How To Repair Razor Tail On A Skateboard

You just got a new skateboard and it's still in mint condition. No fries, nice graphics, and shiny new wheels and trucks. At some signal your skateboard will wear downwardly, it's unavoidable, but there are a few tricks to get the virtually out of your skateboard. In order to proceed your skateboard in good condition make sure to:

Store it in a dry place
Avert skateboarding when it's wet or rains
Maintain your bearings
Sand down fries and splinters
Prune grip record that peels off
Replace parts when needed
Don't throw information technology around
Avoid extremely high temperatures or extreme cold

Contents

1 Skateboard maintenance
- ane.i Exist careful when tightening your trucks
- ane.2 Clean your bearings every three months
- 1.3 Replace bushings when they dry out
- 1.4 Supersede your grip tape
- 1.5 Avoid extreme weather condition
- one.half dozen Shop it in a dry place
- i.seven Repair razor tails and chips
- 1.8 Check the hardware
- one.nine Clean your wheels at present then
- i.ten How to foreclose your skateboard from breaking
- one.11 Some last tips to go along your skateboard in shape

Skateboard maintenance

Proper maintenance will prolong the lifespan of your skateboard and its hardware. To become the most out of your new skateboard brand sure to check all the parts after a few sessions. I recently forgot to inspect the nuts on my truck beam and a wheel came flying off. The wheel was piece of cake to spot but I was lucky enough my kid was able to find the bearing. The nut, spacer, and speedring were gone then I had to go home to get some spare parts.

Inspect your skateboard occasionally. Cheque for peeled grip tape, make sure all of your wheels spin properly and inspect if all the nuts and bolts are tightened. Avert pelting and wet conditions, shop your lath in a dry place and don't throw information technology around.

Exist careful when tightening your trucks

It doesn't affair if you like loose trucks or tight trucks, brand sure to cheque them from fourth dimension to fourth dimension. Too tight can damage your bushings which will touch on performance. Damaging the bushings will make your board feel dead and unresponsive. How exercise you know if you tighten your truck too much? Avert exposing two threads of your kingpin, this means your trucks are too tight. get some harder bushings instead.

Clean your bearings every 3 months

Dirt and dust will find a mode into your bearings so it's important to clean them out once every while. It depends on how often y'all skate simply cleaning them every 3 or for months is advised when you skate frequently. If you have open up bearings it's pretty piece of cake, merely allow them soak in alcohol or boom remover.

Shake them around and clay will come out. Let them soak for an hour or and so and remove them. Dry them with a paper towel and tap and shake them to remove the remaining dirt. Make sure they're completely dry and add some Bones speed cream or silicone lubricant. If you don't have this olive oil volition work merely it will concenter more dust.

If you accept airtight bearings make sure to remove the shield before you apply nail polisher. You can use a razor blade or a tiny flathead screwdriver to pop off the shield.

Supercede bushings when they dry out out

Bushings wear down in fourth dimension. Leaning on your deck and steering will make them deform eventually losing their effectiveness. Dry bushings can be spotted by cracks or crumbled or squished bushings.

Avoid extremely loftier temperatures or extreme common cold, it will wear them down sooner. Don't store your lath in hot and moist environments, this will shorten their lifespan considerably. If you lot hear squeaky sounds when yous lean on your lath this could mean they're dried out. You can easily fix by putting soap shavings or just some candle wax inside the pin cup. If that doesn't aid you might want to replace them.

If y'all experience clicking sounds you should check if the washers stay in identify. When washers motion effectually they crusade a clicking racket.

Replace your grip tape

Depending on which atmospheric condition conditions you skateboard, grip tape might wearable down sooner while your deck is still perfectly fine. So don't leave and purchase a new deck, just replace the grip record. Information technology'due south non hard to do and if you follow my instructions it can't become wrong. If you're experiencing peeled off record use a Stanley pocketknife or razor blade to cut it off. If you lot don't information technology will merely go worse meaning you have to replace the record sooner.

Get a hairdryer and put it on the hottest setting. Bring it shut to your tail or nose and make sure the grip tape warms up. Try to peel it off a little and continue heating up the grip tape. The glue will go warm losing its cohesion and you tin slowly piece of work your way off and pull off the grip record. It's really easy actually, your deck might feel a flake pasty from the residue glue simply that's fine. Once yous've removed all of the grip tape you can utilise new grip tape.

Peeling off skateboard grip tape using a hair dryer

Avoid farthermost weather condition

Rain, oestrus and cold all take an impact on your skateboard. Your deck absorbs water resulting in a soggy skateboard deck. Your deck will be waterlogged and will lose its pop. Over time it can also cause delamination. Your deck is fabricated of a number of maple woods plies (unremarkably seven) and when it comes into contact with water the epoxy mucilage will dissolve.

This causes the layers to separate and you'll have to go a new deck. Try to avert puddles, don't skate in the pelting (which is also dangerous because yous have zero grip).

Not only your deck just also the bearings don't like water. Water will cause your bearings to rust because it dissolves the lubricant that keeps your bearings spinning. Rust volition class and your bearings volition get-go to make noise. Add a little dirt to that and y'all can throw away your bearings. Simply clean them occasionally and apply proper lubricant, this volition make your bearings concluding for years.

Lastly, water will cause your bolts and screws to rust. Bolts and spiral are inexpensive but only don't leave your deck in the pelting. Your trucks won't be affected much but leaving information technology out in the rain often won't do them any good eventually.

Hot weather will wear down your wheels and bushings faster, hot climates might also have more sand and dust which will find a way into your bearings. When bushings become hot they deform more quickly and so keep that in mind. Extreme cold weather, on the other hand, might freeze upwards your bushings. This isn't a huge bargain merely information technology will touch on your skateboards' operation.

Store it in a dry out place

Store your skateboard in a dry identify, not too warm not too common cold and don't leave information technology around on the floor. Consider a skateboard rack that yous tin easily make yourself, bank check out Etsy and Pinterest for some pretty creative storing solutions. Don't leave it in the trunk of your motorcar, it can get warm in there or moisty.

Repair razor tails and fries

You can repair some damage like razor tail and chipped decks to postpone buying a new deck. Yous tin glue chipped or split up layers using special mucilage and get some clamps end let the gum dry. This isn't a long-term solution, if yous hit the exact same spot again in that location'due south a expert chance the chipped piece of wood will come off again.

As for razor tails, y'all can sand down the tail using some tools but taking off some of your tail will make the deck lose a little bit of pop. Like I said it'south a short-term solution, you might be able to skate for another week or two but you need to offset saving for a new deck.

Check the hardware

Make certain the bolts and nuts which keeps your truck attached to your deck are tight. You'll run the hazard of breaking them or even damage your shoes when they stick out a little. Also, check the nuts on your kingpin and wheels. You don't desire wheels to come flight off or your truck to autumn apart.

Clean your wheels now and and so

This may sound weird only cleaning your wheels every now and and then will prevent grit and dirt getting into your bearings. I'chiliad non talking virtually the outside of course but the inside or cadre. Have out your bearings first and get some tissues or paper town and remove the dirt. Might as well clean your bearings while you're at it.

How to prevent your skateboard from breaking

You tin preclude snapping your skateboard by landing tricks most or on tiptop of the bolts which attach your trucks. Now, this is easier said than done but there are other ways to reinforce your deck a chip. Rail are the first thing that comes to mind, it will give a little extra support but it'south not a real solution. Certain it protects your graphic but fifty-fifty with rails, you can suspension your skateboard deck.

The only matter I tin can recommend is to offset practicing tricks when you're ready. Oft decks intermission because you're not at the right level still, just you also tin can't state a trick first effort. If you break deck oft consider getting a stronger deck. Here are a couple of skateboards that are almost unbreakable, they are more expensive though. Y'all tin likewise consider ownership bare skateboard decks in majority. Blank deck are really inexpensive and often only as good equally branded decks.

Some last tips to continue your skateboard in shape

Avoid glass. If you lot ride through broken drinking glass it can get stuck into your polyurethane wheels and cause your wheels to chip. This will wear downward your wheels faster and chipped wheels make for an uncomfortable ride.
Don't footstep on your skateboard when your shoes are moisture. It will impact the durability of your grip tape, there are times when it's almost unavoidable though.
If your skateboard gets wet, brand sure you dry it equally soon every bit possible. Remove the hardware and components and allow it dry out in the sun or let it air dry in your garage. Once dried up, carefully drop it on the floor (lesser get-go). If the impact sound dampened or soft your board is waterlogged. If it sounds more articulate your fine.
Utilise spacers between your bearings, the preclude you from damaging your bearings when you tighten the nut on the beam, they too keep dirt away.
Use a skate tool, I can't recommend them enough. All the tools y'all need bachelor in one tool! Brand certain to buy a practiced i, cheap ones will break.

I'k an anile skateboarder, merely I still shred responsibly. I started skateboarding 25 years ago and I'chiliad out there whenever I can.