DIY Electric Skateboard MK2
by PracticalProjects in Workshop > Electric Vehicles
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DIY Electric Skateboard MK2
Hello,
I built my first electric skateboard around 4 years ago using a single Turnigy SK3 motor and lithium polymer batteries. It had plenty of power and was a successful project, however it was quite twitchy on the throttle which resulted in me having a small crash on it...
My goal for this iteration was to make a board that was more easy to use, had smoother power delivery and had dual motors to reduce the stress on individual motors when going up hills. As before I wanted to keep the costs down also, so the parts I have selected are of a good standard but are available at reasonable prices.
So, here are the parts I used:
Drive SystemDiyEboard/Flipsky Dual Drive Motor Kit www.banggood.com/custlink/GDD3kjyOGq
Battery - Diy Eboard 10s2p Battery Pack http://www.diyeboard.com/10s2p-samsung-18650-lith... you can go higher spec and quality than this if you wish, for me the battery has held up ok and it is one of the cheapest out there.
ESCFlipsky Dual VESC www.banggood.com/custlink/mvDDmU7V4u based on the VESC project by Benjamin Vedder. The VESC is the way to go now for DIY boards as it is extremely versatile, easy to configure and provides excellent acceleration and braking characteristics.
Flipsky AntiSpark Switch www.banggood.com/custlink/vK333quPeo this is important when dealing with these battery packs but it also provides a convenient on off switch for you board.
Remote ControlAlien Power System 2.4 Ghz https://alienpowersystem.com/shop/radio-transmitt... I'm a big fan of these controllers, very reliable and look quite nice in my opinion.
You will also need some the corresponding bullet and xt60/90 connectors to your battery pack and motor connections.
Tools you will need:
battery drill - for mounting your enclosure to the deck
Screwdrivers/hex keys - for whatever screws you use
Soldering iron and solder - for the esc xt60 connections
Electronics Enclosure
I designed my own electronics enclosure for this project which perfectly accommodates my chosen components whilst occupying minimal space under the board. The design was SLS 3D printed in nylon for excellent toughness and durability. You can of course make any enclosure you wish, some people even simply use a food storage box. However if you would like to go with my design then the STL file is available for download on my website here: https://practicalprojects.weebly.com/store/p6/DIY_Electric_Skateboard_Electronics_Enclosure_STL_FILE.html
Please note you will require a 3d printer with a build area of 300x300mm or greater.
Then, use the enclosure to mark out the 6 holes, or if you are making your own enclosure then mark out the points where you wish to mount it. A clean way of attaching an enclosure to the desk is by using wood inserts such as these : https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/THREADED-WOOD-INSERT-N...
They will provide a secure and reusable connection to your board. Drill the 6 holes corresponding to the inserts specified drill size taking care not to drill through all the way! you may have to trim the insert nuts slightly depending on the thickness of your board. Use a stopper on your drill to ensure you don't drill through. Then screw the inserts in and you're good to go!
Assembly
A ready built truck kit makes the assembly of this board very straight forward and self explanatory. All that is required is a bit of soldering of the XT60 and bullet connectors onto the ESC and anti spark switch and then just connect everything together as per the wiring diagram Flipsky provided here : https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0011/4039/1996/...
Once you have everything connected, I would recommend fixing everything to the board itself. In my build I have used some steel banding screwed into the deck to secure the battery, and have fixed the remaining components using double sided foam tape.
Try to keep everything neat and compact as I have done to minimise the occupied space. The components I have listed should fit perfectly into my enclosure design.
Once everything is in position, screw down the enclosure into the inserts using the m4 screws.
VESC Programming
you will need to configure your VESC to your setup before use. Here is a comprehensive tutorial that Flipsky provided for their VESC's.
Testing
Once you've done that, bolt down your enclosure and you should be ready to take it for a spin. Turn the remote on first before powering up the board. The remote should then pair and you should have throttle. Check that the throttle and brake responds before you get on! Always wear a helmet.
If you have any questions then the best place to ask me is in the comments section of my Youtube videos, I'll try and get back to you as soon as I can.
Please also consider supporting my work by subscribing to my channel or by using the affiliate links in this instructable and on my website. It costs you no extra and will just help me continue to make these videos. www.youtube.com/practicalprojects
Thanks for viewing and enjoy.