DIY ELECTRIC SKATEBOARD

In this project there's no code but we will cover some steps to make your own skateboard. We made this project in january-mars 2019. Since then I've been using it regularly. I never fall gravely or encenter a big malfunction. This project was originally a school project for my STEM lesson. We could choose whatever we wanted to make but we had to make at least something about STEM. That's why I decided to make an electric scooter because I also wanted something useful. After long searching on the web I found it was impossible to make it on my own, perhaps investing a minimum 700 euros. Which is impossible for me. So I decided to visit MiddleCorner and they agreed to help me. I just had to bring a skateboard and then we will figure out how we can accomplish this project. Before I continue I want to introduce you to Middle Corner because they will play a big role in this project.

MiddleCorner is THE specialist concerned with the ceiling and fixing of scooters in BELGIUM (or at least in Brussels). They are specialised in all types of electric scooters. From the little non-electric for kids to the WEPED Fold 11 and the e-twow GT. Of course they have other brands like Weeped, Minimotors/Dualtron, Kaabo, E-Twow and Micro. You might wonder what the relationship is between my electric skateboard and the middle corner shop because they actually only sell scooters. Well firstly we made the entire project in their workshop. Secondly, even if they only sell scooters they have a huge experience in building everything related to electronics and mechanics. And finally we will see that the major parts of the skateboard are directly coming from an electric scooter.

That's why I will never say it enough but I really wanna thank Middle Corner for their help and for everything they did and do. They teached me about mechanics and electronics and I was always welcome to their shop. Even the most extraordinary thing is that I didn't pay anything for the skateboard and they agreed to give and rent me a (broken) electric scooter with a battery. All that had probably a value above the 500 euros. So I say it one more time: THANK YOU for making dreams and projects reality.

I think that's the right transition to say to you something. If you're living or visiting Belgium and you're interested in buying an electric scooter, then I HIGHLY recommend you to buy it at MiddleCorner. You can visit their website by clicking HERE or visiting their facebook HERE.

My first idea was quite naive. I thought I could just take a wooden plate, add the battery, and place the front wheels (from my old skateboard) in front and find a motor to rotate the rear wheels. All the electronics and signals would be controlled with arduino. All sounds easy but the first thing I needed was a motor. And thrust me, it’s hard to find something like that with the right power, torque and speed. I rapidly came to visit sites like DIY_electric_skateboard and mboards Of course these systems work and are easy to use but I didn’t want to pay anything (I was then only 15 years old). That’s why I rapidly tried to find some help. Firstly by visiting the container park and then by asking help at MiddleCorner. And of course this was the right choice.

MiddleCorner was ready to help me. I just needed a skateboard ready to be transformed. I am not a specialist in skateboards but I know I needed a long skateboard. So I chose to buy a longboard. I went to decathlon and bought them the best length/price ratio skateboard. Then I came back to MiddleCorner. They told me that there was a broken electric scooter that we could restore and put on my skateboard… The actual problem on the skateboard was that the frame was broken at the folding height. But the electronic and battery parts were intact.

Firstly we had to remove all the parts of the skateboard without breaking any cable. Then we had to cut the deck and place a new front holder to make the deck waterproef. Next we added the skateboard deck to the scooter deck and builded a controller with the rest of the parts of the scooter and some spiral wrap. Actually our skateboard was now done. It could ride but it couldn’t recharge our illuminated lights.

To make our skateboard capable of recharging we decided to make a holl in the main deck, far away from the potential water intrusion where we placed the battery tip. Then we decided to add some light for safety. We added a frontlight (problem, it went away some months after) and sidelights by using strip leds. These are really nice but eventually the interrupter isn’t working all the time probably due to water intrusion. But when it’s working, it’s wonderful.

After some weeks of effort we finished our skateboard. It can reach 40 km/h or 25 mil/h. Which makes it quite impressive in comparison to other electric skateboards that you can find in shops. The range depends on the battery you have. We have a battery that lets us make a trip of more than 30 kilometers, which is more than enough for entertainment purposes.

Can you build your own skateboard ? Yes it’s possible. Certainly if you have the same luck as me to meet other gays like MiddleCorner and to dispose of a broken scooter. Otherwise I think you should’n make an electric skateboard because :

• Buying a kit to make his own skateboard is quite expensive...
• An electric skateboard is less manoeuvrable as an electric scooter.
• Wheels of a skateboard are so tiny that you need to be careful wherever you go to not flip forward because the wheels got stuck in some holes on the street.
• Falling is inevitable, that’s why a helmet, and some knee/elbow pads are highly recommended.
These are the principal reasons why I don’t recommend building and using an electric skateboard as your daily mode of transport but more as an entertainment purpose in a park or on cycle paths. If you want an alternative for daily use, I recommend building or buying an electric scooter which is more adapted for this purpose.