Book on skateboard building?

[tomwalz]

Book on skateboard building?

Looking for book on skateboard design and building. Neighbor kid is 13. Neat, smart kid. Comes over and uses my tools to work on his skateboards. Kid is a serious boarder (shredder?). Even at 13 the kid is showing signs of being a careful craftsman.

Dad is in prison because his meth lab blew up. Mom is on welfare. Kid is bored in school. I am teaching him the importance of math as much as I can. (Board is 11 5/8” wide, truck 2 5/8” between centers, how far from each side do you measure.) Kid gets it but he has trouble dividing nine by 2.

Figure if I got a book that showed him how to use math to design a better board it might help.

All I could find talked about the art on top. Not an interest.

Any ideas appreciated.

Tom,

P.S. I realize odds are good that nothing I do will help keep the kid off welfare / crime. I also realize the dangers to me of hanging around with neighbor kids. I come from a tradition where old farts semi-tolerated neighbor kids and I make sure his mom knows what we are doing.


Thomas J. Walz
Carbide Processors, Inc.

http://www.carbideprocessors.com

 

[KENAT]

As regards your post, I recal back in the early 90s getting such a book from the library (Basingstoke, UK). Can't remember the title or anything though.

It talked about how you could make all the main parts of a skateboard, including a section on making your own trucks by melting down motorbike engines as I recal!

That said I don't recal it being very heavy on the math.

Sorry I can't be more help.

As regards your PS I'd definitely be carful, it's not unknown for people to throw accusations around to make money, that said I'm not sure that being on welfare makes that any more likely. Either way what you're doing is commendable.

KENAT, probably the least qualified checker you'll ever meet...

 

[MadMango]

I would look at Makezine.com they have a lot of similar topics. The body of the skateboard is called the deck, perhaps you can try your searches with that term.

Brows here then check out the following link:

http://www.makezine.com/blog/archive/2007/07/use_a_vacuum_cleaner_to_b.html

If you wanted to be the "cool old fart" in the neighborhood, maybe consider helping them to build a ramp or half pipe. Just don't keep it in your yard (liability).

"Art without engineering is dreaming; Engineering without art is calculating."

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[Heckler]

Tom,

You're a hero. It's people like you that make a difference in this life. I came from a broken home. Their was this guy named Buddy who lived next door. He was always working on one of his many cars or working on other peoples cars. The one car I will alway admire is his 57 Chevy. He took me under his wing. I was his apprentice. I was his gofer for tools as he wrenched on cars. When I got into high school autoshop I would take his less complex work into class. He definitely made a difference in my life when I was growing up. He recently pass away and their isn't a day that goes by I don't think about Buddy.

Here are a few links

http://www.madehow.com/Volume-6/Skateboard.html

http://www.exploratorium.edu/skateboarding/skatedesign.html

http://www.trinity.wa.edu.au/plduffyrc/Subjects/art/skate.htm

Heckler
Sr. Mechanical Engineer
SWx 2007 SP 3.0 & Pro/E 2001
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(In reference to David Beckham) "He can't kick with his left foot, he can't tackle, he can't head the ball and he doesn't score many goals. Apart from that, he's all right." -- George Best

 

[btrueblood]

Tom,

Don't get hung up on math, just show him how the math works (let him use a calculator when he gets stuck). You and I know 9/2 by heart, we use math every day - he doesn't, don't let him get hung up on the math (yet).

You know drilling/cutting - teach him about carbides, speeds and feeds, how a drill bit wears out. Speed and feed equation is an easy "intro to algebra".

Tapping holes - why are there preferred sizes, and standard thread forms?

Show him how glue-lam boards work, explain the chemistry of the glue (or better yet, make him research the types of glue online or at the library and pick the "best" (strongest, most durable)). Or build a deck with two of his top choices, and test them.

Help him keep a logbook of what he did and what he found.

But best of all, be there to help & answer questions.

 

[tomwalz]

Thank you all for some really good new sources and ideas.

I think I’ll keep doing what we have been doing and fix his problems as they come up. However, thanks to you folks, I now have better resources to show why we are doing or should do things a certain way. I can sneak in a little math, science and machining as we go. Sunday we covered geometry, physics, the importance of deburring holes and especially why you should take a part off and immediately put it in the little plastic bag (bowel, dish , whatever.).

Thanks again,
Tom


Thomas J. Walz
Carbide Processors, Inc.

http://www.carbideprocessors.com

 

[vpl]

especially why you should take a part off and immediately put it in the little plastic bag (bowel, dish , whatever.).

and, hopefully, why you should label that little plastic bag so you remember what goes where!

Patricia Lougheed

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