An electric skateboard is one of the best means of transport. It is the same as a usual skateboard, but instead of manually pushing the board forward, a built-in motor drives the board. Normally, a hand-held remote system is used to control the skateboard speed, or the rider shifts his body weight between the front and back of the board for speed or brake.

Electric skateboards are costly, and there is no doubt about that. The quality of the building parts determines the price of the board. But that doesn’t mean there is no option for budget users. You may find many good quality cheap e-skateboards in the market, but they cost more than $100. Therefore, building one is the best option for low-budget skaters. It not only helps you save money but also allows you to customize the skateboard in terms of looks, performance, and range.

In this guide, you will know how you can build an electric skateboard for just $35. Sounds interesting; let’s get into it.

Table of Contents

Making of a Cheap Electric Skateboard

Basic Skateboard Components

Mechanical and Electronic Skateboard Components

Before doing anything, you must know about the parts of an e-board and the materials you will need to make your first electric skateboard.

Basic components of an e-skateboard include deck, trucks, wheels, bearings, grip tape, nuts, and bolts. The motor is the mechanical part, whereas the battery, electronic speed controller (ESC), and remote control are the electronic components.

Basic Skateboard Components​​​​​​​

Deck First of all, you need to make a deck. It is the first and the most important part of the skateboard. Without it, you can’t stand and ride your board. Longboard decks are better than skateboard decks as they provide more stability. But it is up to you to select any particular deck size. The cheapest deck material is plastic, but you can also use plywood.

To make a deck, you will need 6 to 9 layers of plywood. Your body weight will help you determine how many plies of plywood will need for a deck. The size of your shoe will help you find the deck width and your body size allows you to know the board length.

Take each sheet of wood and apply glue to it. Make sure all the wooden plies are arranged in a proper manner. The best layer of wood will be the face sheet. Evenly spread the glue to properly attach all the layers. Now, it is time to mold, press, and vacuum the plywood sheets to get the desired shape. You can either use a Styrofoam mold or one made of wood. The nose and tail of the board, along with its concave, are determined by this mold. The more time you keep the wooden layers in the mold, the better it will be.

After getting your pressed wood, draw the shape of an old skateboard on it. Proper board cutting is very much dependent on the proper outline of the deck. So, tracing the design on wood must be done with proper care. Now, cut your board by using a jigsaw to give it a required shape and then make its edges round and smooth.

Trucks

Trucks are responsible for holding the wheels in place. They transfer the bodyweight of a person from the deck to the bearings and wheels. Also, they allow your skateboard to turn.

You will need two trucks to attach to the deck of your e-board. For this, you must have a drill machine to properly make holes on the board. If you have an old board with you, you can use it to mark the right spots for drilling the holes for your trucks. You will need to drill eight holes to attach the trucks to your skateboard. The trucks should be installed at the center of each end.

Cheap trucks are widely available in the market and are of good quality as well.

Wheels

After fixing the trucks on your deck, it is time to install the wheels. Longboards need bigger wheels, whereas smaller wheels are used for skateboard decks. The deck size will help you determine the size of your wheels. Therefore, always buy wheels after making the deck. Also, when buying, check their hardness.

Now, you have your wheels, and it is time to install them. You will need wheel bearings, nuts, bolts, and washers to install the wheels. Make sure you have a skate tool to tighten the axle nuts that will hold your wheels.

As you are going to make a cheap electric skateboard for just $35, you have to invest in cheaper wheels. You may find many cheap skateboard wheels in the market that can last for six months.

Grip Tape

Now you have a skateboard deck with trucks and wheels attached to it. So, you can easily apply grip tape on your deck, which is used for traction.

The motor is the mechanical part of an electric skateboard. It helps you drive the skateboard and control your ride. Picking up the right motor is very important, but it is a bit confusing because of the different sizes and brands. Commonly, two types of motors are used in electric skateboards. One is the belt-driven motor, and the other one is the hub motor.

You can either place the motor inside the wheels of your e-board or next to the axle. Hub motors are installed directly inside the skateboard wheels. These motors don’t involve a belt, so they make less noise as compared to belt-driven motors. They are lighter, offer top speed, and need less maintenance, but store more heat and are less water-resistant.

On the other hand, belt motors are attached externally to the trucks via a bracket. A rubber belt is there that connects both the gears attached to the motor shaft and the running wheel. With a belt-driven motor, you get extra wheel options, higher torque, and better heat dissipation, but it is loud and needs more maintenance.

Hub motor is cheaper than a belt motor, so it is suggested to use it for making a cheap electric skateboard.

To power the motor of an electric skateboard, a battery is required. It is also one of the most important parts of an e-board as it affects the charging time, the speed of your skateboard, and its range. You can install your battery pack underneath the deck inside an enclosure.

Commonly, two types of batteries are used for electric skateboards. One is the lithium-ion battery and the second one is the lithium polymer battery.

Lithium polymer battery is cheaper as compared to the lithium-ion battery, so you must select LiPo batteries for your skateboard.

Adding as many cells as you want for a battery pack boosts the battery power, but you must select the electronic speed controller (ESC) in accordance with the power of your battery.

Before selecting a battery, you must consider its voltage, capacity, and discharge rate. Also, the series and parallel configuration of the batteries must be considered.

A 6S4P battery pack has 6 cells in series and 4 in parallel. This battery pack will help you achieve 15 to 20 mph speed with 15 to 20 miles of range. This speed and range are perfect for those who don’t want a speedy skateboard and don’t need a higher range.

Also, it will cost you less than buying a 10S4P and a 12S4P battery pack.

More cells in series mean you will get more speed and power, whereas more cells in parallel give you a longer range.

This special type of controller is considered the brain of an e-board. It helps you control your ride by directing the motor how hard to push or brake. It is controlled by a remote control system that allows you to operate your ride.

An electronic speed controller is attached to the motor, battery, and Bluetooth receiver. A Bluetooth receiver sends information to the electronic speed controller, allowing the battery to pass the exact amount of energy to the motor to begin the ride.

Note: Always buy an ESC by checking the battery power or buy an ESC and then choose the battery accordingly.

Building an enclosure is very important for keeping the electronic components of your skateboard safe. It must be installed under the deck. The electronic speed controller, the battery, and the motor are all sensitive components and need to be protected from external factors like water and dust.

Before building or buying an enclosure, make sure you are selecting the right material for it. Metal enclosures are best as they are sturdy and provide great protection to the skateboard’s electronic parts.

Also, the size of the enclosure must be good enough to accommodate the battery, ESC, and motor.

Read More: How to Make a Cheap Electric Skateboard for $35?

Making a cheap electric skateboard is easy but needs patience and proper knowledge of every component. Also, you must know from where you will find cheap components to build an inexpensive e-board.

An old skateboard of you will help a lot during the building process of your e-skateboard. Therefore, if you don’t have an old board, borrow it from any of your friends to make the building process a lot easier.

Also, selecting the right electronic components is essential as they are the backbone of your electric board.