How Skateboards Are Made

Many people ride skateboards on a daily basis, but they don’t really know how they are made? This post will take you from start to finish on how skateboards are made. You may be surprised at how much work goes into making something as simple as this! You will learn how the best skateboard brands create their boards.

History of Skateboards

Skateboards date back to the 1900s, when they had no wheels and people would glide across a surface. It wasn’t until the 1940s that skateboarders started attaching roller skates to boards so that they could ride them like skateboards. In 1959, hockey players in California used plywood for their boards instead of using steel or aluminum which were too expensive at this time. A few years later, surfers from Australia began experimenting with how long these new skateboards should be and how wide they should be measured out. Today there are many different shapes and sizes of skateboard available! You can learn more about this in our how to skateboard guide.

The First Skateboard Ever Made

The first skateboard ever made dates back more than 50 years. In 1963, a man from California named George Powell and his son Alan designed the first skateboard with wheels. The original design had four polyurethane wheels attached to a piece of wood that looked similar to how roller blades work today.

George’s company was called “Powell Manufacturing” which later changed its name in 1970s into “Powell Peralta.” Today there are hundreds of different skateboard brands that have improved the process that George started.

How Skateboards Are Made

The process of how skateboards are made is a long one. Skateboard decks start out as pieces of wood that will be constructed into the board itself, which they then shape and cut to size. Other materials like polyurethane wheels, metal trucks, and bushings or bearings may also be used in construction depending on the type of deck desired by the rider.

One of the first steps in the skateboard manufacturing process is deciding the shape and size of the skateboard. There are many different types of skateboards which can created which requires different types of materials and equipment.

Raw Materials Used To Create Skateboards

Materials used for skateboard production vary depending on how the deck is shaped. The following materials are typically needed to create a complete skateboard:

– scrap wood, often from pallets or shipping crates

– epoxy resin

– fiberglass mesh – which provide strength and flexibility in areas that need it such as underlayment of decks where trucks attach; they also add weight to boards so riders can maintain speed without being too heavy for their board’s turning radius, and give them more control over lateral movements like carving around curves; this type of material is usually applied via rollers onto the surface of raw lumber (e.g., creating an even base layer) before cutting into shapes corresponding to individual skateboards’ graphics .

The Manufacturing Process of Creating A Skateboard Deck

Once the manufacturer has the wood and equipment required to make a skateboard deck, they can begin the manufacturing process. The first step in the process is to create a template for how you want your skateboard deck to look. The size of the board, shape of the nose and tail, wheelbase length (distance from front truck axle hole to rear truck axle hole), width, concave depth and many other factors are all considerations when designing a new board. Once satisfied with how it looks on paper or using computer software that can do simulations of how different shapes will ride, they cut out this pattern from any type of plywood sheet material they have available at their plant.

The next task is drilling specific holes into each side so trucks can be mounted onto them later on during assembly. This step is vital in order to make sure the trucks, bearings, hardware, and wheels can be assembled later on in the manufacturing process.

The Manufacturing Process of Creating Skateboard Trucks

Skateboard trucks are made from a process in which molten metal is poured into two molds, one for the truck axle and another for the kingpin. This is how skateboards move on surfaces and how some tricks like grinds can be performed. The axles have to be hollowed out so that they will allow the bearings to fit inside of them later during assembly while also maintaining low weight.

Skateboard trucks come next after being cut out of plywood material according to their dimensions or design specifications by hand or with computer software simulations done beforehand. When this pattern has been carved, it’s time to drill specific holes into each side so that they can receive hardware. Manufacturing skateboard trucks is typically more difficult for individuals who don’t have a lot of manufacturing equipment as it is dealing with steel.

The Manufacturing Process of Creating Skateboard Wheels

Skateboard wheels are made from polyurethane which is poured onto a mold that has been cut to the desired shape. Once this liquid material begins cooling down, it will start turning into its solid form and create the skateboard wheel. This process can take up to an hour or so for pouring and forming before finally being removed from the mold. One of the important aspects in how long this process takes is how thick each individual layer on top of one another should be.

The next step in creating these circular shaped structures would be cutting out their center hole where they receive trucks bolts, bearing hardware, mounting hardware as well as spacers placed between them all. Creating skateboard wheels requires precision in order to provide a smooth ride.

Assembling The Complete Skateboard

Now that the skateboard deck, trucks, and wheels are created, the next step is to assemble the skateboard. You can screw the trucks directly into the skateboard deck and add the bearing and hardware to the trucks. After the trucks are attached to the deck, you can add the wheels to the trucks. Once the skateboard is assembled you can add grip tape to your new complete skateboard.