How 2 Make a Wakeskate

BARRETT · Pop Shuvit Joined: 30 May 2007 Posts: 225 City: stuart

the foam board looks good. when you make surfboards the blank is close to the final shape but not exact. after you glass it you can shape the rails the way you want so that it will track through the water. fiberglass and foam are stronger than you think. expesially if you can get high density foam, (the stuff they use for boats)
then you would be set. just use some 12 oz glass top and bottom and put some lead weights inside the blank and glass over them. i would also suggest a resperaitor at some coveralls b/c sanding glass sucks and itches. most of the new wakeskates are pushing 10 lbs. my 43 wide is 12lbs and i can ollie higher, go figure. good luck

apple103 · Posted: Jun 09, 2007 2:22 am Post subject:

edrex, I used 5 plys of 3mm (about 1/8") my board is quite big but still the weight is about 4 kg (8-9 lbs). Birch is fine if you ask me, but just lok out for the real 3 ply wood, sometimes those thin plys are 2 very thin outer layer with rubbish in between!

pattielipp · Ollie Joined: 22 Jun 2007 Posts: 97 City: chesapeake beach

i just finished my first wakeskate. i did it a bit different as all of the local hardware stores didn't have much interms of what this forum says to use.
it's 4 layers of 1/4" glued together using wood glue ( i couldn't find epoxy in that large of quantities anywhere around me)
it's 38.5 inches long, 14" wide in the middle with 9 inches at each end.

the more and more i read i hear how wood wakeskates don't last very long and the plys split. well what i have done is i used three screws at each end to help keep shape(Filed down), and i've put a glass coat over it. just thought i'd give it a try. i don't have a scale so i don't know how much it weighs, although i'd guess it's on the heavy side with it being glassed and all. i'm working on pictures of the final product but i have pictures of making it.

pattielipp · Ollie Joined: 22 Jun 2007 Posts: 97 City: chesapeake beach

sorry about the picture sizes Smash

Slapdown · Kickflip Joined: 20 Apr 2005 Posts: 4240 City: Austin

pattielipp, That thing looks ROUGH Shocked

godspeed.

pattielipp · Ollie Joined: 22 Jun 2007 Posts: 97 City: chesapeake beach

are you looking at the second picture? cause in that picture it looks all lopsided, which it was. sense then i've sanded it out and each side's equal. ohwell, this is my first board, and it probably is pretty rough.. but it'll ride and that's all i'm worred about

Jesse · Posted: Jun 22, 2007 10:19 pm Post subject:

pattielipp, looks pretty good. It'll ride, shred that thing to pieces.

pattielipp · Ollie Joined: 22 Jun 2007 Posts: 97 City: chesapeake beach

that's what i plan on doing.. going out on it this weekend if i can find some one to pull me.

Le Jalapeno · Guest

does epoxy/urethane strengthen the board at all?

pattielipp · Ollie Joined: 22 Jun 2007 Posts: 97 City: chesapeake beach

yeah..

BAHayes101 · Faceplant Joined: 05 Sep 2008 Posts: 1 City: Orange County

WWSA,

...did you use a filler in the concave and tail "stairstack" sections of your board in order to make the stairstack smooth? If not, did the final fiberglass resin coating fill in these gaps?

If you left these "stairstacks" as-is in the picture entitled "done sanding" the top of the board and grip tape wouldn't be smooth. Please explain how you smoothed out the concave and tail "stairstacks".

Thank you!

wakeboarderx03x · Posted: Sep 08, 2008 12:54 pm Post subject:

My buddy presses his own skates as well. Here are some pics..

416 · Backside 180 Joined: 25 Jul 2008 Posts: 836 City: Toronto

sweet, whats the third one made of

wakeboarderx03x · Posted: Sep 08, 2008 8:50 pm Post subject:

all of the skates are made with different layers of maple, birch, poplar and fiberglass.

nick · Posted: Sep 08, 2008 11:20 pm Post subject:

wakeboarderx03x, Has anyone tried those noseslide apparati yet? I used to draw little turbine locks like that when I was in school Laughing

Always wanted to know if they would work.

Sick skates!

Lollar · 360 flip Joined: 19 Jun 2007 Posts: 8253

I saw those skates on sale on ebay for 30 bucks

wakeboarderx03x · Posted: Sep 09, 2008 1:33 pm Post subject:

nick, I haven't seen those things lately. I don't know if the idea was a bust or not. Makes me want to go do some research myself...

Lollar, He sells those things for cheap.

If anyone is interested, shoot him an email at: ProgressionBoardco@hotmail.com

Pconn5 · Faceplant Joined: 24 May 2007 Posts: 16

Ok, sorry for bringing up an old thread but I have a few questions.

I made a flat deck a while ago that was I think 5 layers of 1/8" with a 3" continuous rocker. This was clearly too much rocker but the board still was ok just rode very slow due to weight and everything. I want to make another now using a 3 stage rocker and concave. How did you draw out the 3 stage rocker? What are some of the general dimensions you would want to have for it? I read somewhere that you would want about a 15" flat spot but I am not sure. Also is it best to just make rectangles roughly dimensioned, glue them all together, dry in the jig, and then cut or cut first? And lastly how many layers should be good for the board? I was thinking 3 layers and then build the concave. Thanks for the help. I can't wait to start this project.

Le Jalapeno · Guest

Pconn5, Do you have a board that you can trace the 3 stage rocker from?

I would def go with 7 layers to give it a bit more rigidity

my 1/2 inch skates were pretty flexible which led to fail Wink

Pconn5 · Faceplant Joined: 24 May 2007 Posts: 16

Yea I have a wakeboard I could try and trace but wouldn't the flat spot be different and wouldn't the wakeskate have a smaller rocker? 7 layers isn't that a little thick?