Homemade Bimini

I am considering building my own cargo style bimini for our monster mt1 tower. I don't really care for how the monster cargo bimini mounts (sits too far forward) and it is expensive. I have a family member that can get sunbrella at cost and can sew. Probably going to go with conduit to make the frame.

Anyone have any experience building their own bimini. Where is the best place to get parts like mounts for the tower? I would like it to come down quickly because I garage my boat after use.

I was considering trying this several years ago when I owned a boat. there are a few really good DIY's on this forum.

This is the bimini I made. Had the local muffler show bend and weld some exhaust tube. Painted it black and had a local sign company cut the sumbrella fabric and install the loops. Then I just bought some blue ropre from the depot. I just use 4 lag bolts with wing nuts and washers to mount it on the tower. I only use this up at our summer house because of how hot it gets so I wasn't concerned about it being collapsable. Only thing I wish I did was keep the front straight or not have so much of an angle. Would just be a wind scoop if I was towing at higher speeds.

There are websites that you can buy all the tower mounts and different brackets for bimini's though depending on how you want to rig it up.

I made a real nice one for my Sanger but dont have any pics but I do have some links. Conduit will work and is easy to work with but is soft and if anybody grabs or hangs any weight on it it will bend easy! I used 7/8 stainless but also had to spend $230 for a bender to handle the radius bends. Parts links: www.sligocanvasshop.net www.sailrite.com www.piersupply.com www.tacomarine.com you're welcome.

I'm curious, I see threads for homemade bimini's, how much do these run? Is the cost savings that substantial?

Had $300 in materials and about 6 hrs of my own labor in mine not including the $230 for the bender to bend the stainless. Sanger wanted 1k. Others were in the $600 to $800 range.

my $40 bimini
http://forums.wakeboarder.com/viewto...ghlight=bimini

my $267 bimini
http://forums.wakeboarder.com/viewto...ghlight=bimini

Cory, on your new bimini did you not use grommets like you did before? Care sharing what materials and clamps you used?

I am sitting on about 100 bimini clamps in all different sizes that I bought with a ton of other gear when Boarders Mall was sold to Groung Zero.. Let me know if or when you start looking for options and I will email you some pics.. $5.00 per clamp + shipping..

no the new bimini does not use gromets, thats just a tear/rip waiting for a place to happen. especially when towing at 65 mph.
i used sunbrella fabric and sew on velcro. great part is its removable in about 2 minutes. unlike de-lacing a gromet top.....
clamps are from DIY wake if i recall. or Bullet i cant remember which. they had the cheapest clamps by far. but not as cheap as Brett above me.

Brett- Got any pics of those clamps?

Cory- Looks great man! I'm interested in building one that's for sure. My old bimini is beat up and wearing out fast. It's about time to do something about it! Got any fab pics or close ups?

Here you go...

I would definitely not recommend Star One Wake or Brett Burrows. Reputation is key in this industry and they/he have done nothing but fail in this area. I have been trying to order parts for 2 months and have made 6 calls to Brett to get them. Each time it has been "one of his guys mistakes"...each time his response is, quote "Let me give you a call right back, 15 minutes tops". Not one call back. Lost my number every time I talked to him. I was in a time crunch to get parts for a trip and obviously he didn't come through. Hopefully he learns how to run a proper business.

Do yourself a favor and don't do business with this joke of a company. Don't waste your time.

I am currently in the process of building my own for my aerial airborne tower. I used 1" emt. I am an electrician so bending pipe isn't an issue. I had a local seamstress make a sunbrella cover with all the holes around it so I could attach it to the frame with 1/4 in rope that I got from an awning builder in town. I am attaching the frame to the tower usin DIY Bimini clamps.

In hindsight I wish I would have put some cross braces across the frame of the tower so hat I could set stuff on top of it. I also wish that I woildn't have used the trampoline style cover. I wish I would hav had the cover sewn on to the frame for aesthetic reasons.

All together
Pipe. Free
Sun fella fabric 170
DIY clamps. 4@23. 92
Rope. 25
Misc. hardware. 10

297 total cost. Which is a little more than m 200 dollar budget I thought I was going to get by with.