This is the 1/4" thick aluminum plate longboard I finished recently. I think I got the idea when I stumbled across a youtube video of someone riding one that they had made. It looked like a fun project wasn't too hard and maybe I could get some exercise of of it when I was done. I bought the aluminum plate from the scrap yard for about $15. Actually all I could find was 3 pieces that were too short. So I bought those three pieces and had them butt welded together by my friend at work. You can see the weld seams in the second picture.
I looked around online at pictures in order to make a template to cut it out. I went for a semi classic cruising style longboard. The way I did it was only make one half of the template (the long way) and lay it on the centerline of the longboard blank, trace the template and then flip it to the other side. That way it will be symmetrical. The overall dimensions are 9" wide, 41" long, and about a 33" wheelbase. I then cut along the lines I traced with the vertical bandsaw at work. After that I put the kick tail in with a hydraulic press. The saw had left some rough edges so i cleaned it up with a right angle grinder and a sanding pad.
The longboard wheels and trucks package (Core Brand) I ordered from Amazon.com were $45. They are 7" trucks and 76mm wheels. I laid out the holes on the aluminum with a transfer punch and drilled them with a hand drill. Once they were bolted up I took it for a test ride around the block. I don't claim to be a longboarding expert but it felt great. Especially since I only had about $60 into the project. A lot of the entry level longboards start around 100 bucks. For me it is always extremely satisfying to build a fun project for cheaper than buying it already made. This past week I have been riding it after work and my wife rides her bike with our dog on a leash. Our dog Junior runs the whole time trying to catch me.
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