Back in August of 2014 Matt Berger was a
guest on the Modern Woodworkers Association Podcast. We were interviewing him
in relation to his book, The HandmadeSkateboard: Design & Build a Custom Longboard, Cruiser, or Street Deck fromScratch. Though I wasn’t able to speak with Matt on the Podcast, I read the
book and – though I’ve never skated – I fell in love with the idea of making a
skateboard.
guest on the Modern Woodworkers Association Podcast. We were interviewing him
in relation to his book, The HandmadeSkateboard: Design & Build a Custom Longboard, Cruiser, or Street Deck fromScratch. Though I wasn’t able to speak with Matt on the Podcast, I read the
book and – though I’ve never skated – I fell in love with the idea of making a
skateboard.
When my cousin, Nick – a skater and
skateboard enthusiast – announced he was engaged, I knew what I had to build as
a wedding present.
skateboard enthusiast – announced he was engaged, I knew what I had to build as
a wedding present.
Looking though Matt’s book in order to
decide which board to make, I vacillated between the Long Board and the Berger
Board. The Long Board is what it sounds like, a long skateboard. It is flat and
made from multiple strips of hardwood which are laminated to create a pattern.
The Berger Board is a little more complicated. It’s made using bent lamination,
using two layers of 1/8” Baltic Birch plywood sandwiched by layers of 1/8” shop
sawn veneer. The veneer layers are made from multiple strips of contrasting
hardwood to create a pattern similar to the longboard.
decide which board to make, I vacillated between the Long Board and the Berger
Board. The Long Board is what it sounds like, a long skateboard. It is flat and
made from multiple strips of hardwood which are laminated to create a pattern.
The Berger Board is a little more complicated. It’s made using bent lamination,
using two layers of 1/8” Baltic Birch plywood sandwiched by layers of 1/8” shop
sawn veneer. The veneer layers are made from multiple strips of contrasting
hardwood to create a pattern similar to the longboard.
 |
| A photo of a veneer made board being cut to shape from the SK8MAKERS website. |
As I only had about 2 weeks to make the
board after work and around soccer & Cub Scouts, I was leaning towards the
simple and straightforward long board. Then I found myself buying the plywood
to make the torsion box used for the bent lamination of the Berger Board, and
off I went.
board after work and around soccer & Cub Scouts, I was leaning towards the
simple and straightforward long board. Then I found myself buying the plywood
to make the torsion box used for the bent lamination of the Berger Board, and
off I went.
I found the Berger Board an exciting and
instructional challenge. It used shop sawn veneer and a bent lamination, both
techniques I had never tried.
instructional challenge. It used shop sawn veneer and a bent lamination, both
techniques I had never tried.
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