Phil Chen » Fun 101 http://www.philchen.com Phil Chen Sun, 22 Jan 2012 05:12:29 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Mob Wars Trailer Contest http://www.philchen.com/2009/06/10/mob-wars-trailer-contest http://www.philchen.com/2009/06/10/mob-wars-trailer-contest#comments Thu, 11 Jun 2009 04:08:42 +0000 Phil Chen http://www.philchen.com/?p=536 Recently Michael Foster a friend of mine, decided to recruit a bunch of us to enter in the Mob Wars trailer contest. So after several weekends of filming in various residential streets, city streets, a warehouse, a strip club, with various handguns, shotguns, machine guns, and muscle car and motorcycle stunt work a master piece was born. I have a fight scene and got to stunt drive my mustang. Please rate the video on youtube and add a comment to help us win!

]]> http://www.philchen.com/2009/06/10/mob-wars-trailer-contest/feed 6 How to Build a Skateboard to Satisfy a Midlife Crisis http://www.philchen.com/2009/05/17/how-to-build-a-skateboard-to-satisfy-a-midlife-crisis http://www.philchen.com/2009/05/17/how-to-build-a-skateboard-to-satisfy-a-midlife-crisis#comments Mon, 18 May 2009 01:33:04 +0000 Phil Chen http://www.philchen.com/?p=450 This article is a step buy step on building your own skateboard; the alternative is having your local skateboard shop do it for you. A long time ago back in my early youth, I worked at two skateboard / inline skate shops one in Lawndale CA, and the other in Hermosa Beach CA, from age 13-18. It was possibly the best work experience of my life. In any rate I decided 15 years later to relive old times and pick up parts to build a new board and go for a ride (yes midlife crisis here I come).

First thing I did was go to a local skateboard shop in Oceanside, CA K5 to be exact. Here I picked up the goods for my new skateboard, I was going for a semi budget board:

skateboardgoods

Gear:
1x Mystery Lopez Suicide King Deck 7.875 x 31.75
4x Bones REDS Precision Skate Bearings
4x Ricta Wheels Arto Saari 54mm Chrome Cores Gunmetal
2x Thunder Truck Company 149ers
4x Shorty’s 1″
1x Black Magic Grip Tape

Tools:
1x Phillips Tip Screwdriver
1x 3/8 open wrench
1x 7/16 socket or open wrench
1x Packing Knife

Grip Tape

The first step was to put the Black Magic grip tape on the deck, since the tape was pre-cut I just had to align it on the board and stick it on.

Grip Tape Outline

The second step was to define the edges of the board and grip tape for cutting, I used the top edge of one of my trucks (the side that goes against the board) and scraped the edges all around the board.

Cutting Grip Tape

Cutting Grip Tape

After cutting the grip tape

The third step was to use a packing knife and cut the grip tape from the bottom with the blade facing up around the edge you defined with your truck. Be careful not to hurt yourself before you even get on the board!

Poking holes

The fourth step is to poke some holes with an allen wrench through your grip tape. You can use any other object that fits in that hole as well.

Screw the deck

Screw that board

The fifth step is to put your Shorty truck screws in the deck.

Get on the trucks!

The sixth step is to mount your trucks onto the board with your Shorty screws and nuts, I used a Phillips tip screw driver and a 3/8 wrench to do so.

Put the wheels on!

The seventh step is to put on your wheels, I had the skateboard shop press the bearings into the wheels at the store since I don’t own a bearing press. I made sure to have a washer at both sides of the wheel (included with the trucks), and used a 7/16 socket wrench to tighten the wheels on. Make sure not to over tighten your wheels they should move free, you will have to find the sweet spot.

Skate or Die

The last step is to go out and have fun on your new board! For me its midlife crisis time, skate or die!

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