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I just finished building a new longboard deck. I had cut and shaped the deck several months ago, and then it proceeded to sit lonesome and unused until the other day when I started work on it again.

The deck is made from two sheets of 6mm Baltic Birch plywood laminated together, for a total of 10 plies of hardwood birch. The laminating is done by taking two planks, about 50” by 12”, and gluing them together with a layer of Titebond III glue. While they are gluing, you clamp them together in such a way as to induce a shape. In my case, I made a bunch of clamps out of 2×4s with bolts on the ends. They slip over the glued planks, and bolt down. By slipping bits of wood spacers and shims under the clamps in various places, I induced a shape. In this case, a little bit of concave (the deck curves up a bit at the edges, hotdog style), and a bit of a kick tail. No camber (an arched middle of the deck, like my last one).

When the deck is dry, you pull it out of the clamps, and cut it to the correct shape, routing down the edges, and sanding it smooth. Then you mark and drill the holes according to your template. I drew up the template in Adobe Illustrator, and printed it out on many sheets of paper so I had a life-size pattern to work from.

Next, I needed to apply a layer of fiberglass to the bottom for stiffness. I used 6oz S-Glass, which is a special fiberglass formulation for strength. I used the less-toxic Epoxy resin with it, instead of the traditional Polyester resin used in boat making. I had intended to use a vacuum bag to secure the fiberglass, which is a large bag like those ‘food saver’ bags that allows you to squish the fiberglass onto the deck with the force of air pressure. Unfortunately, my vacuum bag lost its seal, and I couldn’t repair it in time. Once the epoxy resin is mixed and layed down, you don’t have a choice, you must proceed.

So, I was forced to proceed using traditional clamps and weights to smooth the fiberglass. It turned out less smooth than I was hoping, but thats OK. I also used the opportunity to apply graphics. I printed out designs on rice paper, and then laminated them under the fiberglass. Rice paper turns transparent when it is soaked with the epoxy resin, so it looks like I printed right onto the deck. The top of the deck got a coat of resin as well, mixed with silica sand, so it would have texture and grip. I added a graphic to the top as well.

After a good wetsanding, I put down a final coat of exterior polyurethane for UV protection. Then, I began the grueling 48 hour wait to allow everything to harden up before assembly.

The trucks are Original, which use a very unique mechanism involving two rigid saddle-shaped bushings to create an unbelievable turning radius, and a very unique feeling of control. They take a bit of getting used to, but are really incredible trucks. The wheels are big 76mm Gumballs, they present a lot of urethane to the ground, and are very large, so they roll over anything. Plus, they are bright green.

The deck rides very nicely. It is a bit flexy, but has some snap to it too. The trucks carve very deeply, and as you turn, the deck gets lower, and your weight compresses the deck, changing the truck angle, and making them turn tighter. Hence, it feels like it ‘dives’ into turns, which is a fun feeling. Longboard enthusiasts say that when you’ve got three decks, you’ve got a ‘quiver’. I’ve got another set of plywood blanks in the basement, so soon enough, I’ll have a quiver of my own.

The little guy is the Bodhidharma, the Buddhist monk who founded the Zen school of Buddhism during the 6th century in China. In Japan, they make little dolls of him called Daruma Dolls. They are round little things, with no arms or legs, and his trademark eyebrows. When you buy the doll, it has no eyes drawn in. You fill in one eye when you make a wish, or a resolution for personal improvement. When it comes true, you fill in the other eye. My Daruma has only one eye filled in, because I’ve got a lot of wishes, and I don’t expect them to be fulfilled any time soon.

The calligraphy is by Hakuin Ekaku, a very influential monk in Japan who founded the Rinzai school of Zen Buddhism, and is considered to be the monk who made Zen what it is today. The calligraphy reads, “Zen points directly to the heart; see into your nature, and become Buddha.” It sounds cheesy, but it’s true. You don’t need other people to make you spiritually enlightened, it’s already inside you, you just need to see it.

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