Skate Photography #7: My Mini Flatbar, finally made!

Frontside boardslide on the street set up...

Good day Skatehive!

I would like to share with you the skate photos of my new flatbar. I had these built by the Blacksmith given all my specifications and it turned out great. It is 5 feet long and 1 foot in height. Basically, just enough to fit in the back of my car and for me to skate with ease, hahaha. Since it fits in my car, I practically can bring it anywhere. My sole purpose is to make this flatbar something like a portable one and can be carried by a single person.

TJ had a flatbar, a square one, I might have shared it here before. It has an adjustable height, and the length is somewhere around 7 feet. It was a good flat bar and from him I knew that some welding shop can make it for us. I have been here for a long time and never in my mind I needed to make my own flatbar. Since the skateparks had one, I just never had the thought of making my own.

One session TJ’s flatbar broke. The welds on the feet are coming off and needed to be rewelded again. With this we do not have anything to use if we wanted a quick session. We already planned to fix it but many times the plans just did not happen. All considerations were addressed like will it fit my car when we bring it to the shop, the cost, and the date we plan to bring it to the shop. Major factor was the date and schedule, our schedules does not match, and we cannot come together and bring it to the shop. The plans remained plans and nothing happened, and it is unfortunate.

Me feeling out the flatbar...

TJ flatbar destroyed

So, one day I was looking at my old videos from Facebook, I suddenly remembered the small flatbar that was in the skatepark before.

TJ skating the old mini flatbar, now gone...

Somehow, I knew I had to make my own. First, I started to measure the dimensions on the back of my car. I needed enough space to make the bar fit. First it was 4 feet length but to me it seems too little to make any slides. Next one was 6 feet, but it was too long to fit in the back of my car. I got the measuring tape and decided I can push the length maximum 5feet but placing it awkward sideways to fit the back of my car. Height to me has always been 1 foot. I am at the age where I am slowly losing my pop and I need the flatbar to be not too high and not too low so that at least I can enjoy myself. Then there were the days passing, I had all the dimensions and I know where to have it built. I was just lazy to go out of my room to have it built because it was hot even at nights. Hahah.

When I finally managed to bring it to the blacksmith, I explained to him everything and what the materials to be used. He worked on it for 2 hours and at last, I got my own flatbar! Here are some of the sessions I did when I was testing it out.

50-50 works really good...

Boardslides...

Nollie Five-O...

It is a good flatbar, it has its flaws that can be fixed, and it has all I needed it to be. It fits the car, and I can carry it on my own. One flaw is that its legs are too inwards, sometimes when sliding slow the opposite end of the bar just lifts. Hahaha. I knew the day it was built that this will be a problem just by looking at it. It can be adjusted by the blacksmith, but I said I am going to try it out first. Pretty much if I go fast the leg does not lift and I am thinking it can stay this way until I get frustrated with it. It works fine and adjustments can follow. Just need to go fast so that this flaw can be bypassed.

That bounce, needs adjustments...

It is not too long and not too short. Too long and it does not fit the car, too short and it does not satisfactorily slide. So, the 5 feet length is just enough to satisfy both conditions. It also grinds smoothly, I cannot explain it but it felt different to grind compared to the flatbars in the park. Maybe because the steel is new, or my trucks is not that grinded? I do not know; it is just different. The good way. Haha.

flat bar loaded in the back of my car...

Accessibility. As I mentioned above, I can bring it anywhere and skate. I really needed something to skate because of my limited time skating. If don’t make it in the morning session I finally had an option to skate a spot in the middle of the day and just bring the flatbar with me. I can go to a shaded street spot and just skate there with the flatbar option and not just the curbs. I can also skate this in our accommodation camp when I am away from the city. So, this is really a good thing.

Here are some more photo and GIF’s I made from solo sessions!

Fakie boardslides...

Nollie Boardslides...

Nose slides...

I really enjoy skating this thing. I can bring it anywhere, and I can share it also with friends. The most important test for it is when my friends skate it, because for me I adjusted my skating into it and for my friends I have not skated with them since last month, so they have not even seen nor skated this flatbar. I am thinking when they skate this, their main issue will be the bouncing of the rail. But anyway, for now, it works fine for me, and it serves its purpose of quick sessions.

Here is the instagram clips: https://www.instagram.com/reel/Ciej_tSvJ1k/?igshid=MTA0ZTI1NzA=

Thanks for viewing my photos and reading my blog!

Cheers!
@mark0318

P.S. I was supposed to title it DIY, but aside from designing it, I did not weld, cut, and put it together. Hahah. The blacksmith did that. haha

For more Content like Skateboarding, Photographs, Videos, Skate Blogs and Vlogs please visit my profile at https://hive.blog/@mark0318 I also have travel blogs and other stuff there, enjoy!