Skateboards! Again....

[Daniel Markovich]

Sorry to repeat my question. I am still trying to find some help with engraving skateboard decks. Obviously the people who know how to want to keep their methods highly guarded. I am still trying to figure out how to engrave the entire board, The 2 curved ends and the bottom flat section.

Here is an example:
http://karvt.com/shop/category/engraved-skateboards/

How is this being done? Is the image split up into sections and being moved mid-job? There are a few way I have thought about going about it but I still can't figure out how to make everything line up and engrave correctly. Building a jig would help.

I really appreciate the help!

[Gary Hair]

I don't think those images, except for one, are actually lasered on the skateboard. I think they are superimposed on the picture of the board to represent what the design looks like. The easy solution would be to reduce the size of the image to fit the flat part, or laser in three passes - middle, one end then the other end.

Gary

[Robert Alexander]

Sorry to repeat my question. I am still trying to find some help with engraving skateboard decks. Obviously the people who know how to want to keep their methods highly guarded. I am still trying to figure out how to engrave the entire board, The 2 curved ends and the bottom flat section.

Here is an example:
http://karvt.com/shop/category/engraved-skateboards/

How is this being done? Is the image split up into sections and being moved mid-job? There are a few way I have thought about going about it but I still can't figure out how to make everything line up and engrave correctly. Building a jig would help.

I really appreciate the help!

The skate boards might be lasered flat on some 1/8"-1/16" wood veneer, then glued to the skate board. You could do the same thing then, use some clear epoxy coat with some light colored sand mixed in to give some grip to the surface.

[Chuck Stone]

since the boards are often laminated 1/8 or 1/16 veneers anyway, the best
time to engrave would be before the boards are glued up in the press. Might
be worth checking in with people who make the decks and offer your services
or simply supply them with Ready-To-Use veneers for the top and bottoms.

[Mike Null]

I've posted this before and on close examination you'll see that not all skateboards are bent at the ends. Also some appear to be carefully placed appliques while others are quite deeply engraved into the deck.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/7259223...80141913/show/

[Craig Matheny]

I agree with Mike if you look at his pics the shadows on the underside of the board is the same all the way around them hence they are flat or very close to it

[Martin Boekers]

Ya know that's a pretty good price to get a Maple wood deck engraved. That's quite a bit of laser time involved alone.

[Mark Conde]

Everyone seems to have had the same idea that I was going to give. But the big thing that stands out is what Martin said about the price being very reasonable for all that laser work. This leads me to believe that it is not all being laser engraved. There is a lot of work to just to complete the bent lamination. It would sound acceptable if the board was $125 and the then the engraving was another $120.

[Daniel Markovich]

I've posted this before and on close examination you'll see that not all skateboards are bent at the ends. Also some appear to be carefully placed appliques while others are quite deeply engraved into the deck.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/7259223...80141913/show/

With these close up photos, some looked like they weren't engraved using a laser, maybe rotary?

[Dan Ashlin]

this photo is the one that I think holds the key. You can see the lines from where the laser engraves are stretched and distorted along the curve in the board. They are definitely engraved first, then applied.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/7259223...57594580141913

[Dan Ashlin]

Also this:
http://www.roarockit.com/

[Joe Hillmann]

Some of the pictures show smoke damage at the ends of the boars but not in the middle which suggests it was out of focus when engraved. My guess would be that they used the longest focal length lens they could get and focused it as deep into the wood as they could and still get good results. And they probably combined the long focal length with boards that have minimal curve.

[Joe Hillmann]

I would also like to suggest you could try building your own boards. I made a few back in high school that had curves in 3 dimensions in a single area and the ply took the bends with out a problem. The molds can be as simple as a backerboard with two board on either end and narrow pieces of lath on the long sided to give it a curve and then lots of clamps. Once the glue is dry you cut it to shape with a bandsaw and drill your holes. If you make your own boards you can do the engraving well the wood is flat.