Plastic deck for ESK8?

Hey guys. I know lots of wheels are made of fiber reinforced plastic. I know there are some really advanced fiber reinforced plastics out there that are super strong for both molding and 3D printing.

If designed properly, do you think either a plastic deck or plastic deck/enclosure could be made at a price point that is competitive with what is already out there?

I don’t like them (for a variety of reasons) but the french brand Okmos has a fiber reinforced plastic deck, well it’s thermoplastic reinforced sheets (don’t know the name off my head right now) 2k molded with reinforcements. It’s an expensive process and I think they are only able to pull it off because they are a brand created by an injection molding company and the board costs 1800€ for under rated specs at this price point.

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the lou board and the miles board are small integrated plastic deck, they look cool, but totaly lack of flex

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you mean the phantom? I thought it was a weird composite fiberglass

don’t know about the phatom, I was talking about the og dual or single
now that you say so it is possible they have some sort of carbon fiber in it I remember I was really happy drilling it, I’ll check later
EDIT: it says carbon fiber on their website

I think Penny has a plastic full length longboard deck

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Funny,
I’m curious to know if there is any interest over a regular longboard (at least for pushing) is it lighter than a similar shaped wooden one ?

I found this interesting. Some skaters try to break a cheap polycarbonate skateboard and it’s essentially indestructible.

It looks too floppy for a longboard but imagine it also had a polycarbonate enclosure to provide structure.

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I think it’s interesting that a carbon fiber deck/enclosure can be purchased around $500 these days. That mean it probably cost about $150 or less to manufacture. Carbon fiber is pretty expensive but the overall cost can be kept pretty low.

There are some pretty amazing fiber reinforced plastics out there. Super strong and stiff. If designed properly it should not break like wood and carbon fiber. Maybe decks could be made out of it. I’m not sure. Maybe it is best utilized in a 3D deck/enclosure kind of structure.

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Carbon on the outside of whatever core is going to make the strongest structure putting the carbon in compression or better yet tension. Comparing a plastic vs wood laminate core, inside the carbon deck, the wood is going to be strongest and lightest of the two.

Then again I think “stronger” would depend on how well the carbon adhered to the core. The carbon isn’t going to snap but separate from the core if flexed enough.

Divinycell and other core materials are closed cell abs foam. Sticks fine.

Doing a plastic and carbon fiber imbedded in it and extruded or poured is going to be a waste of carbon as it’s not in its ideal compression or tension position on the surface.

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From the time when first sk8 was made till now, lot of engineering improvements was made. So probably it is realistic to have deck from plastic or some plastic composite. But it is not just take a material and create form for injection molding. Behind this needs to be development and lot of testing.Not sure if someone will pay this for small eskate community. Therefore It is more realistic to take material or design from different field and use it like Trampa did it with their decks. If Iam right material what they using was designed for some different purpose.

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I am going to derail my own thread here. Is the Trampa deck a fiberglass/carbon fiber composite?

laminated fiberglass as far as I know

If it just laminated fiberglass, I would think it is not that expensive to make. Maybe add a layer add a thin layer or two on the top and bottom and you have a pretty stiff deck.

I remembre someone on the forum actualy made some trampa clone decks at home, it was a fun thread.
Also there was @eLDoska decks, but well situation fucked up his buisness, I don’t know if he is still arround, if yes he probably has more experience than most in making composite decks

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Not me, but I have made a couple of composite decks at home. You might have been referring to @HellKite, but he was using slightly different (core) materials I think.

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I don’t remember, but there was a lot of funny picture and/or videos of the earliest prototypes, where it was just to flexy
EDIT: did search the forum a bit but no luck

Are you including carbon fiber when you say plastic cores? because it is so light that it feels fake and is lighter than wood. The extension brackets I use from water bourne are made from carbon fiber sheets and epoxy and they’re extremely light and yet very strong and durable. Way lighter than the same piece would be if it was made from maple plywood.

I have at least 3 thousand miles on one of those brackets and it is still working perfectly with no signs of wear other than being dirty. because I got mud on my board a month or more ago and never bothered cleaning it off

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I’m saying carbon parts often have a core of wood or foam (abs).

I don’t know what u used but likely had a core and not bare carbon that’s hollow

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