What tires are these?
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Carlisle 8in slicks.
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Is there no risk of wheel spin? Are you gluing the adapter to the hub?
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So far no issue.
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Alright, I’m working on Odachi V3 over here right now. I’m changing the shape and construction a little. I’m also trying out some new materials to try to reduce production time. Generally, my decks take about two weeks to make. Most of that time is spent waiting for high quality epoxy/resin to cure. I found that the epoxy/resins that take the longest to cure give me the best result, but, man, two weeks is a long time. I’m especially picky about the clear coat. I use System III clear coat and It’s really the most flawless clear-coat I can find, but it takes a full day to cure on each side of the deck. I saw people using UV-cured clearcoats on furniture and I thought, “If that works out, I could do my clear-coat in an hour or less.”. So, I bought some and gave it a shot. (UV clear on left, System III on right)
The result, I don’t like it, or at least not this specific product. It’s too viscous and that lead to a lot of bubbles and streaks. I might try out a spray-on product generally referred to as 2K clearcoat. It’s a proper clearcoat for cars and it would make my carbon-fiber work pop, but the problem is that a can of it cost about $30 and it only has a 24-hour pot-life after activation. Because I do everything to order, I’m regularly only doing the clearcoat on one deck. This means I’d be throwing out a lot of expensive clearcoat. This stuff does cure quickly. It can also be purchased for spray guns, which could be a solution, but then I’d have to clean my gun after just doing one deck and that isn’t efficient. Also, I hate cleaning painting equipment. I’d rather just throw the entire paint gun away and buy a new one. If I ever go over to making batches instead of making everything to order, 2K clear coat might be the way to go, but for now I think I’m stuck with System III clear.
The shape I made to be simple and purely functional. I think it will go esthetically well with more build styles. Additionally, I cut out any unnecessary material. This gives it the best wheel clearance possible.
Alright now for the general construction. This is where I really muddled with things. To bring down the fabrication time I combined several steps. There is a thick layer of carbon-fiber on the bottom and top of the deck. I applied the carbon fiber in my 40-ton hydraulic press in two steps. This gives me a super strong bond, and it reduced the lay-up time from about five days to two.
I’m trying out a new putty for filling the insert holes, something that cures quickly. I stay away from 1-part putties. They dry quickly, but they’re only good for aesthetics. Structurally, they’re sub-par. Instead, I like to use two-part putties like System III putty. This is another one that takes 24-hours. I found a wood-filler product from Bond-o. It’s a quick cure. You can start sanding in an hour. I gave it a shot. So far so good.
In the end, I was able to take a deck that would usually take me 10 days to make and got it down to 3 1/2 days. It’s not exactly the way I want it to be yet, but if I can get the production time down at all, that would be a major accomplishment.
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I love my Odachi V2 deck. It perfectly fits my riding style. Appreciate what you’ve created!
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I’m so happy to hear that you’re enjoying it. The Odachi is definitely a passion project.
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New MTB deck still in the works? 
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I find myself riding my Liquid Sword more than any of my other builds—it’s just such a solid deck.
I was definitely tempted to try an Odachi, but 45” just feels like it would be so long. A 40” version of the Liquid Sword or Odachi would be awesome! 
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Odachi V1 still rocking hard after a refresh of my Venom build. Great stuff man!
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Thanks guys. Nothing makes me happier than knowing people are enjoying the decks. A bamboo deck with fiber reinforcement is a damn fine deck. I’ve refurbed several old decks of mine and they come out looking good as new.
@tipsy Indeed, the design is finished. I just need to fab the molds. It will have options for the concavity and nose/tail angles. Kind of like the Odachi V2.
As an aside, I’m about to move from South Carolina up to Michigan to be closer to family. That’s going to slow things down a little, but when I get back up and running, things will be better than ever. I’m also excited to be closer to more esk8ers. No one esk8s in South Carolina, but there is a thriving esk8 community in the Motor City.
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I would love to see a 40” version too.
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