Download
1 / 33
E N D
Situation • In Orewa we have a perfect location for many outdoor activities including skateboarding and longboarding. the many flat roads and pathways are great for learning to skate and make it easy to get around on them these activities are great for both mental and physical health as it is a very social activity and can be very physicals demanding sport as well. Longboarding is great for this kind of location as this kind of board was originally designed for this role and has been perfected over many years to suit it better.
Physical and Mental Health Long boarding and skate boarding are very similar activities and therefore both expand on your physical and mental health in the same way. A sport that is also very similar to these is surfing as in some ways long boarding and skateboarding originated from this. All three of these sports expand your: • Physical balance as well as your cardio and aerobic strength as well as stamina • Mental confidence, decision making skills and social well being.
Company research – Nelson creek • Who are they: Nelson creek are said to be the premire skateboard manufacturer in new Zealand. All there boards are proudly hand made in New Zealand on the west coast of the south island and considered world class. • Philosophy / Mission Statement: Keeping it REAL Every one of our boards is the realisation of a dream. Each time one of our boards is sent out the door for someone to ride, that dream can continue.
Skater ability There are considered to be four levels of skater ability • Beginner – can skate easy flat surfaces and remain on the board • Intermediate – can ride down small hills at a reasonable speed and still stay on the board • Competent – can ride on nearly all hills and can do the basic slides and tricks • Pro – can do basically anything, high speeds, massive hills and can enter competitions I consider myself to be at the beginner level as I have done hardly any riding and don’t even know if I could stay on the board.
Truck types • Double stack: these trucks have two pivot points that allow you to turn sharper and maintain control while cornering at high speeds. Most people use it normally but it can be used in a “drop through” fashion • Standard: the bog standard type of truck, generally very cheap. Can be used normally or “drop through” • Reverse king pin: give more predictable turning and is generally more stable. Can be used in both drop through and standard
Grip types • Spray grip: made of recycled glass, is aesthetically pleasing and is really easy to apply. Once it is worn out you can put grip tape over the top or sand back and reapply • Grip tape: basically a tough sand paper with a glue on the back, is generally black and one of the most long term and effective methods of gripping the top of the board
Deck construction / curves • The easiest way of making a board is by getting thin pieces of wood gluing them together and pressing in a press you can use different moulds to get different forms of camber and concave to suit your needs. If performed correctly with the good material it can create a very nice board. • Curves: there are four types of curves on a skateboard, Kick, Concave, Camber, Rocker • Kick – this is an upward bend at the back of the board used for performing tricks and manoeuvres • Concave – the curvature of the board from one side to the other, helps hold toes and heels on the board giving more control and security • Camber – the amount of upward bend along the length of the board, this puts the riding platform above the trucks giving more control to the rider through turns • Concave - the opposite to camber, puts the riding platform below the trucks.
5 Existing designs • The lost fish (fishboard) • Drop through long board • Earthwing mini glider • Rayne muiracle • Arbor shakedown
The lost fish • History and Design: designed to be similar to the fish tailed surf board, hence the name. made for cruising through town and tight spaces. • Construction: this design is made of wood (7 layer Canadian maple ply) but similar boards have been made from plastic and GRP. • Features: the grip is standard black grip that has a cut line through the middle, on plastic boards the grip has been moulded into the plastic • The graphics of this board is a close up of an animated green fish with assorted branded stickers
Drop through • History and design: designed for maximum handling and speed, has a low centre of gravity and long wheel base. Orginated from surfers who got bored on days when there was no waves on the beach. • Construction: this one has been made from 7 layers of bamboo ply other types of woods have been used on other boards and some types of composite reinforcing but that boards are still primarily made of wood. • Features: this one has a solid piece of standard grip tape but some can have patterns cut into their grip to break it up and make it look a little less boring • Graphics: this one is a yellow koala hanging onto a black branch there appears to be some brand names on the branches of the tree
Earthwing mini glider • History/design: designed for easy handling on flat terrain, short wheel base and Maximum width the whole length of the board • Contruction: a 6 layer ply contruction, wood type unknown • Features: the grip tape is a solid piece but has graphics printed on it. The tail is longer than most boards for better handling • Graphics blue street graffiti of a monkey
Rayne muiracle • Histroy/design: Designed for easy steering and handling, high off the ground for easy curb climb, perfect for rough terrain. • Construction: 5 layer ply • Features: short rounded tips for fast cruising • Graphics: a women in a storm with lightening shotting every where
Arbor shake down • History/ design: Designed for easy steering and handling, high off the ground for easy handling for learners, perfect for beach fronts • Construction: 7 layer bamboo ply • Features: very simplistic layout for learners to learn to control • Graphics: basic sign brand logo on the bottom and a small one on the top
Conclusion from existing design • From researching the existing designs I have seen that there are many types of board designs that could be used effectively in the terrain of the local area but the one board that would be ideal for cruising the local area would definitely be the long board as it was originally designed and has been evolving to suit cruising. The large surface area of the board allows it to be used to show an extensive range of art work.
Conclusion – Formulation of Design Brief • From information I have gathered from the existing designs I have decided to build a longboard design. That I could use to ride around the flats and down hills comfortably. while the weight of the board is very important as no one wants to carry around a heavy board, the structural integrity of the board is very important as no one wants a board to snap especially at high speed when a break could be extremely hazardous. The board will need to be constructed reasonable cheaply as there is not a huge amount of money to work with.
20 testing question • Testing questions • Does the body of the board creak or crack under pressure • Does the kick of the board bend excessively or too little • Are the edges strong enough and do not crack or splinter • Does the board bend a lot or too little • Are there any signs or weak points or delamination • Will the laminate protect the artwork • Does the board track straight • How well will the board turn in both directions • How responsive is the board • How well does the board grind • How does the react to changes in terrains • What terrain does the board handle best on • How good is the grip tape • How durable is the grip tape • Is the board appealing to the eye • Is the board pleasurable to ride • Are there any signs of weakness around the points where the trucks attach • Are there any moulding or laminating bubbles or faults • Has it performed as intended • Does it perform as expected
Modelling – Prototype testing • From the testing that was carried out at the local skate park we found that the
Concept summary – which one will I build • I am going to build the tear drop shaped board as that has the most appealing look to it out of the other designs. The other designs are also a little extreme and many difficulties may be experienced in the construction of the board and the structural integrity may be heavily affected by the extremely wide sides and the extreme camber
Graphics - 1 • Use a Kevlar sheet to cover the bottom of the board this will give it a more modern look to the board and should give it some more structural integrity. Can appear boring and is very plain and imperfections in the weave are easy to make and very easy to see • Picture needed
Board graphics – 2 • Use a printed picture on rice paper that is then applied under the laminate this can put a very detailed image easily on to the bottom of the board the only draw back is the image can easily bee ripped when being applied. The laminate could blur the image making it look bad and the brush used could also damage the image.
Board graphics – 3 • Can paint thin coloured lines along the length of the board, this breaks up the single tone of the wood but also keeps the natural appealing colour of the wood intact. It does not require a lot of work and does not affect the board structurally.
Board Graphics Summary table • I’m going to go with the painted lines design as it is the design that I find most visually appealing as it keeps the natural look of the wood but also breaks it up. It is very easy to apply and does not affect the structure of the board at all. I am going to with a gold line down the center with a white line either side of the gold line. I find this breaks up the colour of the wood nicely but also blends in nicly with the pale look of the bamboo wood I am using.
1:3 scale graphics prototype • On my 1.3 scale prototype board I applied two of the graphics mentioned earlier. On one side I applied the colored lines that I had selected as my favorite design and on the other side I applied a printed Kevlar pattern. This has confirmed my thoughts that the Kevlar alone is very plane and boring and that the lines does contrast very well with the wood color
28 – How my technological modelling supports my decision-making
