Where Does a Skateboard Come From?



Posted: Tuesday, October 20, 2009

by Lazar Rodriguez
The Skateboard Shop

A skateboarder can't skate without a skateboard deck. This chunk of wood is specially shaped so that the skater can remain in total control over the tricks that he or she does. But how are these decks made? Well, it begins with a tree.

A great skateboard deck is made out of a maple tree. Maple trees are chopped down and then processed in a processing plant. A handful of rectangular strips of veneer are created from the tree. These strips of veneer will be stacked to make the skateboard deck.

Once the veneer has been shipped to the manufacturer, the veneer strips are checked for quality. Any pieces that are too flawed to create a quality deck will be tossed out or recycled. The pieces of veneer are then sorted into two different types, one with the grain going along the length of the rectangle, and the other with the grain going against it.

The strips of veneer are then sent into a machine that applies glue to the strips of wood. This glue is just your typical, water based wood glue. It bonds very well after being taken out of the press, and ensures that your skateboard won't come apart.

With glue on the veneer, the pieces are stacked to build the beginnings of a skateboard. Most skateboard decks are seven ply skate decks. This just means that 7 strips of veneer were stacked to make the deck.

Next, the strips of veneer are layered to give the maximum amount of strength to the board, with the first strip being a piece of veneer where the grain runs vertically along the deck, and the second piece being one where the grain runs horizontally.

Once the veneer has been layered correctly, it is ready to be processed in the skateboard press. Depending on what kind of deck is being built, the wood will be processed in different machines. An old school shape and a new school shape have to be pressed with different presses, because the concaves are different.

The skateboard press turns the regular looking pieces of veneer into something with a bit more shape. Once they're pressed, the skateboard decks are left to cure for twenty four hours or even longer. If the skateboards weren't left to dry before further processing, they would probably warp and be unskateable.

After drying, the decks are processed. A lot of skateboard manufacturers shape a board with a machine that uses a completed board as a template for cutting the excess wood off of a skateboard deck.

After the skateboard has been shaped, eight holes are drilled for attaching trucks. A device similar to the one above is used for this. By using one skate deck as a template, skateboard manufacturers can create lots of skateboard decks that are almost identical in form and size.

Once the deck has been shaped, the edges are smoothed out by a skilled worker. Most skateboard manufacturers have a sanding wheel that the workers use to sand down the sharp edge on the deck. This makes the deck appear cleaner, and also helps prevent injuries to skaters and other things by removing the sharp corners of the deck. Rounding the edges also helps prevent the deck from peeling apart if it runs into a wall or similar.

The skateboard is not complete without a picture on the bottom. Skateboard manufacturers screen print deck graphics onto a thin strip of plastic, and then transfer the graphic to the deck using heat. The left over plastic is removed to showcase the graphic on the bottom of the deck.

After the graphic has been applied, the skateboard deck is covered with a layer of lacquer that will help to protect the skate deck and also the image on the bottom. This lacquer also gives a pretty shine to the deck, and helps bring out the color of the wood. The skateboard is then boxed up and sent out to one of the many skate shops around the world, for a lucky skater to purchase and enjoy.

This Author has been a skateboarder for quite a long time. He enjoys longboarding, trickboarding, and everything in the middle. If you're looking for an online skateboard shop after reading this article, feel free to check out http://www.the-skateboard-shop.com/

This Article has been viewed 754 times. (Not updated in real-time.)
Top-level comments on this article: (1 total)
» left by Paul Schroeder
 2 years 194 days ago.
71 fans.
Interestingly enough, the proper question isn't;"Where Does a Skateboard Come From?",but;"Where Does a Skateboard Go To?"Thank you for almost totally spammy approach on four wheels;Paul Schroeder
We want your comments! If you can read this, you don't have javascript enabled, so you can't use this comment system. Please enable javascript.