Tell Us About Your Mini Simmons.

First, this is 100% scratch built from 5 mm ply and 1/4″ Western Cedar planks, along with Balsa for additional internal supports. Each is hand cut and fitted using hand tools when possible. Working with wood is not a quick and profitable way to make surfboards, but is much more enjoyable than hacking through foam blanks and much quieter.

I love Simmons shape. After all the years of different board designs the Simmons still works. To me, they just look fun.

Who inspires you?

Inspiration…something old and with craftsmanship that is from someone’s hands. A gift of nature, from Tree to Sea kind of thing. It is about hand crafting that will live long after I am gone. It will not yellow with age, not be tossed around like an old foamy. It is surfable art.

What interests you about the Mini Simmons shape?

How the planing hull is so simple and so effective. The challenge is to get the rails to work in such a short distance.

If you shaped your own board – Shaper Dan?

Working with wood is hard to explain. First one needs good tools that are razor sharp. There is no sound like a Jack plane cutting  wood curls. Unlike foam that you will know what the board looks like before it is glassed, with wood it gets better after each sanding from 80 grit up to 220. Then the first fill coat, the wood starts to show. Glass adds more depth to each piece of wood planking. Another fill coat then gloss coat and the wood if finished. Amazing what you didn’t see in the beginning and yet shows at the end.

Where can we see more or follow future shapes?

You can follow my work at: www.BlindDogSurfboards,blogspot.com And yes, there was a blind dog, Spanky. The most happy dog who never realized he was blind. 🙂

Name

Dan Johnston

Email

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Shaper | Lover of the Sea

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