BAMBOO

Since introducing our 1/16” Solid Birch veneers just over a year ago, builders have been having great success experimenting with different combinations of Birch and Maple layers. The ability to fine-tune the feel and ride of a board by using different materials in the decks construction, is something that board builders are always looking for.

That being said, Roarockit has been working to source another high quality material to offer along with our 1/16” Maple and Birch veneers. We are excited to announce, that we will now be offering a very special 1/16” Bamboo material.

So let's get to it!

Why Bamboo?

Bamboo is used in the construction of many different styles, shapes and sizes of board. It is often used for its flexible properties, but it also has a look to it that is very unique and can be used simply as a decorative face (exterior) sheet on a deck. Bamboo is regarded as a 'green' building material because it is one of the most versatile and fastest growing plants in the world.

 

Why our Bamboo?

We looked at a bunch of different options for the type of Bamboo we thought builders would enjoy working with most. With samples in hand, and feedback by some of our most trusted and experienced board builders, we were able to decide on a 1/16” non-carbonized, solid veneer product.

Most of the bamboo available from other sources is a plywood product (not unlike Baltic Birch) and even in the 1/16” thickness, is made up of multiple pre-glued layers that in our tests broke down after constant flexing. We wanted to find something that would be strong, easily bendable and adhere to most locally available, waterproof glues.

There was also the option of getting carbonized or non-carbonized (natural) bamboo. We chose to go with the natural bamboo for a variety of reasons, the most important being that it is a stronger, denser material. Carbonized bamboo products are used mainly for aesthetic reasons, and for board building we thought that strength of the material was more important.

Here's some great insight as to the pros and cons of carbonized vs natural bamboo from doityourself.com. The article's focus is on bamboo as a flooring product, but the same rules apply.

Bamboo Properties 

• Flexible
• Strong
• Stable (no warping)
• 1/16” thick (veneer, not plywood)
• Non-carbonized (lighter shade and stronger material) *carbon process softens material and is more expensive
• Works well with Titebond III adhesive and Epoxy
• Presses easily in the Thin Air Press Vacuum Bag

Material Dimensions 

• 10.5” x 46” x 1/16”

How to Purchase? 

We have tested multiple different ways of packaging and protecting the bamboo veneer for shipping. Due to the somewhat fragile nature of the product (it has a tendency to split along the lengthwise gluelines) we have found that it is best packaged in a minimum group of 10 sheets. We are also going to offer single sheets of bamboo, but it is only meant to be ordered along with other larger veneer packs so that we can bundle them all together in the same box to increase stiffness. 

Here are the three options we have prepared for ordering from our website:

10 Pack Bamboo20 Pack BambooSingle Sheet 

 Also, for a limited time we are going to offer a special Pro-Builder Kit that will include (4) FREE sheets of Bamboo along with the (18) sheets of Maple veneer in the bundle. The Pro-Builder Kit also comes with a 2" thick sheet of our high density foam, and a 20x70 TAP Kit for laminating your decks!

Click for ProBuilder Kit with FREE Bamboo!!

The team at Roarockit is very excited to see what builders are able to do with this new veneer layer option. We have been playing around with different combinations of Bamboo, Maple and Birch, and plan to post some of the boards and experiences in the near future :) 

Monga Boards

Straight Outta Sweden, some crazy board builders named MONGA!!

One of the best parts of Roarockit's Thin Air Press technology, is giving people the oppourtunity to start building their own high-quality custom boards, and seeing it grow into something bigger.  These three young builders, based in Stockholm, have been impressing us with their custom designs, craftsmanship and enthusiasm towards growing their own company.

Building their own longboard started as a high school project, and after a lot of positive response (and graduating) builders William, Karl and Rikard have continued to build on their success with Monga Boards.

The small team at Monga explain in their own words, the process involved in the creation of Monga Boards: 

“We had no knowledge at all and we just experimented our way forward. The first board we made actually got some really nice comments from our friends. They were surprised that we actually managed to make a longboard that was rideable! But when we take a look at the board today, we understand that we had no clue what we were doing, and that board we built was absolutely NOT rideable haha! 

We started to look on the Internet on how other people pressed their boards, and after some research, decided to make a 'rib press'. Well, even then we didn’t think much about how to do it, and just experimented our way forward. It took us 4 rib presses to finally make a decent board that we could present.

Even then, we still wanted to make better boards and the process with the rib press was taking too long and we hated it. Just working with it made us angry! But one day, William was looking on Facebook and saw another board company in Sweden that uploaded a picture of something called a 'vacuum bag'. 

I had no idea what it was or how it worked so I googled around and luckily found Roarockit's homepage with the great TAP bags! At this time we only had a few weeks left on the project and we were behind schedule. But when our first TAP bag arrived we managed to create an awesome pintail with the veneers provided and we really thought that this was going to change the whole project for us. A new way to press using foam and a vacuum bag, which took up no storage space at all and was easy to work with. We were really stoked! 

As we were giving the presentation at school in front of our class and teacher, we got even better feedback and everyone was wondering how we managed to do the boards so well! It must have been around that time that we decided “let’s do this after the project as well!” 

We graduated and all went our separate ways, but as everyone got back from their vacation we had a very short meeting and decided to do this. So we ordered another TAP bag, but this time the bigger version. And we love it. 

This project has given us so much experience, not just in how to make a longboard, but in how to plan something as well. Always keep your patience and really think something through before executing it. But that’s not all, we are really tight friends now and we wouldn’t know each other like we do today if we wouldn’t have started building boards 2 summers ago and getting the top grade on our project. 

Thank you all at Roarockit who made this possible and for your excellent service and quick deliveries despite that we live so far away from you!"

No, thank YOU!! Hearing a story like this, inspires us to continually get better in an attempt to grow with, and meet the needs of the independent builder like yourself.  

You can find out more about Monga Boards by visiting their Facebook page @ https://www.facebook.com/MongaBoards

Brand New BIRCH Veneers Pt.3

Conclusion

From a board builder and riders perspective, we are quite pleased with the results of the 1/16” Solid Birch veneers. We found them very easy to work with, and the results were a nice contrast to our standard Maple veneers. Both are very strong/durable, and access to both now allows builders to further customize their rides. There is also the possibility of combining both materials on the same board to help create a unique weight and flex. The fact that Roarockit offers both at the same price allows builders to mix and match material with ease (contact us directly to order your own customized mix of veneers) .

Compared to other common board building materials on the market, our Birch veneers compare nicely to the popular bamboo/foam core alternatives. Especially for 'dancers' and boards meant to have a substantial amount of flex.

The durable, flexible and lightweight properties of the Birch are what lead us to making the Bamboo comparison in particular. It is also worth noting - for our North American builders who import bamboo from overseas, the fact that we have found a local source for our Birch veneers, helps reduce our carbon footprint and keeps cost down for everyone.

Through our research and testing, we concluded that the 1/16” Solid Birch was the most dynamic new material that wasn't readily available to board builders. It is no secret that the Birch Plywood found in most local lumber and hardware stores is not an ideal building material for skateboards. However, we chose to test this material because it is often used by beginners due to it's widespread availability.

Roarockit welcomes anyone who has tried our new Solid Birch veneers to send us their feedback and experiences working with the material. Also, if anyone feels like further breaking down the science behind some of our findings, any and all data or suggestions would be greatly appreciated... We may look great in our lab coats – but in reality, are much better skaters/woodworkers than we are scientists!

We would like to thank you all for your continued support of the Roarockit Skateboard Company. It brings us great joy when we see our hard work and dedication to classrooms/independent builders, pay off with positive comments and success stories from around the world.

Happy building!

Brand New BIRCH Veneers Pt.1

Here at the RockitLabs HQ, we have been working to find the next great material for our board builders around the world. After carefully weighing the pros and cons of various different materials, we came to the conclusion that one in particular really stood out... the choice was clear.

The Roarockit Skateboard Company is now fully stocked, and proud to offer our brand new - 1/16” Solid Birch Veneers! This locally sourced wood is strong, flexible and looks amazing!

There are over 40 species of Birch trees grown around the world, many of which are exclusive to North America. Birch trees can thrive in many different climates, which helps make it ones of the world's most popular building materials. The grain on birch is generally very straight and contains numerous small pores. The fine, straight nature of the grain makes it easy to cut, sand and accepts stain very well. You can stain Birch to match many different wood types.

When it comes to the strength of Birch as a material, it is considered to be one of the hardest and most durable of the common wood varieties. Like Maple, Birch can grow in extremely cold weather conditions. These extended periods of coldness allow the tree to mature slowly which results in tighter growth rings and a stronger final product. However, Birch contains 'flexier' properties than its Maple counterpart – something that is integral to certain types of boards.

Flexibilty is a function of the elastic and compressive values of a given material, and there are natural variances found within the complex structure of fibres and cells, that make Birch a 'flexier' building material. While we have done quite a bit of research to understand the science behind this, we do not claim to be expert Biologists. We look at this from a riders/builders perspective, and we know how different types of boards should feel. That being said, we are quite thrilled with the results!

For the next couple weeks, we will be releasing our test results, testimonials and opinions from board builders regarding the new Birch material.  Make sure to check back for Parts 2 and 3 of Roarockit's Birch Report.

PART 2 HERE!!