Crazy Train Micro

So this is late. I built this about six weeks ago for my son. The graphic was his idea (he loves the Ozzy song "Crazy Train", has since he was about 18 mos.) The board is a 5 ply hybrid (baltic birch core with maple skins) 6" x 24" popsicle with a 10.5" wheel base. The graphic is an acrylic transfer of an image I borrowed from google images and modified (not the cleanest transfer I've ever done but I think the distressed look lends itself to the board), I bought a set of trucks with the narrowest hangers I could find, changed the bushings over to the softest available, and now my 40 lb 3 and 1/2 year old can ride with his dad.

This is a good example of the advantages of my modular mold. All I had to do was remove enough of the wheel base sections of my mold and I was ready to press this.

2 About to Go Out

2 About to go out
Originally uploaded by eaton.Jerry

These two boards just got clear about a minute before this picture was snapped by my cell phone. Look for them on last Thursday. If they don't sell, look for a listing with better pictures in the coming days. If they do sell maybe just pictures.

Custom coffin

Custom coffin
Originally uploaded by eaton.Jerry

I feel a bit like a cross between that undertaker character in those old western movies (the one who runs around measuring the underdog gun slinger) and DR Frankenstein (it's alive!) because it's finally done. This guy has been patient for something like a month while I wait for wood. I hope he finds it's worth the wait.

Maple's Hard Wood (to come by)

It is really crazy once you get into board building, how hard it is to get the most basic material, wood. Good quality maple is only available a couple of places online and let's just say that customer service (at least for the small builder like me) isn't really a widespread ethic. It's enough to temp me to flame a few builder forum and supplier email inboxes, but the industry is so small, it would probably only end up making it even harder to get veneer in the long run.

Another board up for adoption...

Another board up for adoption...
Originally uploaded by eaton.Jerry

"sandbagger" Handpainted coffin, UD carbon fiber & triax fiberglass I-beam construction. Birch and maple. $65
*SOLD*

Boards For Sale

"Cider" handpainted 7.5" popcycle UD carbon fiber & triax fiberglass I-beam construction. Birch and maple. $65 *SOLD*

"It's a Missile Gary!" This is some weird skate science... Texalium, glass, hollow core -Baltic birch, UD carbon fiber, and a faux-aluminum formica
bottom sheet. $75. (There's damn near that in materials in this one.)

Mold Modifications

Mold Modifications
Originally uploaded by eaton.Jerry

Here's a shot of my mold showing it's adaptable design. Right now I'm adding more flat sections for a longboard. After that, I'll remove a couple of the extra flat sections to press a few pool shapes with a slightly longer wheelbase.

Edit- I really should say more about this mold... it's constructed from 36 layers of 1" plywood held together with three pieces of all thread. The individual sections started out as 10" x 10" squares of plywood that I cut the cross-sectional profile into on a bandsaw. The sections were drilled and bolted together, then rough shaped with bondo and a surform file. Finally, it was sanded smooth.

The profile has a 5/8" radial concave (at 10 inches width so it's mellower on most shapes) and a 19 degree nose and tail. The nose and tail have a slight 1/4" concave built in for additional control (this feature disappears on narrower boards).

As I've built other boards, I've made additional sections of wheelbase concave and flat sections for noses without kick. By mixing and matching these sections there is a huge variety to the designs I can press.