Plywood or hardwood to build your deck; 2-3 Wood glue or another strong adhesive Rough and fine-grained sandpaper 8 small screws to attach the trucks to the deck—four for each truck. The screws should be long enough to fasten the trucks securely to the board, but not long enough that they get in the way. Match the width to the size of the holes in your trucks. Screws or a staple-gun to help seal the board when you shape its curve. The amount of screws/staples will vary greatly depending on the size of your board and the quality of your pressing mechanism—screws may not be necessary if you use a board press, but they will make your deck much tighter if you are molding it with basic weights or clamps. A drill Weights A jig saw to cut out the deck Polyurethane varnish or fiberglass resin, hardener, and cloth A large piece of paper and a pencil for drawing out your board design. Grip tape (to make it easier for your feet to stick to the top of the board)
If you have the time or money to do so, try to find high-quality wood. Bamboo, Birch, White Ash, and Maple are popular choices, and each offers a different ride. Bamboo will be the strongest of the three. Each piece of wood should be 10 inches (25. 4 cm) wide by 40 inches long, or longer if you want a longer board. You should have a basic idea of the shape of board you want before you start to build one. Remember, however, that you can always cut a piece of wood down to size. Do not go to the lumberyard at a hardware or home-and-garden store: this wood is usually dry, and thus better for construction than riding. An actual lumberyard would work best. Realistically, you can use almost any hardwood—even salvaged pieces of flooring. [2] X Research source
Some longboard trucks have Double Kingpins, which allow for a tighter carve, but sacrifice some stability.
If this is your first board, keep things simple. Draw a slight curve at the front and try to keep it nice and wide, since you will be steering at this end. The widest part of the board should be about 1/3 of the way down from the nose.
Keep your pieces of plywood or hardwood evenly stacked, and hold them in place so that they do not shift. Drill holes straight through the wood, and make sure not to drill through the area that will become your deck. Drill the holes about one inch from the outline of the board. Consider waiting to drill the holes until the wood is clamped. Drill the screws directly into the wood, and be careful not to drill into the deck shape.
Make sure to protect the floor. The pressure will push glue out of the pre-drilled holes and the edges of the wood, and you don’t want to spill glue on the floor.
Consider using strong clamps instead of weights. Clamp the center of the board so that it sinks below the front and back tips of the deck.
Coffin press: A coffin press is two 2x4s running along the edges of a sheet of plywood, along with another 2x4 running along the middle of another sheet of plywood. The sheets of plywood are then connected via screws and nuts with the 2x4s facing inward. The board (all of your layers glued together) is placed on the two 2x4s. Then place the top of the coffin press on top of the board, screw it down to the amount of concave you want, wait about 24 hours for the glue to dry, cut out your shape, and you’ve got a deck! Vacuum press: When you put the plies in, they are already cut into shape and glued. The vacuum press sucks all the air out while pressing the plies into a mold that you can use. Wait 24 hours with your plies in the press, and you have a deck. You can buy a vacuum press online.
Measure from the sides to find the exact center of the board. Draw a line lengthwise down the center of the board—from the front to the back. Trace along the edges of your template. Hold your template in place with your hand, a clamp, or a weight. Flip the board over and repeat for the other side. Your design is now on your board. Take your stencil off of the plywood and make sure that you like the shape.
If you are using fiberglass resin: First, mix the fiberglass resin with the hardener at the correct proportion. Then lay out the fiberglass cloth on the painted side; using a paintbrush, spread the resin evenly across the board. Be sure to work quickly and effectively, because the fiberglass begins to harden in about 15 minutes. After it is applied, let it cure for about 3-4 hours. If you are using polyurethane varnish: Spread the varnish evenly across the board with a paintbrush. Make sure that the coat is smooth. When you’re done, let the varnish dry for 3-4 hours before you proceed with your board-building.
For a smooth finish, sand down the bare wood using 120 sandpaper. Follow that up with 150 grit. Then work your way up to 180 grit.
Use spray paint. Cut out a stencil from paper or cardboard, choose your colors, and spray-paint the design onto the smooth bottom of your board. Allow the paint time to dry before you touch or ride the board. Use regular acrylic paint. Sketch out a design and paint between the lines; paint whatever you like. Allow 20-60 minutes for the paint to dry after you decorate the board. Use wood stain to paint. To create a pattern with a few different shades, use three coats for the dark parts and one coat for the lighter parts. After the stain dries, remove the tape. Use permanent markers. Your design may be less colorful and more fragile than if you used paint, but you may find that markers give you greater control when you are drawing on your board.
Cover the entire surface with grip tape. This is the simplest method, and it will look like a standard longboard top. Cut up pieces and create designs out of grip tape. Make sure that you cover enough of the board surface that your feet can easily grip. In general, your pattern should contain more grip tape than empty wood space. Paint your board and apply clear grip tape over the top to display your design. The clear grip tape may be somewhat opaque, but the colors and general idea of your design should shine through.
