speedboard construction (update #2 now with carbon)

**wuchi** · 02-09-2006 09:10 AM

hello, i'm building a speedboard as a project in my school. i've built a lot of boards before so im not a complete beginner.

its a classic speedboardshape and will be mounted with pogobaseplates and r2hangers. the deck has no drop.

the thing is that i dont know how thick the woodcore have to be?

i'm going to press two birch plywood panels together with concave.
then i'm going to laminate the core with 245g/m2 carbon

i have enough for three layers with carbon. two on the bottom and one on top of the core, right?

well how thick do you recommend me to build the birchcore. i thougt of 4x2=8mm, 6,5+4=10,5mm or 6,5x2=13mm

i weight around 70 kilos.

cheers //Rickard

**Loki440** · 02-09-2006 02:17 PM

at 155lbs and that much carbon i would say 1/2inch core (13mm) if not more, mabey 15mm if you want to make sure its really stiff, yah i would go with 15mm core, so if i read what your saying you have 5mm baltic birch, then press three of those sheets together, even wood alone that will give you a pretty medium to stiff flex to it, then add in that carbon and it will be very stiff

**fake boards** · 02-09-2006 08:53 PM

sounds pretty gangster, i wish my school was that kool. (hahaha you know you liked that ryme!)

**Mikejnr** · 02-09-2006 10:50 PM

i just made a similar board it has an 11mm core with 2 * bi-axle fibreglass on each side with a
plain weave carbon on the bottom ( 300gm )this is super stiff it doesnt flex at all.
i weigh the same as you so i would say go for the 13mm ( 6.5 2) core.
since it is a speedboard it doesnt matter if it is to stiff.

**NLC** · 02-10-2006 12:00 AM

Lokis on target . 1/2" with that much carbon should be very responsive and stiff , particularly if you wrap the rails .

**wuchi** · 02-10-2006 05:31 AM

hmm. i have got a lot of different anwers. in sweden they say that a 8mm core will do for my weight and that amount of carbonfibre, but that sounds way to thin for me.

the last board I built was a cruiser/carver that was 13mm thick. its longer than the speedboard and is almost to stiff for me (and has no glas or carbon/ only a mahogny veneerlayer on the bottom) . so i'm really comfused.

wouldn't the wrapped rails make the board much stiffer? i think so?

and the carboncloth is quite heavy per m2, dont know how much 245g/m2 is in american oz or what you measure weight with.

dont you think 10,5mm would be enough?

ps. sorry for being such an pain in the ass with all the questions, but i dont have the time or money to experiment with this board. the project ends in 2,5 weeks.

**wuchi** · 02-13-2006 05:25 AM

well the core was pressed yesterday and it seems to be very stiff. the concave shape did it all i think.

i finaly decided to have 4+6,5mm core.

the carbonfibre arrives at my place tomorrow so more pictures will be posted.

hope this will do until i get the real pics from my frien:

**brainfartalerts** · 02-13-2006 07:48 AM

good looking design wuchi.

was this design a take-off of another design?

the cut away angles cause me to wonder if you approached this with a "blank sheet" and designed this with a specific rider/deck/truck/wheel setup in mind, because it looked right or a combination thereof?

do not underestimate the importance of something looking right.

too, you will find along the way that what one builder does well, another cannot match and vice versa.
often, that comes from excercising the discipline within the craft more than material selection. when choosing among answers, you may want to select the one that "feels" right first before hairing off in some new direction.
looking forward to seeing the finished product.
brian

**wuchi** · 02-13-2006 08:52 AM

**brainfartalerts** · 02-14-2006 03:18 AM

Excellent.
Nothing like doing for learning, keep at it. Surprising how many skills you can develop building something as fun as a board.
Goes a long way towards seperating you from the herd.

**wuchi** · 02-15-2006 11:12 AM

here is some pictures from today when i shaped the board.
just pics when it was rough cut before sanding.

**wuchi** · 02-15-2006 11:14 AM

here is more:

**wuchi** · 02-15-2006 11:17 AM

the roughcut shape:

**wuchi** · 02-15-2006 11:20 AM

here is a very bad picture of the concave:
(will post better pics when the carbon is laminated)

**I hate Cops.** · 02-15-2006 01:02 PM

thats a nice board. is it flexy at all. seems pretty thin in that last pic.

**wuchi** · 02-15-2006 08:01 PM

no its totaly stiff for my 70 kilos

and it wont be flexier with the carbon on it.

(well time to sleep. the clock is 04:00 here

)

**bpz** · 02-19-2006 03:57 PM

Looks very nice, man - keep at it! You seem to have your head in the right places. I have trouble going step by step to reaching my final product; I want it to immediatly take shape and appear how I want it to when I'm finished. Continue to take your time and It'll definitely pay off. I can't wait to see the final board!