Make a Skateboard From a 2x4- an Extremely Fun (and Slightly Sketchy) Project

Hey everyone! I'm sorry I haven't posted anything for a while. I just finished up my first term at university; it was pretty hectic! I've had this idea kicking around in the back of my mind for a while and I finally decided to make it. This board is really, really fun to ride; however, it's not the most practical mode of transportation. I wouldn't want to use it to get around town, but if you want to just screw around and have some fun this board can't be beat. Since the deck is so much thicker than that of a normal board it has a really different and interesting feel to it. The only drawback is that turning is a little difficult. You need to either do kick turns or have really loose trucks if you want to be able to make sharp turns.

Step 1: What You Need:

- Length of 2x4

- Miter box

- Saw

- 8x 1" wood screws

- 3x 2.5" wood screws

- Trucks, wheels and bearings

- Drill or drill press

- The necessary safety equipment

Step 2: Cutting

- This step is pretty easy; there are only two cuts you need to make.

- First, decide roughly how long you want the board to be and subtract 3" from that length (it'll get added back on when you attach the kicktail). I was limited to a shorter board because of the length of 2x4 I had. However, I wouldn't recommend making it too long because a larger board would be harder to turn (2x4's are heavy!).

- I wanted my board to be roughly 23" so I cut off a 20" long section of 2x4 and set it aside.

- Next you have to make the kicktail. Draw a line 5" from the end of the 2x4 and use the miter box to make a cut along the line at a 45 degree angle. Set that piece aside as well.

- Now you have everything you need to make your deck.

Step 3: Drilling the Kicktail

- Press the angled face of the kicktail against the end of the board and draw a line across them roughly halfway down the side of the board.

- Continue that line across the angled face of the kicktail.

- Drill three pilot holes for the 2.5" screws evenly spaced across the line. Be sure to clamp the kicktail in such a way that the angled face is perpendicular to the drill bit.

Step 4: Drilling the Board

- Drive the 2.5" screws through the kicktail so that the tips protrude slightly from the angled face.

- Press the kicktail against the end of the board hard enough for the screws to leave indents in the wood. Using the indents as a guide, drill pilot holes for the screws.

*Before you drill the pilot holes make sure that the indents actually do match the location you want the screws to be in after assembling the board; the placement of the pilot holes and screws determines the location the kicktail will have after you screw the pieces together.

Step 5: Assembly

- You first need to determine where to mount the trucks. Be sure to mount the back truck far enough from the end so that you don't end up hitting the screws attaching the kicktail. Here's what I did;

- Draw two parallel lines the down the length of the board that line up with the centers of the holes on either side of the trucks.

- Make a mark between the two lines at each end of the board that indicates how far in from the ends you want the trucks to be. I mounted the trucks about 1.5" in from either end of my board.

- However, it's probably easier to draw a line down the center of the board, print off some truck drilling templates like the ones in this pdf, tape the templates onto the board where you want the trucks to be, and drill shallow pilot holes for the wood screws. Make sure that the templates match up with your trucks in size and hole placement.

- Clamp the board in place and move the trucks into position. Use the 1" screws to attach them to the board.

- Finally, attach the kicktail to the board by driving the screws all the way through the kicktail and into the pilot holes in the end of the board.