How To Build A Skateboard [2022 Guide]
So, for a lot of people who get their first skateboard, they will buy a complete board, meaning it comes as a complete setup of Skateboard Deck, Trucks, Wheels, Bearings, Hardware and Griptape.
As many skaters begin to progress, they will also want to upgrade parts of their setup or even design their own full custom board, so this handy guide is going to breakdown all the different parts of a skateboard and then take you through how to easily use our custom skateboard builder to design the set up of your dreams.
The Parts of a Skateboard:
- Deck
- Trucks
- Wheels
- Bearings
- Hardware
- Griptape
Deck
The Skateboard Deck is one of the biggest choices when it comes to your set up as it’s the part of the board that you have the most contact with. There will be decisions you’ll need to consider when picking a deck that are personal to you and your particular style of riding.
The first that is often talked about is the width of the board. Some skaters will prefer a narrower width with some schools of thought saying this will benefit trick lovers as the board is smaller and lighter for more flips. Some skaters will prefer wider boards for more stability when riding such as the traditional wide width of pool surfing boards.
Other things to consider are the materials the board is made from which again will come down to personal preference and affect how the board feels and responds under your feet.
Trucks
The Skateboard Trucks are equally as important when it comes to your setup as they decide how responsive your board is when moving and also for many skaters it is the point of contact for the board when grinding. The size of the trucks is determined by the deck size to ensure a stable setup and to eliminate wheel bites between the deck and the wheels.
As with the decks, many skaters will have their personal preferences when it comes to the materials which the trucks are made from and this can often factor in the price with lighter, stronger metals being more expensive.
Wheels
The Skateboard Wheels are an important part of the board in regards to the feedback between the ground and the rest of the skateboard. This can usually be determined by the durometer or hardness of the urethane of the wheel. Softer wheels will soften the feedback from rougher terrain, whereas harder wheels will handle smoother surfaces like skateparks which are wood or concrete.
Bearings
We’ve talked about how a lot of the other parts of the board are important but truthfully without a good set of Skateboard Bearings your setup is going nowhere!
Many skaters again will have their personal preference when it comes to their favourite brand of bearings and the different styles of bearings such as aluminium ball bearings, ceramic ball bearings and more.
Hardware
Connecting the trucks to the deck is done with the skate hardware and people will have their die-hard preferences in regards to if the bolts are allen key or philips head. No matter what side you are on, make sure you are looking after your hardware and ensuring that the bolts are properly tightened as this can reduce splits in the wood forming and even your trucks dropping off entirely.
Griptape
Finally, the last part of the setup is your griptape and ensuring the best contact between you and the board. Many skaters will have their personal preferences between their favourite companies in regards to the level of grip they provide, how easy the grip is to apply and finally the choice in designs from the classic black grip to all manner of designs and graphics to express your own style and personality.
With all of these parts combined you have a full complete skateboard setup and now we are going to show you how easily you can use our custom skateboard builder to build your own.
First of all please visit our Custom Skateboard Builder here.
The SkateHut Custom Builder has been designed to make choosing your dream set up extremely user friendly whilst getting to see what the final build will look like. First off select your deck from the wide selection from all your favourite brands.
Next, select your trucks safe in the knowledge that our builder will not allow you to select any sizes that wouldn’t be compatible with the deck you have chosen.
Next, choose your wheels, bearings, hardware and griptape whilst the builder puts a visual mock up of your board together and when you are ready to checkout, you will have the overall weight of your design and the total price clearly visible. You can either choose if you build your skateboard or if you would like for one of our build team experts to assemble your board to send to you ready to ride.
If you have any questions or would like further advice on which parts and options would benefit your style of skating then please contact our friendly customer service team via telephone, email or live chat via our website.
