04:50
Faizan
Bending plywood does require magical skills. As a basically simple process, bending plywood involves gluing small, bendable pieces together. Skateboard manufacturers use hydraulic presses to bend plywood, but unless you're going into production, there's no need for the heavy equipment. But most any do-it-yourself can do it at home with glue and wood bar clamps.
Cut the skateboard design into the face of two, 36-inch-long four-by-fours with a band saw to resemble the curve desired in the skateboard. Cut two identical pieces with the reverse or negative profile, so they fit together.
Mix powdered resin glue with water according to manufacturer's directions printed on the package. Apply the glue with a paintbrush, to one side of four pieces of 1/8-by-10-by-30-inch Baltic birch plywood. Stack the four pieces together, with one dry side touching one wet side. Place the remaining piece on top, in the wet glue.
Place two of the four-by-fours perpendicular across two sawhorses, with the carved or profiled side facing up. Place the stack of birch plywood on top them. Place the other two four-by-fours on top of the stack, with the carved side facing down, sandwiching the plywood between the profiled faces of the four-by-fours.
Place five, 16-inch long four-by-fours, evenly spaced and perpendicular, across the top set of profiled four-by-fours. Clamp identical 16-inch four-by-fours -- centered under the 16-inch four-by-fours on top -- to the stack with bar clamps. Apply pressure to the clamps, compressing the carved four-by-fours together, sandwiching the plywood stack, until it conforms to the carved shape of the four-by-fours.
Wipe off the dripping glue with a dampened cloth. Allow the skateboard deck to remain in the forms overnight and remove the clamps. Cut the skateboard deck to the desired external shape with a band saw or a jig saw.
Cut the skateboard design into the face of two, 36-inch-long four-by-fours with a band saw to resemble the curve desired in the skateboard. Cut two identical pieces with the reverse or negative profile, so they fit together.
Mix powdered resin glue with water according to manufacturer's directions printed on the package. Apply the glue with a paintbrush, to one side of four pieces of 1/8-by-10-by-30-inch Baltic birch plywood. Stack the four pieces together, with one dry side touching one wet side. Place the remaining piece on top, in the wet glue.
Place two of the four-by-fours perpendicular across two sawhorses, with the carved or profiled side facing up. Place the stack of birch plywood on top them. Place the other two four-by-fours on top of the stack, with the carved side facing down, sandwiching the plywood between the profiled faces of the four-by-fours.
Place five, 16-inch long four-by-fours, evenly spaced and perpendicular, across the top set of profiled four-by-fours. Clamp identical 16-inch four-by-fours -- centered under the 16-inch four-by-fours on top -- to the stack with bar clamps. Apply pressure to the clamps, compressing the carved four-by-fours together, sandwiching the plywood stack, until it conforms to the carved shape of the four-by-fours.
Wipe off the dripping glue with a dampened cloth. Allow the skateboard deck to remain in the forms overnight and remove the clamps. Cut the skateboard deck to the desired external shape with a band saw or a jig saw.
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