Ive just started coming on to swaylocks again and come across the mini simmons where has that board been all my life? looks like an absolute blast ive done my research on them but the one thing i could not find was what blank they are making them out of. are you sawing a longboard blank in half to get the zero tail rocker? thanks for the help.
I shape a 6’0" from an 8’4" mini longboard blank and get low rocker numbers through the tail.
I did a 6’6" from a 9’2"Y blank, same deal.
Here my one I just finished shaping, its 5’8" x 21.5" x 2 3/4". I used a 6’6 Surfblanks Australia Knee board blank 3 inches thick…
It ended up with 3.75 inches nose rocker and 1.75 tail rocker.
I used an Excell 6-8 fish blank. Mike
I used the EPS guts out of an old 8' Costco softtop and re-rockered the nose down a couple inches. Ended up with 2.25" nose / 0" tail. Wierd it doesn't pearl much at all.
WOW Noe!
Is that whole center section a solid “stringer”? Or a Lam?
Looks awesome regardless.
I just finished my first one using a salvage blank. 5’6"x20"x2 3/8"
In attempting to keep as much volume as possible, I made the deck too flat and the rails TOO full.
It’s fun to surf…but certainly not one of my better pieces of work.
I’ll do better next time…I think I’m getting a Mini Sim addiction!
[img_assist|nid=1046781|title=Epoxy Stall Mini Simmons|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=640|height=480]
http://www.theindependentsurfer.com/surfboard-building/epoxy-mini-simmons-steveforstall-version Stall Mini Simmons Epoxy
Nice board solo!
Hi Todd, I made the stringer first , I sandwiched the Agave between two pieces of paulownia cut and templated to the right curves and glued it between my foam and then just planed the foam down to it. I had the same issues with the rails as you because it was such a thick blank, but I ended up planing away quite a lot off the side, I figure with the extra width its good to have nice low rails for performance… but ill have to wait and see how it goes! heres some build pics…
I used an Ice-9 blank, I believe it was a 6’9" fish/disc blank. It gave me a little rocker in the tail, which I think I read, that they shouldn’t have tail rocker. 3" or so nose rocker and about zero tail rocker. It seems the longboard blank would create the closest match to the original design. I am about to shape another, and am debating on what type of blank to use this time around. I looked into the Excell blank mentioned earlier but those have an insane amount of rocker don’t they? Oh and by the way, sick blank nocean!
Thanks for the comments guys,
here is how the board finished up, Ply glass on fins and ready to surf this week!
Im sure there is a number to call try finding one
We have made quite a few blanks for mini sims in the past couple years. Mainly modified fish blanks with little to no tail rocker, extra thickness from tail to nose, and sled cuts so shapers can design their own outline templates. Fortunately we cut from block foam, since the designs and rockers have varied quite a bit, but this gives us the ability to either provide the extra thickness to start with, and then adjust the blank accordingly to the shapers needs, or to build the blank to a close toloerance to the finished product. Had to start from scratch though, these mini-sims dont really fit into many other blanks, other than longboard blanks that you are cutting 3-4FT off. They are sure fun to surf though. Re-discovered Rincon on one last year. Ever laugh after a couple turns, simply because you immediately feel the magic? Mini-Sims!
This 5'10" isn't a 'mini-Simmons' but close enough. The blank is a discarded deck offcut from a SUP blank. I flipped it over and bent some rocker in the nose when I glued in the stringer. Any slab of foam becomes a possibility if you glue in your own rocker. There would have been plenty of foam to shape a mini-Simmons with this slab which was a freebie from a dumpster dive.
I’m looking to shape my 1st board and want to do a mini. Locally I have access to US Blanks. which blank would you recommend to do a 5’8" miini?
Can I use one of the 5’10+ fish blanks or do I need to hack at a log? trying not to waste all that foam!
thanks
d
Guys shape them from the smaller us blanks. like the 5-10rp or 6-8rp (close to right blank names I am going off memory). If you are shapping a more peformance based, narrow width, narrow tail, lots of rocker, etc. these work. Most likley you will need at least the 7-9h or 8-3h the 9-3y might even be a better option to get the wide tail very slight entry rocker thick and short enoguh to still be mini, but yes you will need to take almost 3’ off the tail and 1’ or more off the nose… I’m not an expert (more like a strange guy who lays on the beach with no towel) and have no idea what you are planning to do as far as shape but I hope this random stuff helps you a litte. Maybe start a new thread for your build…
The 6-10A worked well for me on a 5’-9" simm. Very thick blank with plenty of width and long enough to get the low rocker.
Do you mind sharing the dimms like length width thinckness and tail width… have any pictures? Thanks!
Hey John Thanks,
Good cal on starting a thread as I have so many questions!
but back to the basics choosing the blank. I’m looking on their site (us blanks) at the dimensions on each.
Can I ask what a typical mini would look like in terms of width at tail and 12" in as well as nose?
also what is the nose and tail rocker like? From what i understand very little to none in the tail. Nose around 3"?
Just trying to see where i’d hack each blank to make sure it’d fit the design.
[img_assist|nid=1062251|title=blank|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=376|height=376]
From a 68rp blank dims are 5’2" x 22" x 2 3/4", I took a foot off the back and then around 6" off the nose and got a nice low rocker.