Hanging Skateboard Light

This is a great little idea that was brought to my attention a few months back. As a Skater for ten years + in my younger years I just had to have my very own Skateboard Light. So this is my instructable for a Hanging Skateboard Light. Have fun!

For this build you will need....

1. One Skateboard Deck.
2. Suitable light units.
3. Light Bulbs.
4. Drill
5. Drill bits
6. Flat Twin & Earth wire
7. Cable Clips
8. Chocolate Block
9. Hanging hooks and wire
10. A couple of screwdrivers and screws

Get these few bits in order and you're ready to go!

First thing to do is get your deck ready. I chose to buy a new one so in the future I can convince the wife to let me hang it in the house. Whether old or new though this will still work the same. So yeah get the drill and drill bits and drill two holes at either ends where the truck bolts would go. These holes are for your cable to go through. Dress up any rough edges.

Next step is to wire up the light units. Please take care when doing this. Don't leave any connectors loose and make sure there are no exposed wires. I'd recommend having a competent person do this for you if you are unsure. Once the wires are in place you need to secure the light units to the deck. A couple of screws will do the job nicely. Just take care to avoid going through wires and too far through the deck.

Oh forgot to mention...The light units I used were modified outdoor spot lights. You can pick them up from most places and certain online auction websites lol.

So your lights are wired up and the units are fixed to the deck. Great work so far. Now connect the two light units up using the chocolate block. Wire these in a parallel circuit. Once connected use the cable clips to secure the wiring to the deck. The wiring is now done and is ready to be connected to the mains.

Before wiring up to the mains you should add the hanging hooks and cable. I've just used string in the pictures as its only being hung temporarily in the garage for the time being.

Hooks in place its time to hang it and wire it into the mains. Again a competent person should do this with a good understanding of electrics. Always isolate the supply and test that it is isolated before disconnecting wires.

So the Skateboard light is now hanging its time to fit the wheels! I used LED energy efficient bulbs for the wheels. This was mainly due to the fact that LEDs don't emit as much heat as a standard tungsten bulb which I was worried about with it being plastic light units. Its also better for the planet!!

That's it, you're almost done. Just stand back and switch it on. If all has gone to plan your Skateboard should now light up and illuminate the surrounding area. If it doesn't then maybe that competent person I mentioned isn't quite as competent as they may think!

I had fun making this and to be honest the hardest part for me was sacrificing a brand new deck. But I'm glad I did, and who knows in the future I may be allowed to hang it in the house. Fingers crossed!

Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy making your own...