SkateFins, Ride on Snow

So you have old skateboards laying around, what use are they? Well, I took one of mine for a ride when my kids wanted to go down the hill on their snow scooters a couple of winters ago. But there was no way I could get it to go straight or the direction I aimed for. So what if I made fins, like a surfboard. The fins would go where the trucks had been before.

Step 1: Reuse or Die…

I found some skateboards in a container, they were left to die. Now they will have a second life on snow:-)

Step 2: Sketching Time…

So I sketched out a few ideas and went to the workshop.

Step 3: First Prototype…

To make this prototype work I needed to make it sturdy and frictionless. Doing this in steel was maybe a bit over the top, but I had just learned to weld so i "had" to.

First I made a jig so the placement of the screws would fit the truck holes.

Welded the screws to a 2mm steel plate, pre-cut.

Sanded it down and quickly had a nice test collection.

And they fit!

Step 4: Proof of Concept Video…

Step 5: And for the Doubters…

A side by side comparison, with and without skatfins!

Step 6: The Obvious Next Step…

So it worked, but welding or casting these fins would not work for others. So as I came familiar with 3D printing I saw an obvious way to make these fins and share them with the community. I had some initial help constructing the fin-shape and I made some adjustments to the "screws" so they would snap in and stay there.

This is still work in progress, testing out some other filament types and print qualities. Also, the shape of the fin will get some minor tweaks for less resistance in the snow.

Step 7: Shapeways to the Rescue…

Had a set made by Shapeways to test their printing. They turned out super nice but had some friction issues. Size wise I'll make some smaller prints as well.
It all depends on the amount of snow and how steep your hill is.

Step 8: So Far, So Good…

Making these fins have been a really great maker journey for me, from welding to 3Dprint. To prove it I even made a sticker:-)

With snow coming any minute now, I hope some of you will turn your house upside down finding those old messed up skateboards and go print yourself some fins.

Enjoy the ride!