Bending the rules of wood lamination
Fall 2013
I wanted to figure out how to make a fully "cereal bowl" concave deck using a vacuum press, and build a topmount deck that was ergonomic, rugged, and looked great.
Without a massive hydraulic press, making wood laminates bend in two directions is challenging if not impossible. In a vacuum press, where pressure is limited, it can only be done very subtly. Rocker/concave boards take two mild bends in perpendicular directions, but nothing as aggressive as I needed to get a bowl concave with a micro-dropped platform.
I started by folding paper to figure out how to make the bends I needed, then moved to sheet metal, and finally a Google Sketchup model. The plan was to create small relief cuts at the edges of the standing platform to allow the wood to curve inwards, forming the bowl concave I was after. To keep the cut joint strong, I staggered the cuts so they essentially wove together in a finger joint.
I started by folding paper to figure out how to make the bends I needed, then moved to sheet metal, and finally a Google Sketchup model. The plan was to create small relief cuts at the edges of the standing platform to allow the wood to curve inwards, forming the bowl concave I was after. To keep the cut joint strong, I staggered the cuts so they essentially wove together in a finger joint.
Sheet metal model
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Sketchup model with a grid to show the folds
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Top view of a relief cut
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Edge view showing staggered cuts
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In addition to joining the relief cuts, I added a layer of carbon fiber to the base of the board and 2 layers of fiberglass to the top. This sandwich made the deck rock solid, with excellent torsional rigidity for freeride and downhill. I also added nylon guards to the nose and tail of the board to keep the deck from getting smashed up.
Wet layup of carbon fiber on the bottom of the deck
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Nylon nose guard
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Out for some early season freeride on the finished deck
