There’s something about riding a repaired skateboard that’s inexplicable. Add a new challenge and put some fun back into the sport that has gotten so serious in recent years.
If your skateboard has splintered, try saving the pieces and gluing them back together. If the pieces are nowhere to be found, or completely unusable, then it’s time to pull out the bonus. Bondo is great for repairing skateboard chips – you can just mix it up and then spread it over the cracks and chips and it will keep them from getting worse. Any excess bondo can be sanded away and the board should ride like new. It is important to stop chips early in the life of the deck, because if they are allowed to grow, eventually the entire tail or nose will wear away and the board will be beyond repair.
If you’ve ever broken a deck, you can fix it with some sheet metal reinforcing they use for concrete. Have it cut to size for the deck, and then attach it to the deck with small screws, tape, epoxy, or whatever else you have. Be sure to line up the rest on the deck as best as you can so everything fits correctly. The metal is very light and will make slides easier while keeping your graphic secure. If the plate breaks again, simply repair it with a new sheet metal.
Flat spots on wheels can be fixed without too much trouble. Take a power drill and put the wheel on the end so it spins. You may need to put some cloth between the wheel and the hole so the wheel doesn’t get damaged. When you have the wheel on the end, turn on the drill and spin the wheel, then place it on sandpaper. This will grind the wheel evenly and eliminate any flat spots. Try to keep even pressure on the wheel so you don’t make them oblong.
If your bearings are sluggish, pull them out of the wheel and remove the bearing shield. Clean them with some bearing cleaner, then add some bearing grease and they should ride like new. Some bearings just need to be replaced, but most of them can be cleaned and will work just fine.
fixing trucks
If your trucks are worn out, try epoxying them on a small piece of rebar or pipe. This will keep the trucks from wearing too much, and you should be able to grind down with ease, depending on what you use for the repair.
If you lose an axle, or the axle wears out, you’re basically out of luck. You can try to put the axle back in place with epoxy, but there really is a lot of pressure on that part of your skateboard.
Conclusion
These repairs are really only temporary, so if you try any of them, don’t expect them to last a lifetime. Be safe when working with power tools and heavy-duty glues; you wouldn’t want to get hurt. The best thing to do if your skateboard really needs to be replaced is to buy yourself a few blank skateboards. These are cheaper than normal decks and last just as long. A blank skateboard is great for the money.
