Concrete Wave I

You may have already seen this, but the Rockit Talk community blog has made it to the pages of Concrete Wave magazine! From digital to print in just over a year, we are extremely proud to share your stories on the pages of this incredible magazine. 

The Spring 2013, Vol.11 No.5 issue is the first to feature the Rockit Talk column. In case you missed it, or don't get Concrete Wave in your area (what the !$@#?), you can check out the two page spread below. 

Our goal is to help bring exposure to the independent board building community and all the amazing DIY innovation that comes from them. From builder profiles to events, and even a section of board building tips & tricks, we look forward to helping grow the community through this new medium.

 

 If you would like to be featured in an upcoming Rockit Talk post, please email submissions or ideas to chris@roarockit.com

Summer of the Build

To kick off the beginning of the Summer Season, we have been working hard to bring builders around the world some exciting new promotions! These products are meant for builders who want to get an introduction to making their first custom skateboards, as well as advanced builders who may want to step up their production over the summer months.

Introducing, the Summer of the Build!

Click for full sized image

These promotional products will be available to order online until September 2nd, 2013.

Here's a look at each product in more detail:

Order a 20x70 TAP Kit with FREE shipping here

We want people building boards using our Thin Air Press vacuum bag system. To help encourage builders to give it a try (or to add another bag to their shop), we are offering the 20" x 70" TAP Kit with free shipping within Canada and USA. The 20" x 70" bag is the most appropriate sized bag for building custom boards using uncut sheets of veneer. 

Click to order the TAP Bag Production Bundle with FREE shipping

The TAP Bag Production Bundle is a great way to set yourself up with a small army of Thin Air Press vacuum bags at an affordable price. For $249.99 we will pack a box with everything needed to operate three of our 20" x 70" TAP bags. Including a manual hand pump, breather netting for all three bags and a 50' roll of replacement sealing tape! That's over $40 in saving from ordering these products individually, and we are also offering free shipping on this product to customers in the USA and Canada. 

Click here to get your 7 Decks x 8 Layer veneer pack with a FREE TAP Kit!

One of our most popular promotions from years past was the 7 Decks x 8 Layers Longboard Veneer with a FREE TAP Kit... well, it's back!! This is perfect for anyone who wants to make eight layer decks using our Thin Air Press Kit. Even if you make decks with less than eight layers, this is a whole whack load of veneer for a very good price ($3.93/sheet) + a FREE TAP Kit valued at $100!

And last, but not least....

For more info on ordering a Summer Sampler, click the photo above

Last year we introduced the Summer Sampler promotion and it was a real hit with our builders. We got a lot of positive feedback about being able to mix, match and test the Maple and Birch veneers. So this year we wanted to sweetin the pot a little bit, and added a few extra goodies and options. Not only will you get nine layers each of our Maple and Birch 1/16" Longboard veneers, a 20" x 70" TAP Kit and a 2" thick slab of high density foam - but we have also added in a small hand tool that works great for shaping your foam mold.

You will also get your choice of either the NEW RockitRuler 2.0 (now with New School AND Old School truck holes) or a Roarockit branded shop apron. The shop apron is made from a heavy duty black fabric, and is covered in the same vinyl that our vacuum bags are made from... this means that glue won't stick to it and/or your favourite t-shirt! 

Also, just for fun, we are going to throw in a bundle of (5) random skateboard stickers, an issue of Concrete Wave magazine... OH, and FREE shipping to customers in the USA and Canada!!

*unfotunately we cannot offer free shipping to US customers in Hawaii and Alaska  

PHEW! Now that we've laid it all out there for you, if you have any other questions about these products or promotions, feel free to email  or call us toll free @ 1-888-857-7790. We hope that everyone has a great summer of building boards and we would love to see some of what you come up with!

Remember: It's easy to break the mold, when you make the mold :) 

Oasis Grad 2013

Friday, June 14 - Students, teachers, friends and family gathered at Roarockit's teaching facility to celebrate the successful completion of the Oasis Skateboard Factory's 4th year. The innovative program uses skateboard and street art design to re-engage students and help them graduate by earning high school credits. 

The Oasis Skateboard Factory (OSF) has taken our Thin Air Press technology to places we could have never imagined, and we are always so honoured to host their year end graduation party! 

Here's a few photos from this years event:

Students show up early to set up for the evening's festivitiesStudent made skateboards and t-shirts line the walls of RoarockitRoarockit owners Norah and Ted (in Hawaii), were there in spirit..and cardboard cutout form!Rob from Bombora Boards lends a hand rolling the delicious artisan antojitosStudents cheer on their classmates as they receive awards and prizes for their accomplishments.

Everyone was so proud of this student, who received her high school diploma this year!

We want to thank everyone who helped make this year such a success. Craig and Lauren, the incredible teachers who take the time to make this program happen. The members of the Oasis Alternative Secondary School, Toronto District School Board and community council who have supported the OSF for the past four years. The creative and passionate OSF students, both past and present... and the small team here at Roarockit - Norah, Ted, Chris, Marcel, Matt, Alice and Rob - Yaaa, we did a pretty good job too :) haha

Now, time to prepare for next semester's orientation!

ROCKITRULER 2.0

The RockitRuler has helped board builders around the world to accurately layout the centerline and mark their Old School truck holes square to each other. Just over a year after introducing the innovative RockitRuler, the Roarockit Skateboard Company is now proud to announce the new RockitRuler 2.0.

We have gotten a lot of great feedback on the original design, and the tool has basically stayed the same except for one small detail... we have added two new holes! New School truck holes to be exact.

The addition of the extra holes will allow builders to mark the placement of their New School trucks. This option will help when designing custom street decks with the smaller baseplate, or for anyone who wants to drill the full six hole configuration.

It's a small change, but something we took into consideration from builders feedback. Everything else has stayed the same, including the holes for spacing your Old School trucks that run along the length of the tool. Basically, if you want to layout for New School, you will have to flip the RockitRuler and use the new holes on the one end. We have updated the instructions on the tool to reflect this change.

The RockitRuler 2.0 will be available for the same price of $34.99

OR

Feel free to email or call us with any questions you may have.  

If you have not seen the RockitRuler in action, check out our original instructional video below:

How To Fix A Warped Board

For riders and builders alike, having a warped deck can be very frustrating. Skateboards (like any piece of wood) can warp over time as the fibres in wood expand and contract with seasonal/temperature changes. Decks can also be affected by moisture and inconsistencies in the glue between layers.

When you are not using your board, keep it stored in a controlled environment whenever possible. Try not to leave your board for extended periods of time in places that can be subject to extreme heat or cold, like your garage or the trunk of your car - and always keep your board dry! This will help control the moisture content of the wood and prevent unnecessary expansion and contraction of the veneers.

Now, we know that's not always possible... sometimes you just gotta take your board out in the rain and get your greezy slides on, or throw it in a jammed trunk for a long road trip. Either way, if you find yourself with a warped deck, we've got a relatively easy DIY solution to try and fix it.

TOOLS & MATERIALS NEEDED:

• at least (2) clamps
• heat gun or hairdryer
• solid length of material (to be used as a lever)
• weighted object (e.g. Gallon of glue, brick, etc.)

STEP 1: Determine where the warping in your board starts. Sometimes this can be tricky as warps are always different. It may start at the nose and gradually run all the way to the tail, or there may be two entirely different warps happening over the length of the board. You may need to try it a few times, but with a little practice you will start to recognize how to correct different bends in your board.

STEP 2: Warm the affected areas with the heat gun for about 5-10 minutes. What this does is 'reactivates' the glue in between your layers of veneer, and allow you to bend the board back straight when the glue sets. There may be multiple areas that need bending, but it is a good idea to focus on one at a time.  

STEP 3: Clamp one end of your deck to a solid surface like a table, and clamp a length of wood (or other solid length of material) to the overhanging portion of your deck. You will than place the weighted object onto the extended length of wood to act as a cantilever to bend your board back straight. 

*Note* This is the part that will really take some practice. There are many different combinations of where to clamp the board, and where to place the weight that can affect how your board bends. Some bends may require more weight to counteract the warping, and the type of wood, length of your board and type of glue used by the manufacturer may affect the results as well.

Once your board looks like it is in a stable and straight position, leave it clamped and weighted for at least a few hours to let the glue reset. When you are ready to check on your board, make note of where the clamps and weight were positioned in case you need to tweak the setup and try again. 

Using this method will give you a basic understanding of how to counteract the warping effect. It's cheap, simple and can be very effective. It may not work perfectly everytime, but if you can save even just one board being chopped from rotation...isn't it worth it?!