Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

Hi all Foamlings,

How about a sticky for:
Web Sites w/ Foam Info For Tools, Techniques, Sources Etc..

My first serendipitous link is here:

http://hotwirefoamfactory.com/customer/ ... railer.htm

This link shows a customer's project - really shows it's possible to
piece together and sculpt the shape you want. [I'd assume he's going to
fiberglass it.]

Check out the whole web site. After a fast glance through it, it looks to
have a lot of useful tools and products for working with foam.

Cheers,
Norm/mezmo

That is some cool stuff !!! ... shows the possibilities ... Thanks Norm !!!

i must be honest here, i did not think at first this should be a sticky. my first thoughts were that we were acquiring our materials from local resources (sticking with the "thrifty" theme). and that i have not seen any of us building elaborate builds that we could not use what tools we already had or could get locally.

but on second thought, i think this is a great site. shows, as gpw said, the possibilities of foam.


i wonder about those glues and coatings on the site. i am tempted to give a call and/or order those products to check them out. the money hasn't started yet to grow on the tree yet though.

that glue might be better than the gorilla glue. especially if it was designed for foam.

and the coatings for the foam. might be perfect for those that want a smooth finish rather than rough canvas look.

thanks for finding this site

OMGosh! What an interesting site. I didn't know that so many things could be done with foam.

if you watch the video about the coatings, you will see there is a mesh (similiar to fiberglass cloth?). different types of finishings. the way they describe, it sounds like you build and cover with almost bullet proof mix. hmmm, could it be bear proof?

i am thinking i really need to save money and buy a pallet of styrofoam, and then get some of these coatings.

there is even a section about rc planes.

if this stuff works the way it says, you could coat the bottom and sides with the "almost bullet proof" coating and would not have to worry about rocks and what not hitting the foam. or coat the whole thing and perhaps not worry about those tree limbs either. just thinking out loud.

some of the coatings come in gallon size also.

I'd be sure to test those bullet proof coatings First ...

GPW wrote:I'd be sure to test those bullet proof coatings First ...

they do say "almost"

Q: How do I protect foam when it is outdoors?

A: The cheapest and easiest coating is outdoor latex house paint. If the foam will be in an area where people and animals won't be banging into it, it will outlast painted wood because shrinkage, expansion, or rot will not occur with polystyrene foam, as it does with wood. We now have a complete Foam Coating System with several options for protecting your foam. The Foam Coat is a concrete based product, so when applied thick enough (at least .5" thick) it will be very difficult to break or crack. I always recommend adding some Boost liquid fortifier, as it will greatly strengthen and weatherproof the Foam Coat. The Foam Coat is slightly porous, so use an exterior paint, or other sealer over the Foam Coat. If you add Bounce instead of Boost, it will make a flexible waterproof coating. You can also stucco over the foam coat which has been formulated to adhere well to foam. We also offer Grit in either medium or coarse, which adds stone texture to foam. If you are looking for super strength you can fiberglass and epoxy the foam. Many kayaks and windsurfers are made this way. Never use resin directly on the foam, as it will dissolve polystyrene. You can use a coating of white glue as an insulating barrier from the resin




this leads me to believe that the epoxy/fiberglass is stronger than these products. not to say these products will not do the job for what we want. but it does say if you want super strenght use epoxy/fiberglass.

eaglesdare wrote:Q: How do I protect foam when it is outdoors?

A: The cheapest and easiest coating is outdoor latex house paint. If the foam will be in an area where people and animals won't be banging into it, it will outlast painted wood because shrinkage, expansion, or rot will not occur with polystyrene foam, as it does with wood. We now have a complete Foam Coating System with several options for protecting your foam. The Foam Coat is a concrete based product, so when applied thick enough (at least .5" thick) it will be very difficult to break or crack. I always recommend adding some Boost liquid fortifier, as it will greatly strengthen and weatherproof the Foam Coat. The Foam Coat is slightly porous, so use an exterior paint, or other sealer over the Foam Coat. If you add Bounce instead of Boost, it will make a flexible waterproof coating. You can also stucco over the foam coat which has been formulated to adhere well to foam. We also offer Grit in either medium or coarse, which adds stone texture to foam. If you are looking for super strength you can fiberglass and epoxy the foam. Many kayaks and windsurfers are made this way. Never use resin directly on the foam, as it will dissolve polystyrene. You can use a coating of white glue as an insulating barrier from the resin




this leads me to believe that the epoxy/fiberglass is stronger than these products. not to say these products will not do the job for what we want. but it does say if you want super strenght use epoxy/fiberglass.

I read about the foam coat with interest and see that it's a concrete product. With the jostling the tear takes down the highway, I'd opt for that boost product that would make it slightly flexible, then paint.

I think it's great that there's a way to fiberglass foam by protecting it from the resin with white glue!! Wonderful stuff on this website.

Hugs,
Ratkity

exactly. read the faq's. lots of good info there.

Just FYI , I show my friends how STRONG it is by beating on it ... I'm sorta' Large and I've yet to even put the slightest dent in it... Happy with just the canvas and paint ...

Foam is used in stage sets, so they can be moved with ease. In the UK most use Rosco Products

http://www.rosco.com do a range of foam bonding and coating products

Select your country and then Scenic Application Products to see them

Also the UK supplier for the Hot Wire Foam Coat product

http://terrascenic-online.co.uk/acatalog/Foam_Coat_System_.html

Just wanted to include this link for use as a reference:

http://www.goldbrand.info/motorcykelhusvagn2.html

A Great Build I think.

Cheers,
Norm/mezmo

MO, That is a very COOL build !!! Thanks !!!