nose rider help

General Discussion
1

please help me out the people on here seem to be swithed on and im not hee hee. im about to start work on my first nose rider longboard an i need your assistance

1 - what is a step deck and what does it do for the ride of a long board.

1/a - how do i shape one

2 - how do a shape those volan rap around rails without bubbles or wrinkles

3 - how do i stencil up the spoon or concave nose on the board

3/a - how do i work out the shape length and stopping point of the concave section.

2
  1. a step deck is a decrease in the amount of foam at the nose of the board. it gained a lot of popularity in the 60s as a way to decrease volume and weight and increase performance. do a search for “step deck” and i’m sure you can find some pictures to better visualize the design.

[indent]a) looking at some pictures will help give you a better idea of what it is, and from there the shaping process doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out. you just take off more foam as you approach the last few feet toward the nose of the board…some are more gradual and some are more drastic. however, i wouldn’t recommend it. most people either tend to love step decks or hate 'em. i suggest you ride one first and decide for yourself…cuz it would really suck to put all that time and energy into a board that you don’t like. also, they’re real springy at the nose, and there’s serious risk of snapping the end right off…especially if you don’t REALLY know what you’re doing. i’d suggest making some classic-style noseriders first and then exploring the possibility of doing a step deck.

[/indent] 2) lay tape on the other side of the board to outline your cut lap. when you’re glassing, lap the cloth up on the tape just as if you were freelapping (but make sure it all stays on the tape). then, once it kicks, very carefully cut along the tape line with a razor and pull up the excess. voila…you have a cutlap.

  1. i just mark a start and end point and freehand it. lay a straigt edge across the top to check the depth. then, just stop when you’re done.

[indent]a) however you want. some like a teardrop shape, others like a more oval shape. some like an abrupt start and stop, while others like a more gradual blend. it’s all just a matter of style. as for a step deck with a deep nose concave…you’ll put a hole right through the deck. remember…foam is your friend…the more you take off (especially from the deck), the weaker the board will be.

[/indent] i’m just finishing a noserider that i’m making for my dad. if you’d like, shoot me an e-mail at and i’d be happy to send you some pics and design specs (if it’s something that you might be interested in). good luck with your project…and be sure above all else to HAVE FUN!

3

i came across a good pic of a step deck while net surfing the classic bing page. notice how it drastically gets so thin just forward of the logo on the deck and then all the way through the nose…that would be the “step”…