I am going to try to make some videos of the skateboard making process this summer. Here is one featuring me removing 2 new skateboard decks from my press.

New Years in...

Well its that time again, a new year. 2007 was a long, sad year for me. I lost some people I knew. I am looking forward to this new year.

If you are from Reno, you probably know about Sheas Tavern. It's a safe bet that you will see something fun happen there on the last party of each year.

Courtney and Alexis wish you a happy healthy new year...
After a long night, my friend Matt suggested the best way to deal with a hangover was to make a skateboard. So here is a slide show of finishing the first deck of 2008:

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v327/skinnyinreno/?action=view&current=359043f5.pbw

The next thing to do was go skating. I wasn't feeling it due to the condition of my liver. So I took a couple of pictures. I am still learning about my camera and things like shutter speed. So the next batch should be better...

Jamie Linker is gnarlyI have to get a better shot of Matt. He really makes skating with him fun, next time I'll get something...Sam was laying it down...The first baby born in 2008, in the Washoe county area...Roxanna Maria Aguilar just missed the fireworks in downtown Reno that rung in 2008, but her arrival still came as a bit of a surprise.
Roxanna arrived at 1:06 a.m. at Saint Mary’s Regional Medical Center, the first baby of the New Year in the Truckee Meadows, and the first baby in Saint Mary’s 100th year of operation. She was 19.5 inches long and weighed 7 pounds, 8 ounces.“It was a surprise,” said her mother, Silvia Ramirez-Torres, 31, a supervisor and trainer in the housekeeping department at John Ascuaga’s Nugget. “I came in at 3 (p.m. on Dec. 31) and they sent me home. I came back at 9 (p.m.) and she was born at 1 (a.m.).”It’s the second child for Ramirez-Torres, who also has a 14-year-old son, Carlos. She said Roxanna was the answer to a longtime prayer.“I always wanted a girl,” she said. “I knew it was going to be a girl (from the ultrasounds), but you’re never completely sure until you hear them say, 'It’s a girl,’” she said with a smile.Baby Roxana was catching up on her sleep as several news outlets interviewed her mother Tuesday morning. She was wrapped tightly in a baby blanket and nestled in her mother’s arms.Her mother said she simply wants her daughter to have a happy life.“I just want her to be a good girl and go to college and all that,” Silvia said. “I want to her to be whatever she wants to be.”Saint Mary’s, meanwhile, plans to present Baby Roxana and her mother with a gift basket and a $100 savings bond in recognition of the hospital’s 100th year.

2007 in review

Here are some things from 2007, look for more in 2008! 2008 should lead to more and better stuff.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas everyone.
I hope you got what you wanted, and that your loved ones are safe and happy. My family was not together today, but I know they are all doing well.
In a couple of days I'll be one year older. Lets hope its a good year.

Maple Veneer

Maple veneer is the preferred material for skateboard laminates. It is made from a specific type of Maple called "Hard Maple" it is also referred to as "Burl Maple", "Birdseye Maple", and sometimes "Hard rock Maple". This Maple is found in the cold areas of the United States Great Lakes and in Canada. It is a dense wood with its own unique properties. When laminted properly it can produce a skateboard that is extremely durable, and lightweight.

The Maple logs become veneer through a process called rotary peeling. The log is peeled with a large blade into long sheets of thin maple "veneer".

The newley peeled veneer is then graded for knots and imperfections and marked as one of two grades, grade A face ( free of blemishes) and grade B core ( some imperfections such as knots, and color variations.).

The veneer is now off to be sized, cut for crossbands, dyed, and finally Kiln dried.