1 of 2
3DPRINTUK/ Design by Sam Abbott
3DPRINTUK'S Skateboard
Nick Allen hold's aloft the Skateboard that was part 3D printed on an EOS machine.
2 of 2
Sam Abbott's 3D Printed Skateboard by 3DPRINTUK
Until now, the customisation of skateboards has in the main been limited to Rage Against The Machine stickers and graffiti. Personally I had a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles board but I wasn't much of a skater, preferring to lie on it and get pushed down a hill. Could 3D printing lead to the production of truly individual decks? Maybe....
Last month we brought you news of the winners of a CGTrader 3D printing competition won by Chee Fong and Sam Abbott. One of the prizes for the winner was to have their artistic designs printed by Nick Allen’s 3DPRINTUK. 3DPRINTUK have now released a video of the production of Sam Abbott’s design; a skateboard or more accurately a skateboard deck.
Sam’s unusual design was quite a challenge for the guys at 3DPRINTUK, the design was bigger than the build area of their EOS SLS machine. We were lucky enough to pay a visit to 3DPRINTUK HQ some time ago and if there is one thing they love it is a challenge.
The team, which includes Luma3DPrint’s Mark Little, chopped the design into three segments and ensured that interlocking connectors were as strong as possible. They printed Sam’s three part’s out, applied grip tape, trucks, wheels and bearings to make a fantastic looking part-3D printed skateboard.
In the video Nick is seen riding the board down the corridor of 3DPRINTUK HQ (weren’t you in an accident not that long ago Nick?), however although it is rideable, Nick Allen and team are quick to state that they wouldn’t fancy grinding any rails on it. See this as more of an art piece than a finished product.
Nick Allen is a very vocal man on the 3D printing hype culture and he will be voicing those opinions at TCT Show + Personalize this year. Register Here.
