March 29, 2013

PocketBoard v2: Metal Edition

Unfortunately, PocketBoard's pretty oak deck did not last for very long.  Repeatedly getting wet and drying out expanded some cracks already present in the wood, and eventually the deck split down its entire length.  Because the board was so useful (it noticeably increased my free-food acquisition rate), I quickly made a new deck out of the most readily available material:  carbon fiber aluminum.

The top of the deck was cut out of the side panel of an old PowerMac G5 case on a bandsaw.  Originally, I planned to have the Apple logo on the top of the deck, but Julian pointed out that the disassembly guide on the opposite side of the panel was much more interesting.


The 1/8" thick deck proved to be too flexible to use on its own, so I made an under-frame out of some 1/4" plate.  The outside profile was cut again on the bandsaw, while the cutout in the middle was made by hand interpolating (think etch-a-sketch) the curves on a manual mill and filing them smooth.


7 comments:

  1. Make a pair, add boots, and you have rollerskates..

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  2. Dude, what are you studying at MIT?

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  3. Cool, that explains all the drilling, milling, welding, forging and stuff. Freshman?

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  4. Ok, best of luck and IHTFP! :) Ps. I wonder, do you hate taking freshman physics, help tutor freshman physics, or just hate that f**king place?

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