hey guys iive only just started longboarding, and im pretty keen on beggining to make boards.
but im not sure where to begin, would any of you be able to tell me what the best type of wood to use is and how to make different presses?
i want to try and make a drop through deck, a pintail with a slight kick on the tail, and any other type of boards. any info will help.
thanks : )
Tags: board, boards, concave, make, making, presses
Hey Deeks did you just source all your materials from a place like Bunnings? Also I've been reading up on the issues rail systems have with uneven pressure along the rail. Did you find any problems like that?
Also how far apart are the bottom two rails and how thick is the middle one? Do you know any good threads which talk about how to measure concave?
I saw some rail presses that only had 3 cross members, and I thought that was too large a space, so I used four to make sure it was as even a pressure as could be achieved without then spending more than I wanted to on threaded rod and nuts, washers and pine! This was when I was experimenting with processes for bending easy to source, cheap materials. I've moved on a bit from this process now... I hope the above makes some sense!
Yep perfect sense. Now I have to find a drill press to make sure the clamp holes are straight - or is this not too much of an issue?
My last question is with the clamps. So its just a threaded steel rod. 2 nuts +washers on the bottom clamp (both sides) and 1 nut for the top clamp.
pretty much... You can hand-drill the holes, but take some care as the whole things is tough to put together if you're careless with the line up! I made sure I knew which end was which (why theres and A and B marked on the press) and numbered the cross beams when I drilled them!
Yep - 3/8 threaded rod and yep - 2 nuts and washers on the bottom piece, and 1 nut on the top piece, but I put a 3/8 inch washer then a 1/2 inch washer under that as they will bite into the pine as you start to crank them down, so a little extra reinforcement will help. Good luck and let me know if/when you pump out a deck!
Cheers this is probably the most helpful beginner thread I have come across. Uni starts for me next week so I'll be doing it slowly over the weekends. Will post up pics when I'm done!
Not a problem and good luck. Happy to answer any question if I can!
I was typing up my shopping list when I realised that you had pre-cut your plys. Would you recommend pre cutting or cutting and already pressed board....Or was it to keep the noses flat so that the trucks would sit flush?
Btw how long were your steel rods? I calculate that I'll need around >250mm?
Good point... I cut out both planks before gluing and pressing exactly for the reason you mention - to keep the nose and tail nice and flat to ensure a good mounting surface for the base plates (both as a drop thru and as a top mount). If/when you do the cut out, don't do as I did in my photos and make square cuts - you run the risk of the ply splitting at the intersection of the cuts - make them rounded - doesn't need to be exact, but it will lessen the slight possibility of a split/crack when you apply the pressure. The steel rods come in various lengths - the ones I got where 600mm long and I just cut them in half - put a nut either side of where you will cut and then when you wind off the nut, it will clean up the thread on the way off.
Cool I'll just place the cut end on the bottom side as I won't need it. I've also estimated the clamps to be 350mm long- how long were yours?
Close... just measured mine and they're 400mm - the base board and rail is 1220mm.
So all up, I just needed 4 pieces at 1.8m of 70x35mm pine but there is probably a more efficient way with less waste! It was just easier to fit these lengths in a standard car!
Also is that maple for the bottom rails? I'm assuming you use a harder material to stop it from squishing when its clamped?
nar - it's a piece of Merbau decking cut in half down the guts... Even with something soft like pine, it would be unlikely to squash much, but you're better off with a hardwood of some sort.
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