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There are 3 types of skateboard companies
OEM manufacturer/blank board supplier Companies which produce private label skateboards for marketing brands, some supply blank/generic graphic decks.
Manufacturer/Marketing brand Companies which produce and market their own brand some also produce OEM private label skateboards for competing marketing brands.
Marketing Brand Companies which outsource their skateboard production to OEM manufacturers
Most skateboard marketing brands choose to outsource their production. This does not mean that they are not a skateboard company; many companies simply choose to have their decks made by OEM manufacturing experts and concentrate upon the design a custom shape or concave which makes their boards unique.
There are many skateboard companies many with multiple brands and many are secretive as to where their boards come from. Some companies concentrate on OEM manufacturing side, while others concentrate on branding, some flood the market with cheap blanks. If we left you out, put you in the wrong category, called you the wrong name, let us know. OEM Manufacturers
North America
Penn’s Wood Mfg. P.S. Stix Watson Laminates Prime Manufacturing 5150 (formerly Taylor/Dykma) California Skate Factory Boardsmith Manufacturing Comet Bareback Manufacturing South Central Skate Skateboardprinting.com
Asia
Dantex Windsor Evermore
Europe
Kramer Elastics Jart Madshus
Manufacturer/Marketing Brand
Powell ABC Board Supply Woodchuck Santa Cruz Madrid Select Dist Libtech Supernaut AZA (syndrome) Performance Sk8 Krass Zero Chapman Skateboards ABC Board Supply---Owners of Acme, Strike, Scarecrow Cape Fear
Marketing Brands
Birdhouse World Industries Toy Machine CCS Alien Workshop Skate America Flip Deca Zero Anti-Hero DNA VeriFlex Status Phantom Performance Sk8 Premium Firewood
Skateboard and Snowboard builders and material suppliers: http://www.snowboardmaterials.com/index.htm http://www.roarockit.com
How are skateboard decks manufactured: The first step in making skateboards is choosing the best maple trees. After maple trees are cut and stripped to veneers and prepared for laminating. Seven ply lay-up of veneers are prepared before going through the adhesive process, 4 layers run longwise and 3 crosswise. Some companies use 5 longwise and 2 crosswise. Each veneer is feed thru a gluing machine that applies a even layer of glue. After the glue is applied to the veneer, they are put into a hydraulic press. The hydraulic press forms nose, tail and concave. After the veneers come out of the press, they are ready to be cut and drilled. The trucks are drilled for truck mounting at the desired wheel base. The decks are than cut to shape with a band saw, some companies use a router to cut the desired shapes. The decks are then finish sanded and graphics are added. The decks are then placed on racks and then wrapped for shipment to consumers.
Wood Characteristics: Reasons why maple (hard) lumber is used in the construction process are because of price, strength, weight, availability, split resistance and hardness. Maple is a hardwood that comes from deciduous trees (trees that loose their leaves every year during the cold months). Oak and walnut make up half of all hardwood production. Others include beech, birch, cherry, elm, gum, hickory and maple. Moisture Content in wood effects both the size and strength of lumber. Board strength at 2% MC drops to half as much at 16% MC. Physical properties of wood can be improved by seasoning and drying. Though depending on the tree species type, the strength of wood decreases as the moisture content goes up. The data shows why maple stands out as the wood of choice for board construction at this time. The higher the MC the weaker the deck. 6% to 10% is needed to ensure the laminating process will hold the layers of maple together properly depending on the manufacturer and the bending process they use. Some of the more high tech companies are using microwave technology to speed the manufacturing process. Using this technology they can dry the wood quickly while also making the wood flexible enough to mold into the required shape more easily then with traditional methods. This drying process effects the lignin fibers in the wood allowing the wood to bend without stressing the wood fibers. Thus making it stronger also. Traditional deck molding is accomplished by molding layers of wood that have been glued together and pressed under extreme pressure in a mold to achieve the desired shape. By using this technology they can start the manufacturing process with a wood veneer that has a MC of 20-30%. This increased drying time can cut as much as a year off the manufacturing process compared to air dried wood, which means increased profits. Lumber that is air dried bends better because the lignin fibers allow for a stronger end product. Kiln dried wood ,which can take several weeks to dry, when bent may fail early due to the fact the lignin fibers have been prematurely set during the hot, kiln drying process. These fibers tend to fail during the molding process. Companies are also using sound waves to speed the drying process of the glue also. Along with cutting edge deck coatings and laminating processes it is understandable why it could be difficult for a small company to keep up with the big guys. Lumber tends to maintain the overall characteristics of the moisture content it is dried to for the rest of its life. Even after the MC increases the lumber will perform differently than lumber that was only air dried or dried to a higher MC to speed up the manufacturing process.
What makes a board pop good?
Design, wood moisture content, core height, cure times, temperature, nature of adhesives, mode of cutting, tightness of veneer layers, grain direction, tightness of grain. If the moisture content is to high it will be too flexible. If it is too low it will not bend, it breaks resulting in deck failure. A deck with a low moisture content will be strong and resist abrasion. It all depends on what you want in a deck.
Deck Coatings:
We are talking about "trade secrets" (methods, and processes that have manufacturing processes and finishes. I can say that they do test every finish they use, to try to optimize it for the use skaters will put it to.
A wholesale base coated deck can run from $10.00-$22.00 depending on quantity ordered, manufacturer and deck coatings used. Custom shapes can double the price.
Heat transfers cost almost nothing & are the most used industry wide. Heat transfers wear easily due to the fact they are thin and they lack the vivid colors that consumers desire. The cost of the transfer and application process, clear coating, and labor, makes it the coating of choice by much of the industry. Some companies cut costs even more by cutting out the clear coating. This makes a deck wear even more when used by a skater.
The process of silk screening can often add another week to the manufacturing process. Due to increased drying times. Base coats are applied by the manufacturer to seal the image to aid in maintaining proper moisture content. Some companies paint the decks themselves, after getting them from the manufacturer but most have the OEM do the painting as well. Silk screen painted decks tend to be more wear resistant than heat transfers but not as well as UV painted decks.
Cost per color for silk screening can range from as high as $1.00 to as low as .60 cents. Depending on the number of decks ordered from the manufacturer. Silk screen painted decks slide good and look great, but probably on the way out with some companies, as the cost are higher and the increased labor involved in the manufacturing process/
UV painted decks slide super and looks great and like silk screen painted decks they turn a plain deck into a work of art, but probably on the way out with some companies, as the difference between paint and heat transfer on an 8 color board would be $4. It is a special paint that is activated by UV light. Due to labor and application process it is only done by a few companies. The colors and graphics are very vivid and aid to a deck overall appearance.
Companies such as California Skate Factory are using this process called Ultra Violet Painting. UV Painting for short. The UV ink is actually baked into the bottom of the deck, increasing deck longevity. The process uses less ink which means less weight lying on the deck. It bonds to the deck unlike heat transfers that wear off after one trick. The coating lasts up to 40% longer than traditional silk screening and 80% longer than heat transfers. The process is fast which prevents the decks from drying out during the painting process. The decks are also protested by the undercoating which further extends deck life where other coating types fail. Another added benefit is the surface doesn’t flake off like some other types of coatings.
Powell Mini-Logo SST coating for example helps the deck perform and “slide” better thus extending deck life. The resistance the deck coating creates, reduces deck wear, thus extending deck life. SST is something that most skaters appreciate little of. There are a few pros that always ride the same deck, so they can get used to its subtle capabilities; they ask them to put extra SST on their decks because they have gotten use to its feeling and use it to smooth out and lengthen their
manufactures paint the decks then the decal or image is added later then hopefully sealed with a clear coat.
Clear coated surfaces are also available and like any product clear coating can either add to the performance of the deck or cause it to fail early. The surfaces that are soft tend to wear quickly.
After painting is completed the sealing coat is applied to keep moisture out and followed up by a clear coat to protect the image and aid the deck in abrasion resistance. Most companies use water based paints due to the environmental restrictions of the other paint products.
Companies that skip the clear and sealing coats tend to have greater wear areas and more deck wood damage during use.
There are epoxy impregnated decks available on the market. These are very strong and increase have increased deck life but they tend to be less slick than other surfaces available. The wood veneer is rarely damaged on these types of decks. They tend to run a little higher on price also. A manufacturer of one of these types of decks is Lib-Tech.
There is also another type of deck on the market that has some great sliding properties as well. The fiber-filled polypropylene deck manufactured by Bell Innovative. There is no paint or coatings on the deck. The deck is sold by Notanotherskateboardzine at this time.
Not to leave anyone out the aluminum decks on the market are light and super slick but sharp edges and thin construction makes them a poor choice.
Shrink wrap is a vital part of the process. It seals in the deck and aids in allowing the ink time to cure and prevents excessive moisture swings during the shipping process until it reaches the store shelves. Overall the best coating available is the UV Coatings. SST coatings are super slick but is not as thick as the UV and will not last as long.  | |||
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