Build a Skateboard Printing Jig - By Kilwag

There are a ton of different ways to tackle a problem. I won’t claim that this is the industry standard for printing skateboards, but I will claim that this method works well for us, and we have yet to see a method that works better. Of course, we haven’t really seen any other setups...

This rig works really well, especially if you want to print the same design on different wheelbases.  You’ll build it as kind of a catamaran. The skateboard rests on something that runs parallel to the board and is raised off the surface enough to keep the tips from hitting your table. Perpendicular to the board rest, running across the length of your table are two outriggers that are thinner. The rig is attached to the table by clamps. Quick release clamps are best, but I already had c-clamps drawn. Using clamps to attach to the surface allows you to have more leeway in art placement when exposing screens. If you’ve ever burned a screen and found that due to the art placement you couldn’t get it to line up with the rest of the design, you’ll appreciate this. 

A pin system in the main rest will keep the skateboard locked in place. Basically, you need 2 pins - one pin in the nose (that never gets removed) and one in the back that you put in the correct hole for whatever wheelbase you want to print. By keeping the nose pin in the same location you can print the same graphic on multiple wheelbases without losing registration. We use an uncut blank as a surface to set the deck you are printing on. It's not essential though, we've printed longboards using a 2x4 as a base. The uncut blank just makes it a little more stable.

Pins: We use a piece of an aluminum rod that is the same diameter as a truck hole. You can buy it at almost any hardware store for a couple of bucks and use a hack saw to cut it to size. You can also substitute a plain wooden dowel for the aluminum one Scrape the top of the pin on cement or use a file to round the top, with a little bit of sanding to smooth it more. A rounded top will make it slide into place easier and prevent scratching on the top of the deck. Start with a deck of your wheelbase of choice centered on the main support. Clamp or hold it in place while you mark it for drilling. Drill one hole through a top nose truck hole and one through any of the rear ones. Try to keep the depth the same for each hole. You can use a depth guide, or just a piece of duct tape on the bit. You’ll want the hole to go as deep as possible while still leaving enough to stop it from going all the way through, A deep hole will mean a more rigid pin and better registration.

To set up for different size wheel base, keep the same nose hole and drill a different tail hole. Alternate between left and right if the wheel bases are close. 14.25 and 14.5 inches is too close to drill right next to each other, so make one on the right side and one on the left. Alternately, you could use one on the front part of the rear truck hole and one on the back part of the rear truck hole, but that can sometimes be confusing when trying to get the board on the jig. When drilling for multiple wheelbases, make sure the back truck hole are all in line with the board or else you’ll end up with a deck that has a design that looks straight on one wheelbase but crooked on the other.

When it comes time to print, you pick a wheel base and drop the pin in the right spot at the back truck. Drop a board on and print away. When it’s time to change wheelbases, pull out the back truck pin and drop it in the new location and continue printing. If your holes are tight enough to keep the pin form jiggling, you’ll still be in registration. With multiple wheelbases, if you leave the front pin in place, the same design will always start at the same place relative to the front trucks. Let’s say you’re  printing the same thing on a 14.25” and 15” wheelbase. If you center it vertically on  the 14.25”  you’ll find it rides high on the 15” wheelbase. This is not a big deal in most cases, but if you insist on having it perfectly centered for both wheelbases you can drill more than one set of pin holes for the front trucks as well.  The downside is that it can be confusing to remember what boards were printed at what settings. If you only use one nose pin hole you can only put the board in one place.

Ok, that’s it for Screen Rig 101. Let me know if you have any success. Got a better idea? I’d love to hear it.