Last year’s Major 3 left us off with a 3D-printed long board design. A prototype was built and we discovered that the plastic filament alone would not be strong enough to support a person riding the board. However, the previous Major 3’s had designed the board with an engraved pattern that acted as traction, eliminating the need for grip tape on the board. So we printed 2 slabs for the top and bottom of the board, and got a wooden middle piece to act as a flexible yet strong support.
In preparation for this year’s 8th Grade Night, we assembled the long board! However, it was not just a build-and-go process. We wanted to make sure the board was safe and comfortable to ride. For example, the trucks for the wheels of the board had to use different lengths of bolts to be secure. Also, a spacer for the wheels was placed to elevate the board so the board wouldn’t bite against the wheel when making sharp turns. This required some experienced skater students of the program to test the ride out, and even taking the board to a skate shop to get it checked out!
Once we got the board assembled, it was all smooth cruisin’ to 8th Grade Night. Check out our students having a blast on the board!
JH
