Some of you may have seen the Isogrid skateboard video that Barry Setzer from Titans of CNC made. Awesome projects and videos like are what got me hooked on CNC machining. I thought it was an amazing fusion of two things I’m passionate about, even if the board was not as practical as a traditional one. Towards the end of my CNC machining internship during the summer of 2025, I was offered by a friend & coworker to use a machine to cut something for a personal project. At that time I was pretty focused on my job but found time after work to come up with a design for a board of my own.
Design And Build
After doing some research, I discovered the tangent by loaded boards, maybe they have a good marketing team, but not only did I choose to design my board after this one, but I also considered purchasing one as well. I was particularly attracted to the incredibly large wheels, until that point my go-to wheels were OG Slime Balls and for comparison my slimeballs are about 66 mm while the Orangatang Dad Bods are a whopping 105 mm which is around 4.1 in diameter.
Fusion was used for the CAD and CAM in this project. Essentially, the model started as a form body with creased edges, then the triangles, holes, and mounting features were extruded from the body. During the design process I did take some time to simulate static stress. While I didn’t study anything dynamically, which can be hard to predict values for, I did utilize the results of the static analysis to make multiple adjustments to the design.
The NC program has a similar flow to that of Barry’s: predrill, 3D Surface, mill the pockets, break edges, flip, then another 3D adaptive followed by a parallel surfacing op but with a chamfer tool at 0.02" step over. That last toolpath creates the grip for the deck and was another inspiration I got from Barry’s design. The first operation left rails that ran the length of the deck attached by tabs that I could use to indicate on and clap down for op 2. As for machining time, I don’t have a great figure, but If I was going to make another one, I estimate it would take me around 2 weeks. It seemed like the parts ran forever with each side of the deck having numerous 3D and adaptive toolpaths spanning over 1 hour. The surfacing pass that gave the deck its smooth underside ran for just under 3 hours, and the brackets on either side of the deck took about 4 hours each.
As for the other parts not made in-house: the trucks are Paris V3 150mm which I keep as loose as possible and have no complaints with. I cannot say the same for my fastness. Living near the coast, I thought it would be a good idea to use all 316 stainless from McMaster, and I did not learn until later that about galvanic corrosion. While this hasn’t become a problem yet, I am keeping an eye on them. Furthermore, I learned the hard way that 316 is very susceptible to galling and experienced this with the 10-32’s and 1/4 shoulders screws.
Performance
Since I’m still in college, I get to ride this thing almost everywhere, and it handles amazing, it is the best board I’ve ever ridden. The deck does have a considerable amount of flex, and honestly, I welcome it. The board works phenomenally on most terrains, including rough asphalt. The final weight is a little over 11 lbs, half of that being the trucks, wheels, and bearings. I cannot convey how much I love those wheels. I’ve added a video I took this morning where I ran over a rock I found on the way home. It’s about an inch tall in the center, and it doesn’t seem to pose a threat to the dad bods. These much larger wheels also make the board coast a lot further than others I’ve tried. The ride height is a little low at 2 3/8" with no rider. Still very rideable, though, I think it came out so short since I’d been riding a cruiser for the past year and was tired of it.
Interested in machining?
When I was starting out, I discovered Americas Cutting Edge and attended the free 30-hour / 3-day bootcamp where I learned the basics of operating and programing Haas CNC machines. It’s a great opportunity and helped me get my summer job in a machine shop where I learned a lot more and had a great time making things like this board. Find a camp near you, Im not sponsored but It worked really well for me. also, it’s completely free; the US government funds it.