DIY e-board builders were stuck choosing between fiberglass enclosures with months-long lead times and brittle ABS shells that didn't fit their decks. I designed a thermoformed Kydex enclosure in three sizes that fit most popular decks out of the box, then produced and sold the full run.
What I Did
01Tested ABS, PETG and polycarbonate before choosing Kydex for impact resistance, consistent forming and surface finish.
02Designed mold bucks for small, medium and large variants sized around common deck widths and concave profiles.
03Packaged each size around standard 18650 10s battery packs plus dual 4.20+ FESC / Unity controllers.
04Ran production end to end — forming, trimming, QC and shipping — and sold out the inventory at $80–$160 per unit.
Technical Highlights
01
Why Kydex
ABS cracked on impact and PETG didn't hold up either. Kydex took hits without cracking, formed consistently sheet to sheet, and came out with a finish that looked professional without post-processing.
Enclosure opened up, with the battery and controller wiring inside.
02
One shape that fits most decks
Each size variant was designed around the most common deck widths and concave profiles in the community, with clearance for standard battery packs and ESCs, so builders could mount it without modifying the shell.
Enclosure footprint sketched and dimensioned in CAD.Formed enclosures ready for trimming.Mounted on a longboard.Mounted on a narrower skateboard deck.
03
Tooling built for repeatability
The mold bucks and forming process were designed so every unit came out the same, which made it possible to scale from one-offs to a full production run with consistent quality.
Mold bucks for two sizes modeled in CAD.CNC router used to cut the bucks.A buck machined from wood.Wooden buck next to the shell formed from it.Formed shells on the vacuum former, with the bucks below.Two shells formed from one sheet, before trimming.
Gallery
Inside of a trimmed shell.A trimmed shell from above.Render of the enclosure.
