I created a sweet wooden skateboard using SolidWorks and my homebrew laser cutter.
Why?
This might sound weird, but I don't actually need or want another skateboard. A late night watching Braille Skateboarding's "YOU MAKE IT WE SKATE IT" got me thinking:"I could build a skateboard so much worse" -me
Video Overview
For the hard of reading. jk
I can then finish the slats by linking dimensions from the end pieces to the slats.
Now you might be thinking:
For real, this is where most aforementioned problems come from. Care needs to be taken not to link dimensions which are dependent on each other or this shit happens:
Cross supports and truck mounting blocks were modeled.
'Grip tape' was built into the board by cutting a timing belt tooth profile into the slats. The grip is suppressed in the assembly since it's literally thousands of extra features which bogs SolidWorks down.
Ventilation is important.
Unless you're into huffing fumes.
Even with an unfinished enclosure the 1HP dust collector works well.
Swiftly sacrificed my aluminum honeycomb board to procure trucks and wheels.
The truck blocks were glued in and the trucks were bolted on to clamp the joint. I let the glue dry overnight prior to its baptism via my fat body.
Hands down my favorite part of this board is the grip; it totally works.
My buddy John Willner and I took the board to the boardwalk for an inaugural skate and some sweet pictures.
Not breaking in half and filling my legs with splinters is a good start.
If you want more footage, watch the video fool.
Maybe I should have sanded the laser edge down. The glue tears off the outer layer of charred edge pretty easily.
Good news is even with some broken glue joints, the board holds together.
Design
I never intended on this project leaving CAD yet somehow it slowly evolved, finally crawling into reality like some sort of mutant fish squirrel.
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| It's Science |
So, anyways.
CAD was the first step. A google search lead me to an open source board design.
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| www.opensourceboards.com/ |
These dimensions were used to generate the board's profile. If I'm starting with dimensions, I'll sketch them up before creating any features.
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| Initial dimensions |
Next the surface is modeled and thickened.
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| Thickened surface |
Cross sections are projected onto new sketches. I only need to create 4 slats and mirror 3 of them.
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| Extruded cross sections |
At this point I created a new SolidWorks Assembly. Dimensions between parts can be linked through an assembly, which automates changes to dimensions. Sometimes this causes more problems than it solves...
End pieces were modeled with temporary dimensions, inserted into the assembly, and linked to the dimensions of the slats.
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| Board ends |
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| Slat keys |
"How can the slats depend on the end pieces if the end pieces depend on the slats which depend on the end pieces?" - you.
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| Recursion |
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| Nearly finished board |
Cutting with LAZER BEAMZ
All of the parts were exported as DXF files.
What's mildly infuriating is the laser assumes units are millimeters; to export a DXF from SolidWorks as millimeters you need to change the GLOBAL DOCUMENT UNITS.
WHYYY?!?!?!
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| It's an old meme kids. |
Let's actually fire mah lazer.
Unless you're into huffing fumes.
Even with an unfinished enclosure the 1HP dust collector works well.
The total cut time FOR EVERYTHING is about 15 minutes.
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| Skateboard kit |
Assembly
My biggest concern is how well glue sticks to a laser cut edge. I cleaned the joints up with a wire brush and wet rag before gluing.
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| Gluing an end piece |
After 30 minutes I removed the clamps and glued the second side. I don't have enough clamps.
A spare cross support was used to clamp the permanent center cross support.
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| Clamping cross support |
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| Sacrificial board |
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| Drying skateboard |
Testing
Trial by fire.
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| Grip profile |
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| Sexy Science |
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| First Skate |
Conclusion
The board didn't fall apart, butttt some of the glue joints started coming undone. |
| Broken glue joints |
Good news is even with some broken glue joints, the board holds together.
The End
That's it.
See you next time.
Super cool concept! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks!
DeleteCould you be so nice and make a download link?
DeleteCan you email me a skateboard? thx
DeleteWould love to see a download link and try it out. This is just part of the future.
Deletehey, im a product design student from inspired by braille aswell! at my university they own a bunch of lasercutters including one to cut metal. if you don't mind i'd love to see your model in solidworks or just a vector drawing of the parts only. i'd help me a lot. are you planning on sharing your design of the skateboard because i'd love to try it! let me know! my email is simon.buijze@gmail.com. good luck with finishing your lasercutter, damn, i'm jealous!
ReplyDeleteHi William Osman, nice work.
ReplyDeleteI found your channel and blog while I was watching skateboard tutorials on youtube.
Looks cool, do you want to share the .dxf ?
ReplyDeleteSo is the files on share or do I just have to try to copy what you did?
ReplyDeleteCan you please share the dxf files?
ReplyDeletePost the files!!! People want to make this!!! I work for a company that makes the controller boards for Lasers and waterjets and 3d printers....etc... I would love to make this out of metal for Braille.... Please and Thank You!!
ReplyDeletelo felicito, ya la quiero probar... gracias
ReplyDeleteIf I paid you $60 usd would you make and send one to me?
ReplyDelete