How To: Make a Longboard, a Simple DIY Skateboard

The craft of skateboard production is no small potatoes: steam-bending plywood, custom wood laminating, great mechanics, awesome art. Not surprisingly, a well-crafted deck can also net a few hundred bucks. And for good reason.

But, what if you just wanna try it out? What if you just want something simple to cruise around the neighborhood, or to misbehave with a few buddies, a scooter, and some rope?(I’ll tell you that story another time).

You make your own, from simple household materials. Uber-maker Mark Frauenfelder came up with this easy project, which uses “a couple of layers of Baltic birch plywood for the deck, and such household items as giant binder clips to keep the glued pieces together while drying, and boxes of books to lend weight.”

Make a Simple Longboard