foam durability as it ages?

[bonnie]

Thanks to all who have replied..... good knowledge..... I do have another question tho.. Has anyone experimented on coating 3/4 in or 1 inch foam with glass to use as shelving or under a bed as decking? Soon as I get this cast off and can use this arm again, I plan to experiment... maybe cut strips in 4-6" wide and glass each with 1 layer of 4oz glass, then put side by side and glass together as a wider "board"? Maybe be strong enut to use in floor deck and would cut weight in half there from weight of plywood.....

Google foam ship building. What you describe is what's being done with racing boats. Pretty neat process.

[Lonewolf42301]

Thanks to all who have replied..... good knowledge..... I do have another question tho.. Has anyone experimented on coating 3/4 in or 1 inch foam with glass to use as shelving or under a bed as decking? Soon as I get this cast off and can use this arm again, I plan to experiment... maybe cut strips in 4-6" wide and glass each with 1 layer of 4oz glass, then put side by side and glass together as a wider "board"? Maybe be strong enut to use in floor deck and would cut weight in half there from weight of plywood.....

Google foam ship building. What you describe is what's being done with racing boats. Pretty neat process.

I'm doing my homework..... http://www.ptm-w.com/index.asp?pgid=176 andhttp://www.homebuiltairplanes.com/forums/composites/8888-read-first-composites-faq.html plus a few others.... :

[TeriL]

I know this thread is a bit dated but ...

From Wikipedia:

Modern "acrylic gesso" is a widely used ground that is a combination of calcium carbonate with an acrylic polymer medium latex, a pigment and other chemicals that ensure flexibility, and increase archival life. It is technically not gesso at all and its non-absorbent acrylic polymer base makes it incompatible with media that require traditional gesso such as egg tempera.

Also from Wikipedia:

Calcium carbonate has traditionally been a major component of blackboard chalk.

It seems like Glen's (GPW) artist gesso is not much more than "latex" paint with powdered chalk filler. I figure a suitable faux gesso could be made from some "latex" paint and powdered chalk or maybe baby powder talc (not the corn starch type). I put quotes around latex as the latex was taken out some years ago along with mercury. The former for cost reasons and the latter (mercury) for toxic reasons. "Latex" paint these days is a generic term for water based acrylic paint.

Back to your regular programming ...

-- Teri

P.S. Wikipedia is a treasure trove of information and I spend hours reading articles and links within each.

[Mary C]

hey, That's like Glidden gripper It sands really easy and will smooth itself and fills in the little imperfections. and it is all ready mixed. and yep I think gesso is similar but thinner.

Mary C.