Foam Bulkheads

[Nick B]

I am chasing information on the type of foam now used in ply PT's to strengthen the hulls / decks and act as buoyancy.

I understand it is made by Dow Corning and generally is used for building insulation. It is white foam heat bonded between plastic film facers and then pin perforated and comes in a range of sizes with 30mm being the thickness commoly used in PT's. The density I am unsure of.

Would anyone know the "Product Name" or any other information as it has been hard to track down through possible suppliers in Cairns and get exactly what is required.

Thanks

[Dave]

Nick, I e-mailed your message to one of the expert builders in the class who uses foam bulkheads. Here is his reply:

"I don’t know what the foam is that this guy is referring to, but what he describes almost sounds like a styrene foam, but then I would question why anyone would use that type of foam in a boat where weight is so critical. I only use Airex foam with a maximum thickness of 6mm and on decks a density of 100kg/m3. but then I only use this foam as a core with glass or carbon, or even both."

If you need further information from him, I can put you in contact with him.

Regards,

Dave Stumbles

Publicity Officer

Australian Paper Tiger Catamaran Assoc.

[Guest Old Mate]

Wouldn't you just go with Klegisel core with a layer of 250g multi-axial Eglass layed over them... even polyester is good, however if your building them for a ply boat Epoxy will be necassary!

Old Mate...

[Ian marcovitch]

Dear nick the foam I used is called airdex and is a white EXTRUDED ---not beaded polystyrene foam and is available in various thicknesses. It is used for insulation . I used 10 mm thick as it is about 30% more dense than normal 'beaded polystyren. It glues well with epoxy. Alternatively I think Bradford insulation has the same type of foam but it is pale blue .

Originally posted by Nick B:

I am chasing information on the type of foam now used in ply PT's to strengthen the hulls / decks and act as buoyancy.

I understand it is made by Dow Corning and generally is used for building insulation. It is white foam heat bonded between plastic film facers and then pin perforated and comes in a range of sizes with 30mm being the thickness commoly used in PT's. The density I am unsure of.

Would anyone know the "Product Name" or any other information as it has been hard to track down through possible suppliers in Cairns and get exactly what is required.

Thanks

[Nick B]

Ian,

Thanks for the details on the foam - greatly appreaciated. Would you have a photo of a hull internal to complete the picture for me?

Thanks again.

Nick B

[Ian marcovitch]

Originally posted by Nick B:

Ian,

Thanks for the details on the foam - greatly appreaciated. Would you have a photo of a hull internal to complete the picture for me?

Thanks again.

Nick B

Dear Nick I hope I can attatch some photos in jpeg format for you to look at in an email to you as I cant see how to put them here. Ian

[Ian marcovitch]

Dear Nick I forgot to say in my email that when the decks are to be glued on you stick a little strip of paper on each side of the foam so that it stick up about a centimeter . you then bend it out to form a V channel to hold the glue in place as the decking is lowered onto the foam. the squishhed out glue then stays in place saturates the paper and gives a 30 mm wide surface under the deck.

Originally posted by Nick B:

Ian,

Thanks for the details on the foam - greatly appreaciated. Would you have a photo of a hull internal to complete the picture for me?

Thanks again.

Nick B