The Art of Skateboard Assembly

For this, you will need a skateboard deck, some skateboard griptape, some skateboard wheels, some skateboard trucks, some skate bearings, some skate hardware (nuts and bolts) and some tools that you probably have laying around the house or in the garage.

Before you put your skateboard together, you will have to think about the parts that are going into it. You will want to think about the type of trucks you want, the shape of the deck that you want, and also the hardness of the wheels.

If you are not sure what these things are for, you can head to your local skateboard shop and ask the knowledgeable people there. Skateboarders are happy to help you figure things out if you're new to the sport.

Once you've purchased the pieces for your new skateboard deck, it's time to put it together. Many people begin by putting on the grip tape. This is easy to do, simply peel off the backing and lay it down firmly with your hands. Flatten out the bubbles as you go. If there is a bubble that you can not get rid of, cut it with a sharp knife and it should flatten out easily.

Once the tape has been applied, you'll want to grind down the grit on the edge of the board using something metal like the side of a screwdriver. Once you've removed some of the grit, you should be able to easily cut away the excess grip tape.

Now that grip tape has been installed, it's time to install the trucks. Take your skate hardware, and poke it through the 4 holes on the underside of the board. Poking the holes from the underside of the board is easier than doing it from the top, because you can see where the screw should go through.

With holes in the tape, it's time to install the screws. Simply poke them through the tape, and try to make sure that they're flush with the top of the deck. If they're not, do not worry too much, that can be fixed later. If you want risers on your deck, put them on now.

Now that the hardware is poking through the board, and you've installed your risers (if you're using them) it's time to install the trucks. The trucks should slip right over the screws. Now that the trucks are on the board, screw them in.

Do not forget that the trucks should be oriented so that the kingpins point toward the center of the deck. If the screws are not flush with top of the deck, you can overtighten them and they should sink down. Do not overtighten them too much, or you risk cracking the board.

With the trucks on the board, it's time to install the wheels. First, slip the bearings into the wheels. An easy way to do this is to put the bearing on one of the truck axles, and then slide the wheel down the axle until the bearing is firmly inside it. Do this for all four wheels.

When you have bearings in all four wheels, it's time to put the wheels onto the trucks. Usually, the picture on the wheel goes out and faces away from the center of the deck. This step might seem silly, but you would not want to install your wheels backwards!

Another thing you'll want to remember is that the order of washers and wheels on the axle goes like this: washer, wheel, washer, nut. It's OK if you do not have any washers, the wheels should still spin fine. Washers prevent the bearings from scrapping against the inside of the truck, but they're optional.

Tighten up the wheels and you're ready to skate! Do not forget that when you're putting a skateboard deck together, it's going to take some time. Also remember that no skateboarder is perfect, and your first assembly might be a little funky looking. It will still skate well, though!