# Skate rack — from CAD to plywood

> Vertical skate rack — shop-class welded frame detour, then Home Depot plywood, CAD slots, and a rental-friendly build, December 2021.

- HTML page: https://antoineboucher.info/CV/blog/posts/skate-rack-cad-to-object/
- Language: en
- Translation (fr): https://antoineboucher.info/CV/blog/fr/posts/skate-rack-cad-to-object/index.md
- Published: 2021-12-21
- Updated: 2026-05-22
- Tags: CAD, Woodworking, DIY, Maker
- Author: Antoine Boucher (https://antoineboucher.info/CV/index-en.html)I had boards leaning in every corner, so I designed a **vertical rack** in CAD, cut **angled slots** in plywood, and built something that could hold **skateboards and a snowboard** without drilling into rental walls. December 2021; photos cropped from old stories.

## Requirements

| Need | Design response |
|------|-----------------|
| **6+ boards** | Six slots per side panel |
| **Snowboard + skates** | Taller top bay, wider slot mouth |
| **Rental-friendly** | Freestanding lean, no lag bolts |
| **Cheap** | 3/4" plywood, screws, stain |

## Design in CAD

Two side panels, three horizontal ties, **six downward-angled slots** per side so decks slide in and stay put. I modeled in a mainstream mechanical CAD workflow (dimension-driven sketches, assembly check for interference) before buying sheet goods.

Rough intent (not build drawings):

- **Panel height** ~6 ft — snowboard diagonal fit
- **Slot depth** ~3/4 deck width — catch without binding on grip
- **Slot angle** ~15–20° down — gravity holds board; longboards were tight

![CAD model of vertical six-slot skateboard rack](https://antoineboucher.info/CV/blog/posts/skate-rack-cad-to-object/images/skate-rack-cad-model.jpeg)

The CAD render is optimistic — no sawdust, no cat, perfect orthogonality.

## Metal frame detour (shop class energy)

Before the plywood version landed, I welded a **tubular orange frame** in a school shop — good practice for squareness, honestly overkill for an apartment rack. It never became the final bedroom solution: too heavy, too industrial, and my landlord did not need to know I owned a mini weldment. It still proved the layout — **upright posts plus cross-members**, slots implied by spacing even before I cut wood.

That prototype was the confidence boost; the rack I actually live with came later from sheet goods, not tube stock.

![Orange tubular metal rack frame in a workshop — welded uprights and cross members before the plywood build](https://antoineboucher.info/CV/blog/posts/skate-rack-cad-to-object/images/skate-rack-metal-frame-shop.jpeg)

The photo is pure shop-class energy: fluorescent lights, concrete floor, and a frame that taught me the geometry without surviving the move indoors.

## Materials — Home Depot run

Once the metal idea stayed in the garage, I went to **Home Depot** for buildable material: one cart of **3/4" plywood** (two side panels and shelves), **wood screws**, **stain**, and **scrap 2×4** for a temporary stand while I dry-fit. No exotic lumber — whatever was flat enough that day.

- **3/4" plywood** — two sides + horizontal ties
- **Wood screws** — pre-drill near ends so the ply does not split
- **Stain** — brushed on a tarp in a cold December garage
- **2×4 scrap** — propped the frame while slots were still rough

## Cutting slots

Diagonal notch with rounded bottom: **spade bit** at end, **circular saw** on straights, **file** burrs. Clamps, dust, repeat.

![Plywood side panel with diagonal slots cut on a workbench](https://antoineboucher.info/CV/blog/posts/skate-rack-cad-to-object/images/skate-rack-slot-cutting-workshop.jpeg)

## Assembly and inspection

Dry-fit, stain in cold December garage, **cat QA** on every flat surface.

![Plywood skate rack frame during assembly](https://antoineboucher.info/CV/blog/posts/skate-rack-cad-to-object/images/skate-rack-plywood-assembly.jpeg)

![Cat sitting on a shelf of the unfinished skate rack](https://antoineboucher.info/CV/blog/posts/skate-rack-cad-to-object/images/skate-rack-build-quality-inspector.jpeg)

## Finished rack

Snowboard on top (Union bindings), skates in slots, spare on floor.

![Finished wooden skate and snowboard rack with boards loaded](https://antoineboucher.info/CV/blog/posts/skate-rack-cad-to-object/images/skate-rack-finished-loaded.jpeg)

## Next time

- Steeper slot angle for longboards
- **Edge banding** on slot mouths
- **French cleat** wall mount when not renting

## Related posts

- [LiDAR apartment scan with Rhino](https://antoineboucher.info/CV/blog/posts/rhino-lidar-apartment-scan/) — measure before you build
- [Home networking lab](https://antoineboucher.info/CV/blog/posts/home-networking-evolution/) — another home project thread
- [AI figurines / 3D print](https://antoineboucher.info/CV/blog/posts/ai-figurines-3d-printing/) — CAD → object years later