I asked this in TOL a while ago, but forgot the answer (I think the answer came in a time of crisis... )

What do I ask for in a builders' merchant if I want a sheet of polyurethane foam insulating board? This is the stuff that isn't melted by the normal resin used in glass-fibre work. I think it is blue, usually.

Background: I've tried using epoxy resin on ordinary foam, and found it very difficult. When using ordinary resins the cloth 'collapses' onto the former and it is really easy to 'wet' the cloth. This is the exact opposite to epoxy, which won't wet through the cloth without a struggle.

The other reason for asking is that I've bought some 'proper' PU foam board from a glassfibre supplier. It was the stuff that has small glass fibres loaded into the foam - probably excellent material, but APPALLING to handle!

cheers,

David


[Edited on 22/1/03 by David Jenkins]

The stuff you described i have used for wings in model aircraft and yes heve glued it with epoxy and used epoxy glass on it, when i have bought it from builders merchants i just asked for blue foam...allways got what i wanted..
best of luck.

Cheers!

(but it's epoxy I'm trying to avoid... I want to use ordinary resins).

David

Long time since I did anything like this, but I have a feeling that people who make blanks for surfboards might nave the answer to this question. IIRC the foam is shaped as required and then laid up with polyester resin, cloth and surfacing tissue

John

That's the technology I want to use.

As background, I'm thinking of making my dashboard this way, as I want a few 'lumps and bumps' to go round the instruments

cheers,

David