Ever wondered how promotional boards are made? Choose right and you can ensure that they are high quality products skaters actually want.
The Design
The process of creating a fully customised skateboard begins with you. You can design the board instore or online by choosing original artwork from international artists or uploading your own designs. After that the design is sent to be transferred to a hand made board.
The Deck
Each board is created with 7 plys of wood pressed together using wood specific adhesive and a templated hydraulic pressing machine. Top quality manufacturers use Canadian Maple, which arrive at the deck factory in veneers (thin strips of wood). They are stored in climate controlled areas to regulate the level of moisture contained in each woodpiece, as water can harm the manufacturing process. Afterwards each veneer has a wood adhesive applied by machine.
The veneers are then numbered and stacked for pressing. The layering is based on the grain of each ply and the use of it. Layers 3 and 5 have the grain running side to side while the rest of the layers run from nose to tail, creating a stronger structure. At this point the stacked veneers are placed in the hydraulic pressing machine to create the board while shaping the nose and tail. The machine can accomodate up to 15 products at a time. After hours spent setting, the shaper checks the board to make sure it's perfect. The 8 truck holes are then drilled by hand using a rig. The boards are then shaped to a template design, sanded down and given a coat of paint as sealant. Finally once they are dry the custom promotional designs are applied via heat transferring machines, passing through each colour individually by hand.
Once the transfer has cooled, the custom designed deck is complete and ready for it's trucks and wheels. Finally it's time to assemble the board which is then ready for delivery.
Want to read more? Check out our posts on promotional surfboards or on promotional yoga mats. Design your own promotional skateboards here.