Where are my chemical engineers?

[Surfdad]

I'm sure that everyone has seen it before, the rigid green foam used in artifical flower arrangements. It's a 0.5 pound density polyurethane foam. Does anyone know of a good source for either:

3" x 24" x 5' block of this stuff, OR

a 2 part pour foam (liquid) enough to make a 1.5 cu foot shape?

I know that someone out there has the specific knowledge. Thanks folks.

[da.bell]

Website that sells all sorts of foams:
http://www.dertexcorp.com/index.html

This site will custom order one from what the page says. Not sure about what they will do and if they will glue multiple foams to form one huge foam board for you.
http://www.mossfoam.com/MainPages/stemgrabberfoam.htm

[da.bell]

Here is another one for Polyurethane Foam which is Floral Foam.

http://www.foamonline.com/

[Surfdad]

Hey da.bell you rock! Only, it needs to be rigid, 0.5 pound density and PolyU - can't use EPS or XPS, nor the flexible or memory stuff. I didn't see anything like what I needed in the links above.

[da.bell]

I'm finding that the PolyU form is coming in around 1.75 lbs per cubic foot.

[ascboards.com]

.

call m10 surfboards in santa cruz they been pumpin that green foam super high density stuff for a while now..it costs a little more,but its a small price to pay for being able to ride a smaller board..stretch also has done some aswell.i like the way the green looks under clear resin

[Surfdad]

Thanks Billy,

I found their website with a # so I'll drop your name Have you ever toyed with the idea of making a mold and pouring your own foam? As a kid, we used to goof with rigid 2 lb pour foam. For behind the boat, I would think that 0.5 or 1 pound density would be enough...especially if laminated with epoxy but I'd be willing to bet that a couple of layers of 6 oz glass would be ok with polyester...it'd still be disposable, but it would have to be the lightest stick imaginable.

Hey da.bell...I think the most common form of PolyU is that 2 pound like you're finding. There is some spray foam used in wall inulation that comes in 0.5 and 2 pound and then the floral foam stuff is "supposed" to be 0.5 foam.

[ascboards.com]

no

the pouring of the foam is the dirty toxic part of surfboards.when its curing up,the fumes are what it so carcinogenic.after its dried its not so bad..the home blown foam guys in sandiego are using a mdi process instead of the standard tdi that has all the mekp hardeners and bad stuff in it.there blanks are 65%vegetable matter.while still white, they sayin it is at least 5lb density foam.me gunna have to agree,i'm riden a 4'6" theses dayz.also this stuff just doesnt soak up water after ya dingh it.with guys like these pourin quality blanks,its just not worth it to me to try.specially since my uncle grubby went through so much crap wit the epa while ago.

[TeamAllen]

How about this site. They make some roofing foam I use.

http://www.polyfoaminc.com/

[bentone]

if you call these guys, they will make what ever density and whatever shape you want, they are all set up on cnc too. Big Sky Insulations....406-388-4146

[Surfdad]

Thanks Team and Bentone,

Bentone...those folks, if I ask for 1 or 1.5 pound density they can manufacture that? That would be the ticket!

I let a section of some 1 pound EPS age on the rocker table for a few months and just started shaping it last night...it's going to need some significant stiffening with glass or carbon...however after the initial bit of shaping it weighs 7.2 ounces on my digital postal scale. Just as a comparison, I had a similary shaped old clark superlight that weighed 31.6 ounces.

I think it's possible to make a board that weighs less than 3 pounds - not sure how it will ride, but...it's an interesting experiment.

[da.bell]

Hopefully you let us know... You might have found your new company if you do.

[bentone]

any density you would like, any thickness, shape, length

[da.bell]

any density you would like, any thickness, shape, length

I think you might have started the rodent in surfdad's head a spinning. I hope he doesn't go into overload with all that thinking now.

[Surfdad]

It's true da.bell! I was just checking on the density of the old Clark PolyU blanks and I "think" what I had was in the 2.3 pound per cubic foot density range. The 1 pound per cubic foot density is so much much lighter when shaped, BUT...it lacks almost all rigidity. Holding the shaped blank in your hand and it flexes all over. The folks from surftech just wrap it with layers and layers of glass and a thin wrap of d-cell.

We'll see, it'll probably be a slug, but GREAT fun to experiment with.