Part 5: High performance Mini Simmons from Insulation foam

The ShortBus is done!!! Sooooo stoked, I almost got a little emotional when I was paddling out for the first time... Can't believe it is finally done... seems like it took a lot longer then the last board I did... Here are a couple shots of the final product and the maiden voyage. My friend Luke Sharp was out there in the water with his camera. Thanks Luke!

Stay Stoked!

-James

Part 4: High performance Mini Simmons from Insulation foam

 Getting close to being done!! Got all artsy on the bottom with some paint, wasn't planning on that but got to messing around with it one night while I was waiting on my resin to come in the mail and one thing led to another... Painted the top yellow and that got me to thinking hey why not name this board the "Short Bus"? Haha so here are some photos of where it stands now. 

Hoping to have this in the water by Saturday!

Stay stoked!

-James

Part 3: High performance Mini Simmons from Insulation foam

Done with the shaping part now to finish painting it and then glassing. Came out pretty good as far as I can tell, can't wait to get it in the water.

Added some yellow to the tail, I used regular house paint and just diluted it a little bit with water.

Installed the fcs leash plug. 

Fins are coming along, I just traced around some existing fins I had and then cut them out and foiled them.

So here it is as of now, prolly gonna do a little more painting and then glass it, can't wait to finish this thing and test it out.

-James

Part 2: High performance Mini Simmons from Insulation foam

Spent some time Saturday in the backyard laboardatory shaping my xps foam insulation blank that I made by glueing 4 sheets of foam insulation board together. 

 

I think the glue lines actually helped the shaping process by giving me a reference point.

Thinning down the tail was tricky but I think I got it pretty close to the way I want it. 

Working on shaping a hullish entry into it, tricky...

Glue lines once again helped in getting it fairly even all the way around...still rough but it's a work in progress.

Rocker view...

So still a lot more shaping and rail work to do but I got it roughly the way I want it.

Stay stoked!!

-James 

Hurley Retro Surfboard Open

Last Saturday was the 2nd annual Hurley Retro Surfboard Open here in Myrtle Beach SC. Surf City Surf Shop did a great job hosting it and had some rad trophies and goody bags for the contestants.  

Check out www.nimbusgss.com for more epic photos.

I put a little video together of the highlights. Enjoy!

http://youtu.be/AeFZI1NpQ2c

-James

Part 1: High performance Mini Simmons from Insulation foam

Got a good start on the board today, got the outline traced on the the foam sheets and cut them out. It will be a stringerless XPS Epoxy high performance mini Simmons, and the dimensions should be 6'x22"x3" with a 14" tail.

Final thickness once I stacked together the 4 sheets was about 3 inches...

Should float me reeeeeally well, eh?

Next I glued 2 sheets together. I decided against gluing them all together at once after reading on www.swaylocks.com that people had trouble with the sheets sliding around. I'll glue on another sheet tonight. I put a board with a rocker I like underneath these 2 sheets and then put sand bags on top so once the glue dries it will have the same rocker shape...

Used gorilla wood glue...

Taped around some of the edges where I saw gaps...

While they were drying I started making the fins from some scrap plywood...

Super stoked so far, should be interesting to see how this crazy experiment turns out. The blank will end up costing around $30, which is about half what a real surfboard blank costs. Figured I would practice on the insulation foam rather then screwing up a nice blank, if this board turns out good maybe my next board will be from a real blank.

Later!

-James

Part 2: Pickup truck becomes Stoke Chaser

         Added a pullout drawer under the bed platform for easy access to gear or surfboards. Found these cool roller ball bearing things at harbor freight that I installed under the drawer so it can slide in and out with ease and added an actual wheel in the back. Also had fun making pocket joints! Here are a few pix of the process...

      Next project will be shaping a mini Simmons from the foam insulation sheeting at Lowe's, should be a fun experiment. Stay tuned for that.... 

-James