticed I use chalk and label my boards A, B, C, D, etc. This is so I don’t get confused on the order the boards are to be joined. I also notate the size biscuit if I am using different sizes. Just makes things easier for me.

I wouldn’t worry about mixing the glues. Titebond II is water resistant and I believe Titebond III is water proof. Not a huge difference, I came across Titebond III on sale at Lowes last year for the same price as II and purchased 6 gallons.

And yes, long board hardware is crazy expensive these days. I trade boards to a local shop for trucks, wheels, bearings and risers. I love to barter :slight_smile:

You have a ton of choices for a finish. I like to use some sort of wipe on poly to bring out the grain and figure of the wood. I let it dry for 4-6 hours before I put the hi gloss spray finish on. Minwax makes a fine wipe on available at just about every hardware store. It doesn’t matter if the base is interior or exterior so long as you final coats of spray on are exterior.
http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1v/R-100376149/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053

http://paint-and-supplies.hardwarestore.com/60-352-clear-finish-polyurethane/zar-ultra-exterior-spray-polyurethane-626218.aspx

And for grip, this product is fantastic!
http://www.truevalue.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId=7268
and
http://www.lowes.com/pd_288566-4-002.0051795.007_0__?productId=3343212&Ntt=anti+skid&pl=1&currentURL=%2Fpl__0__s%3FNtt%3Danti%2Bskid&facetInfo=

I just filled up a salt shaker with the anti skid additive and sprinkle it on the deck. I have to cover a few holes in the shaker with my thumb or too much pours out. I add the traction after the first coat of spray on poly, let it dry for a few hours, and then add the 2nd and final coat of spray on poly.

I am not sure where you live in FL, but if it’s anywhere near a Rockler or Woodcraft woodworking store I suggest stopping by and talking to them about finishes, they carry a product that I now use as my base coat and it REALLY brings out the grain: www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=10929&rrt=1

Oh, and make sure you use cheesecloth or some other lint free material to wipe on the finishes.

Can’t wait to see the finished board.

Let me know if you have any other questions.

-oliver

Oh, and I am very curious about the sand idea you have. I would try it on a test piece of wood first, let me know how that works out because I think having local sand as a grip would be really cool.

-oliver

I couldnt have asked for better advice, links etc… eternally grateful!!!

 

Check the final sand pics–

Last one is just quick layup of trucks , just to see how they look…Next time Im going to be patient and order trucks online from someone
that includes the bearings for free… apparently this place called
milehighskates does that??..

I did a final plane to bevel the rails, looks waaaaaaaay better in person, pics dont do it justice… I CANT WAAAAAAAAAAAAAIT to get this thing poly’d …even just slightly dampening a rag to remove the dust … i can see how beautiful the grain is on this wood (i selected the specific pieces of wood…)

 

sanded from 80 to 320 grit (all by hand…)… took nearly 3 to 4 hours
.

 

Also, found this on craigslist:

http://orlando.craigslist.org/tls/2687261176.html

whatcha think… good buy?

hopefully it didnt fall off the back of a truck … thats why craigslist makes me nervous…

 

and yes! I have a woodcraft semi-close to me… I havent checked it out yet but I am dieing to … they have all sorts of wood their supposedly, I dont know why but ever since I saw the Bing thread I wanted to make something with zebra wood…that skeg is amazing.

 

I will definitely let you know about the local-sand idea… i figure its all silicate quartz i think, i live in Lake Mary (northern orlando) so i may shoot over to ponce inlet on a dual purpose surf-sess and sand pilfering mission lol…

 

I actually built this board as a mini-longboard starter… I want to eventually build a surfboard but i figured before i dove into the “superbowl” id start with pee-wee lol… im glad i did… what a learning experience this has been… screw circular saws is all i have to say, made soooooooooooo much more work for me!!!..

 

Okay so i found a table saw for $75 locally as well

 

http://orlando.craigslist.org/tls/2655431080.html

 

dunno if Im going to get it cause cash will be tight, especially after the dent the trucks left in my pocket…

 

I cant wait to go to sleep, wake up and then go to home depot tomorrow…aaaaaaaaaaaaaaah i just wanna get this thing on the road!

My bro is making me a logo too, Im planing on wood-burning it onto it as well as wood-burning my signature on the back and the number of the board… :slight_smile:

 

I have to think of a name for it though… not good at that stuff hehehe

EDIT: Do I drill truck-holes before or after the poly-rub/spray-up?

 

Warm Regards!

 

Ian

agony=waiting 24 hours for this stuff to dry so I can poly spray and mount spacers/trucks and test ride… maybe 2 days til this thing is road-worthy… aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah anticipationnnnnnnn lol

 

WOW!  That looks sick! 

 

What do you do for the brand?  Did you make it yourself or order it?