First ever eskate, and DIY build

DIY Builds
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So I think the time has come for me to start a build thread for my first e-skate. I don’t think there’s anything that I can contribute to this forum as I have f-all experience, but I knew as soon as I found you guys that I wanted to get all your feedback. My intentions for this build were for it to be as cheap as possible, and… well, that’s sort of it. I’m intending to use it for a very short commute, a few days a week for a bit of variety from my ebike and for general cruising.

I figured the deck was a good place to start, so I picked up this used 39" x 9.2" Madrid drop-thru deck, mainly due to the Caliber II’s that were included. I got the seller down to $80 for the complete, which I was happy with considering the board is barely used.

I have the well-beloved (s/) cheapo Lingyi dual ESC. I figured I was never going to push this thing hard and won’t be climbing mountains with it, so I would be okay. From my research, I’ve seen there are 3 generations, with each generation being a bit better than the last, and from what I can tell, I have the 3rd gen. If it fucks out, I’m sure I will be on here hunting for a used VESC.

I also have a pair of 5065 140kv sensored Racerstar motors on their way over. I’ve printed some 36t and 13t pulleys and bought some HTD-255-5M belts to complete my drivetrain. I’ve currently 3D printed some motor mounts, but I have no trust in them and will likely get some machined soon.

The pulleys will be fitted to some 120mm Cloud wheels. I realized how slippery these were once I actually got them and read some reviews, so I may end up looking for a set of something else later on, but like everything else in this build, I think they will do for now.

I bought a 13s2p “100ah” battery from AliExpress… I am keen to see what actually shows up. The enclosure I still need to mock up in CAD, but the plan was to glass it, if it’s even necessary.

The ESC enclosure I have just finished drafting and am in the process of printing. I figured a flexible TPU sleeve would serve me well for waterproofing and shock protection and plan to use some rubber glands for cable passthrough. I plan on routing the battery cable through the drop-through hole or through a hole in the deck directly into the battery enclosure.

It’s dark out, and I can’t be fucked taking images to put up yet, but I’m sure I’ll get to it in the coming days. Hopefully the motors and battery will be here by the end of the month, and I’ll have a complete build to show you guys.

Cheers, Tonks

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Welcome to the money pit hobby! Plenty of us started this with the same intentions of saving money and building a slow cruiser. Best of luck to you on not building a board after board after board. That said what is your total budget on this build? I started this 10 years ago and off the shelf Chinese boards have gotten really good for a low price (tariffs may ruin in though). If you enjoy building, this is gonna be fun!

Add a location to your profile. Where are you located? If you happen to be in the US, I might have some stuff for you. You can look at the “Cheap or Free” thread and ask around to see if there are any parts you can get for less https://forum.esk8.news/t/wanted-items-cheap-or-free

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The Total build cost has just come in under $520. While I didn’t have a set budget, my goal was to build something cheaper than what i could find on the consumer market, which I’ve done by a large margin! Unfortunately I’m in Australia, so seems like the second hand market is slim pickings.

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Darn. I was gonna offer you these Cloudwheels and pullies, that are essentially brand new. I swapped them out when I bought a board. Also got some 6” Torqueboard wheels with hubs I will never use too

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Those are the exact cloud wheels I have on the board right now actually, how did you like them?

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Judging by their condition, he didn’t :joy:

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Thats what i’m scared of :grimacing::rofl:

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Yoooo what are you doing with those six-shooters and would you sell me 'em?

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I had another set on another board and just didn’t like the sound and feel compared to a smooth urethane and I wasn’t able to buy that board with out wheels,

Nope, Those are for a future build… Unless you only want ONE hub since I carry one as a full spare tire.

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Welcome abord man - this is the best money pit you can find…lol.

I love short boards, but i have to admit they are hard to build for me…i always built big boards with plenty of space for big wheels and big batteries…i usually start as “commute” or “grocery” build and end up wanting 12s6p battery, 63100 motors and big axel trucks :crazy_face:

Hang in there…stick with the plan. But remember, its always nice to have different boards on your quiver…one wont exclude the others.

Send pictures!!!

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