Recently, Beau Trifiro of Open Source Skateboards and a friend of Roarockit, released Nanodek, a fingerboard kit that is meant to empower creativity through skateboarding. You can learn more about Beau in our recent Builder Profile article.
I love to build things, (you can check out some of my work at @taryndesign on Instagram), so when I had the opportunity to try out the Nanodek kit I was super excited! To make the process even more fun, I decided to build my Nanodek to replicate one of the handmade skateboards I built using the Roarockit Street Deck Double Kit. It turned out great and I love having a mini board to match its full sized companion.
I decided to hand-paint both my Nanodek and my Roarockit board, but the good thing about building a skateboard or a fingerboard is that you don’t have to have any artistic ability to create something cool. You can create your graphics using paint, Sharpies, or even coloured pencils. On my full sized skateboard, I followed the natural wood grain of the maple veneers to create an interesting organic pattern, and then I duplicated that on my Nanodek. I also did a custom grip tape cut out on both boards for a fun design on the top of the board too.
Image from nanodek.com
The Nanodek kit comes with everything you need to make one complete fingerboard, along with a second deck. It also comes with a plastic rail to glue onto the box everything comes in, creating a mini skate-park that you can use to practice your fingerboard tricks.
Like the Roarockit Teacher’s and Virtual Kits, the Nanodek is another great option for hands-on learning at a small scale! This project works great for remote or homeschool learning as there are no special tools needed.
Watch the whole build process at 6x speed in the video below.
While the Nanodek kit does not use the Roarockit one-sided mold process, the two part mini foam mold is a great easy way to make a custom fingerboard from paper as the material can be easily bent.
The Nanodek is also a great example of the strength that comes from that lamination process. Who would have thought that the combination of paper and craft glue could create such a strong fingerboard. It just goes to show how so many materials can do much more than their intended purpose.
I hope my Nanodek build will inspire you to create your own mini replica of your favourite handmade Roarockit board!
Taryn O'Grady,
Roarockit Skateboard Company