Two Manufacturing questions

edited May 2013 in Bones Bearings®
I have looked all over the Internet and cannot find the answer to two questions:
Why did skateboard companies change the hole pattern for trucks on decks back in the early 1990s?
When did skateboard manufacturers switch to heat transfer graphics?
Thanks for any answers you have. I love this site!
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Comments

  • I would love to hear those answers as well. I always thought the truck pattern had to do with the double hole era. The heat transfer, I assume is a cost measure.
  • i think heat transfers were done in the recent years
  • My guess for truck holes would be smaller length holes mean smaller baseplate (for one's that didn't have 6 holes) so it's a touch lighter?
  • edited May 2013
    maybe it was a change with the times thing like the random change from flat boards to popsicles so maybe they had to adjust truck sizing for the new shapes of the boards
  • edited May 2013
    I think the truck hole patters where changed over because of the tricks that where being done/are being done. Blunts, Nose slides and such. The bolts where staring to get in the way so they where moved back making it easier to slide/not hang on stuff. So street skating brought about the change. But that is just a guess.
  • the whole centre of gravity of a board is much lower with next to nothing in riser pads & small wheels being the norm
  • Not sure on the trucks, but for the transfers.

    We started heat transfers maybe 5 years ago in house.  The process is very similar to normal screening except we screen on acetate in reverse layers, so when we turn it over and transfer to the deck, it looks normal.  I've tried screening on decks and it is not only difficult but you need real long arms.  Lots more blems.  Much easier to screen on a flat piece of plastic.  Not just cost but efficiency.  Plus you actually get sharper graphics.
  • feel sorry for a t-rex then
  • Literally laughing out loud, I seriously can't get that image of a t-rex trying to screen a deck. That's the funniest shit I have read in a long time.
  • hahahaha ur welcome
  • When looking over decks on the Art of Skateboarding website I noticed that several Powell decks were listed as "Screened" in 2003, but then some of the 2004 decks are listed as "Subliminated". So I guess 2004 is the first year heat transfers were used by Powell. 

    I haven't had problems with Powell Graphics (other than that annoying shine that the plastic wrap leaves on your deck), but I have had the heat transfer graphics just flake off the Almost decks I have ridden.
  • Isn't one of the other outcomes with the newer heat transfer process that the graphic looks like it is on top of the deck rather than ingrained into the wood
  • powell did subliminated graphics for a really long time
  • I wonder how these decks will hold up over the long haul.  The old screened decks still look awesome today, 20-30 years later, as long as they were kept in climate controlled areas.  I wonder if the same will be said about these decks in 30 years, or will they begin to flake off with age.
  • edited May 2013
    Well if they flake with age, you can just use this product. Ray Barbee did.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=WF7JjJ1_ypw
  • I've been wondering if this product would be suitable for skateboards, it's one of the coolest things I've seen

    http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?feature=youtube_gdata_player&v=IPM8OR6W6WE&desktop_uri=/watch?v=IPM8OR6W6WE&feature=youtube_gdata_player
  • That stuff is crazy awesome!! But....I cant imagine its environmentaly safe.
  • probably not
  • edited October 2016
    Venture trucks started moving them back in 1990 to accommodate riders who were wearing out the front bolts from doing nose/tail slides.
  • Weren't the holes changed because the double tail made it harder for the old school pattern trucks to sit flush on the deck? That's what I heard.
  • Definitely trick based thing. A lot(if not all) of new hole trucks still have the same size baseplate...it is just two holes that are drilled in a different location to allow for those tricks
  • @McShredorDie is going through old threads. I think most of us have done that at one point and still do. Lost of knowledge here by many that have come and gone for one reason or another... FB being the biggest reason.

    It was the tricks like many have said in this thread. Nose/tail slides chewing up truck bolts and actually making it harder to get a good slide because they were catching on everything.
  • Nah, spaceman12 bumped the thread before I did but I was also curious to know why the pattern changed. Good info over here.

    I believe the first indy trucks with the six hole pattern was stage six but then with stage 7 they did away with old school altogether until recently.
  • I think @McShredorDie has it right, the concave became deeper Plus the double kick. and the longer baseplate would warp to fit the deck shape. I remember trading trucks, and having issues with the older flat decks and installing the concave base plate. on a flat board the previously used concaved base plate would crack, and break off at the bolt holes. had it happen alot. so we would not ever trade baseplates unless the concave matched.

    Just my opinion though.
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