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trying to make floatation tubes for a boat
macspeedy - 11/10/11 at 12:21 PM

I have a boat project nearing completion, i had looked at expanded polystyrene wrapped in shrink wrap as a floataion safety device incase the hull is holed.

But recently i had the idea of using car inner tubes. Then i thought what if you cut them and laid them flat having sealed up the ends...

the question is would rubber cement be enough if the ends where properly prepared to keep the air in ?

thanks
Mac

[Edited on 11/10/11 by macspeedy]

liam.mccaffrey - 11/10/11 at 12:32 PM

what about expanded PU, isn't that what they use on "real" boats?

designer - 11/10/11 at 12:33 PM

On my old fibreglass boat I filled all cavities with 2 part foam.

[Edited on 11-10-11 by designer]

Confused but excited. - 11/10/11 at 12:39 PM

Inner tubes can also puncture, therefore they are of no use whatsoever.
Use foam and make sure that the foam that you do use, is closed cell foam.

Irony - 11/10/11 at 01:08 PM

Dunno much about boats but be careful of the two part expanding foam. To much with nowhere to expand to and it'll crack steel cases wide open. You also literally have seconds after mixing some types of the stuff.

emsfactory - 11/10/11 at 02:26 PM

Sorry if this is a bit cheeky,
I have this available
eBay - The UK's Online Marketplace

owelly - 11/10/11 at 03:09 PM

I made the mistake of using builders expanding foam in my boat. I thought the trailer looked to be carrying a bit of weight then realised the foam had sucked about two tons of water inside itself! I had to spend a whole weekend chipping soggy foam out of all the places I could fit into.

macspeedy - 11/10/11 at 03:14 PM

btw its a 15ft boat

snakebelly - 11/10/11 at 03:56 PM

£99! youve got my evil mind working now....... wonder what would happen, scrap car with sunroof + 300l expanding foam......

Confused but excited. - 11/10/11 at 04:40 PM

quote:
Originally posted by owelly
I made the mistake of using builders expanding foam in my boat. I thought the trailer looked to be carrying a bit of weight then realised the foam had sucked about two tons of water inside itself! I had to spend a whole weekend chipping soggy foam out of all the places I could fit into.


Now you know why you should use closed cell foam.
Don't beat yourself up owelly. You ain't the first to make that mistake.

iank - 12/10/11 at 05:24 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Irony
Dunno much about boats but be careful of the two part expanding foam. To much with nowhere to expand to and it'll crack steel cases wide open. You also literally have seconds after mixing some types of the stuff.


Indeed as found out here http://www.blatchat.com/T.asp?id=2911
(scroll down to "And this is how not to do it:"