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Skateboard PRESS!!!

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jacked
Posted: Thu Jun 26, 2008 7:20 pm Reply with quote
Joined: 15 Apr 2008 Posts: 10
Can someone please help me? I need a skateboard press to manufacture boards... I'm looking to press 3-5 boards at a time. I have read about presses that use bottle jacks for applying pressure but is this method effective enough. Also does anyone know a cheap way to build a press using hydraulics? I'm trying to get my business off the ground and I don't have a ton of money and I need a press ASAP!! Got any suggestions?

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CH3NO2JAY
Posted: Thu Jun 26, 2008 10:06 pm Reply with quote
Joined: 13 Jan 2002 Posts: 7303 Location: Chicago
I'd seriously spend a good hour or 2 and read all the threads in this section and the screen printing section. Not trying to be a smart ass sincerely, but A LOT of the answer have been revealed in the past.

I'd take notes while reading the posts and then look over what you have and what you want to know additionally and the final ?'s will become more specific and you might get a quicker response back from the more experienced people instead of them repeating themselves.

Good luck with the project, with little $$$ (not sure what you mean by little), it's a tough market to get into and make any real $$$. I honestly think the best method for a DIY small label is to buy a heat transfer machine (I prefer original screening) because you can change the graphics and do very small runs, especially if you buy the additional stuff to print or screen the transfer yourself.

Once the label is established, slowly buy the hardware necessary to take the next step and do it with a balanced outlook and budget so you do not take on more than you can handle in a work and $$$ standpoint...

This would all be around the idea of buying blanks from a reputable builder and take that step of the process out for now until you have a little more expendable $$$$
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frokster
Posted: Fri Jun 27, 2008 9:25 am Reply with quote
Joined: 29 May 2008 Posts: 22 Location: Wevelgem, Belgium
In my opinion, don't start making skateboards for the $$$$.

It takes a lot of time (even years) and money to get to the point where your boards are equal in quality to other established builders on the market. It takes a lot more know-how to make a good deck then you can imagen.

Even when you get to that point of making a quality product, you still have NO name/fame. Are you gonna buy a deck of an unknown brand with an unknown reputation for the same money, or a deck of which you are confident in and you're sure to have quality?

I suggest to start making boards for the fun of it... and see how things work out.

by the way: here in Europe you can buy a press "made in china" for a price you can't make them yourself.

Not that it is a stupid idea to start making boards... i'm one of those crazy people who make a board from time to time.
But i sure don't see a very profitable business in it. Unless you're backed-up by a lot a loyal "fans" and skateshops.





i know, i'm a very de'press'ing guy.
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jacked
Posted: Fri Jun 27, 2008 10:44 am Reply with quote
Joined: 15 Apr 2008 Posts: 10
frokster wrote:
here in Europe you can buy a press "made in china" for a price you can't make them yourself.


actually i believe i can make a press.. people have done it before..

And thanks for the encouragement. Its really helpful.

Besides I don't really have that much to loose. If it works out, then it works out. If it doesn't , oh well. Everyone has to start somewhere. Even the well known brands of today weren't well known 10 years ago...

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frokster
Posted: Fri Jun 27, 2008 4:53 pm Reply with quote
Joined: 29 May 2008 Posts: 22 Location: Wevelgem, Belgium
Quote:

actually i believe i can make a press.. people have done it before..

And thanks for the encouragement. Its really helpful.

Besides I don't really have that much to loose. If it works out, then it works out. If it doesn't , oh well. Everyone has to start somewhere. Even the well known brands of today weren't well known 10 years ago...


Sorry about that, but is was and is my honest reaction.

Don't get me wrong: it is very possible to make a press. I made my own to.
You can indeed find a lot info around here. And on the rest of the net. Check http://www.diyskate.com/skateboard.html.
There are some youtube-vid too.

It all depense on how handy you are, what kind of tools you have ect. You need at least 5 ton of pressure. 10 would be more like it. That means pretty heavy machinery. You need to do some good welding to, if you want keep that kind of pressure together
Look around for a second-hand press like they use in garages to press bearings and such. Might be cheaper and easier.

Bottle-press works, but it's handy to have a "mano-meter" (?) to check the actual pressure you put on your decks, so you don't crush your wood.
I found making a press the easy part. Making your own molds is a whole other game...
It can very frustrating.

I was more refering to the business-of-the-ground-part. There is more, faster and easier money in prostitution. Believe me
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jacked
Posted: Fri Jun 27, 2008 7:48 pm Reply with quote
Joined: 15 Apr 2008 Posts: 10
No problem. Anyways I have alot of the equipment already and experience in wood crafting. My father owns a Cabinet shop so I have free access to plenty of tools such as: band saw, shaper, sander, router, spray gun and booth, and pretty much everything else i need besides a board press and a silkscreen press.

I'm not sure yet whether i want to do the hydraulic or bottle jack way. My dad knows this guy that used to be in the machinery business and he says that he probably still has a lot of hydraulic press. It just depends on how much hes willing to sell them for, that is if hes willing to sell them at all.

Also the bottle jack press, thats possible with the 50ton jack right? i'm not sure whether the pressure will be distributed equally.

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jkelly
Posted: Fri Jun 27, 2008 9:37 pm Reply with quote
ORDER OF THE SKULL ORDER OF THE SKULL
Joined: 11 Aug 2003 Posts: 7129 Location: Wild in the streets
jacked wrote:
Even the well known brands of today weren't well known 10 years ago...



most well known companies that you are talking of use woodshops. they dont make their own boards..and most of the big woodshops that supply them have been in business for a hell of alot longer than 10 years.

Jay

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frokster
Posted: Sat Jun 28, 2008 1:00 am Reply with quote
Joined: 29 May 2008 Posts: 22 Location: Wevelgem, Belgium
jacked wrote:

Also the bottle jack press, thats possible with the 50ton jack right? i'm not sure whether the pressure will be distributed equally.


Sure, you can use a 50ton jack, but it will be like aiming to shoot a fly with a rocket-launcher. If you press to much, you crush your wood and may even distroy your mold. With a 50ton jack overpressing is REALY overpressing. With a 10ton, you wouldn't overpress as much. You may get away with it.

Equaly distributing the pressure needs to "build-in" into your press. Make sure one part of your mold can tilt just a bit, so it kinda balances around the piont where the jack pushess. This will balance the pressure on it own.

Use just one jack. Use 2 and you will put unequal stress on your mold and wood. Not good.

Make something that can buffer te force of the press just a little bit.
A piece of cork under the bottom mold for example, just to give it a little bit of play (?).


Make sure your molds are perfect aligned. Use something to guide them.

These are some of the things i had to learn, so this should make your journey a bit easier.
But keep one thing in mind: DO IT FOR THE FUN ! because you like doing it. It's a long way to go. And you will "lose" a lot of materiaal while learning. I'm a high educated technician ( ) and i felt and still feel stupid from time to time.

ps there are some words i use that are freely translated from dutch, my native language. i hope it's understandebly
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primative
Posted: Wed Jul 23, 2008 2:36 pm Reply with quote
Joined: 01 Nov 2002 Posts: 22 Location: virginia
I'm looking to sell my press, band saw, spark less fan, spray gun, glue, compression plate, routers, shape guides, and the fridge I kept my beer in. Ill include all the information I acquired, and some of my left over blanks. Cheap too, if you can get it soon.
email [email protected]
Thanks, joe
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primative
Posted: Thu Jul 24, 2008 8:02 pm Reply with quote
Joined: 01 Nov 2002 Posts: 22 Location: virginia
how bout this, you dont need the routers, band saw, or spray gun, ill sell you the press and compression plate, and throw in the glue, blanks, info, fridge and fan if you need them, or want them, for less than i paid for the compression plate. the press is hydraulic, the compression plate is nice and creates equal pressure the press is 40 ton but you lock it out below that so your not really even stressing the frame. i have to move to new orleans soon, and would rather sell it to someone who will use it than sell it for scrap metal, although the price isnt that much different. sounds desperate huh, fuck it, i already know the bottom line. i shouldnt do this, $1500.00 USD not euro, fuckin crazy.
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