Making a skateboard mold

Designing your own mold is a fun and effective way to create your own custom skateboard!

Wood skateboard molds are nice because they can be used to make a skateboard deck using all sorts of pressing techniques and they're not too expensive to make. I made this wood skateboard mold with these plans in mind and by following this article it shouldn't be that difficult for you to make, very time consuming, but not that difficult. Just make sure you have a thorough understanding of how it is done before starting this project. To make this skateboard mold accessible to the novice wood worker while retaining as much accuracy as possible, you will need to print out the three PDF section drawings below. These section drawings have been drawn to scale, meaning that once printed, they will be the same size as the wood mold that you're making. Also, each PDF section drawing represents both the top and bottom of of the wood skateboard mold. The lines in the center are the cut lines, lines that once cut will make up the top and bottom of the wood skateboard mold.

Making a skateboard mold

Concrete skateboard molds are relatively easy to make. However you are limited in your pressing options. You will almost always have to use an actual press, hydraulic or bottle jack. If you have a press or plan on making one all you need to make a concrete skateboard mold is a uncut skateboard deck, wooden box, the tools listed and concrete. Four Rapid Set - Cement All pre-mixed 55lb bags are your best bet for making a concrete skateboard mold. Rapid Set or Hydraulic Cement as it is more commonly known, sets much quicker than most concretes within 1 hour - which may be too quick, get a friend to help you mix and pour. It also has more strength and very little shrinkage. These characteristics make it perfect for making a concrete skateboard mold. And no, they are not paying me to say this, it's just great for concrete skateboard molds. If your local hardware store doesn't carry Rapid Set or Hydraulic Cement, you can use many other brands and types. Like Quikrete Fiber Reinforced, or even mix your own. Gather your materials. Set them aside. Below is a cut list referencing what else you will need and it's size.

You just want to have each 2x8 meet the previous one.

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Skateboarding began well before the first commercial skateboard came out in Commercial skateboard manufacturing merely made a business out of what those kids were doing. Early skateboards were simple affairs, compared to what is produced today. While the general idea is the same, a considerable amount of technology has gone into improving the decks, trucks and wheels used in their manufacture. The deck of a skateboard is a hand-laid plywood construction. Essentially, making a skateboard deck is the same as any bentwood project, with the exception of its width. Still, there are some modern bentwood pieces which use wide veneers , just like skateboards do.

Making a skateboard mold

CNC milled skateboard mold and longboard mold designs. For the past few years we have had a couple different street deck designs but are now offering a variety of CNC milled skateboard mold and longboard mold designs. We start by choosing top quality clear hardwood lumber which we mill and square up, then glue into appropriately sized vertically laminated blocks. Those blocks are then machined perfectly flat on our CNC, flipped over and then milled in 3 dimensions to machine a perfectly matching set of top and bottom molds. Mold size is 34" x 10" allowing you to make both narrow and wide decks from the same mold.

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I made this wood skateboard mold with these plans in mind and by following this article it shouldn't be that difficult for you to make, very time consuming, but not that difficult. Thread a nut onto each rod, 2" down and place them into the slats as shown. Your mold will not look exactly like these photos. I used a hammer drill to vibrate through the sides, a palm sander and even my scroll saw, which when turned on shakes the crap out of anything on my workbench. You may have to pry the wood panels from the concrete. Take your time, have patience and a good understanding of the process. No need to get in a rush a ruin all that hard work. And no, they are not paying me to say this, it's just great for concrete skateboard molds. Follow the manufacturers instructions to allow the concrete to cure. Make sure you do not cut below the profile line. These molds were designed for this press. To see more, take a look at their video.

Our goal is to use skateboarding as a vehicle to propel creativity and empower communities.

You're done. So I threw together the above image to more accurately show where you should chisel to. Using the surform, begin to shape the concave into the foam. I used a hammer drill to vibrate through the sides, a palm sander and even my scroll saw, which when turned on shakes the crap out of anything on my workbench. Be careful not to shape past the concave lines you have drawn. The steps above for the bottom mold are the same for the top, follow them exactly. Below is a cut list referencing what else you will need and it's size. Use your imagination. Some of these concretes are difficult to mix and set up pretty quick, so having a friend to help you will save your butt here. Or you can trace the drawings if you choose. Also, each PDF section drawing represents both the top and bottom of of the wood skateboard mold. Spray the inside of the wooden box with WD and wipe it down so the concrete will easily separate from the wood. Unclamp and attach the glued assembly to piece number 1 using glue, clamps and screws. Take your time, have patience and a good understanding of the process.