I was fortunate enough to find a discarded fixture plate of 1/4" anodized aluminum and a rough-edged 1/2" bar, which I was given permission to salvage if I could make something useful with it. With the help of my university makerspace, I was able to manufacture attachments for skateboard hardware, building myself a commuter longboard for first and last mile transportation. The specifications are roughly modeled after the Pantheon Pranayama, a versatile and beautifully engineered longboard made for commuting and long distance exercise. This board is likely to outlast most laminated plywood decks and will be easy to disassemble, remanufacture, or recycle once it reaches the end of its usable life, although its 10.8 pound weight may present something of an inconvenience. For the obvious reasons, I've only referred to it as "deathtrap".
CNC Machining is a powerful method for mass replication, but small scale projects like this can be difficult to justify. A fixture plate had to be prepared for the two riser parts, and milling and chamfering operations took a total 30 minutes per part.
With this said, the design could be adapted to be manufactured in bulk and with fewer operations. The modular design makes it straightforward to convert other metal scrap into boards with more accessible machinery and a pair of risers.
