TO FOAM OR NOT TO FOAM

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BOB350RX

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HEY GUYS GOT A NEW QUESTION FOR YA, I BOUGHT MY BOAT FROM A GUY AWHILE AGO AND JUST STARTED REDOING IT, AS I GOT INTO IT I NOTICED THE PREV. OWNER REMOVED ALL THE FLOATATION FOAM FROM IT, SHOULD I REPLACE IT? I HAVE FISHED THIS THING FOR QUITE SOME TIME NOW WITH NO PROB. ID RATHER NOT PUT FOAM IN IT BUT IF ITS A PROB WAITING TO HAPPEN I WOULD LIKE TO FIX IT, LET ME KNOW WHAT YA THINK
 
BOB350RX said:
ID RATHER NOT PUT FOAM IN IT BUT IF ITS A PROB WAITING TO HAPPEN I WOULD LIKE TO FIX IT, LET ME KNOW WHAT YA THINK

You won't appreciate foam until there is a mishap and your boat (nearly) sinks! I would say it is wise to have some foam in that boat.
 
ITS A 14' MIRRO CRAFT AND IT HAS NO FOAM AT ALL HOW MUCH YOU THINK IT SHOULD HAVE? I KNOW ITS SUPPOSED TO KEEP IT FROM GOING DOWN LIKE A GARBAGE CAN BUT... #-o
 
Good question. I am in the middle of a re-build myself and took out all the foam (two rear enclosures between the rear bench and the transom, under the rear bench seat, under the bow deck) but will put foam under the floor when I install it. I hope it'll be enough to off-set what I removed. Square inch-wise, I think it'll be approx. 2/3 of what I removed. Better to have some than none I guess.
 
I came home and measured just to be sure. Apparently, I am crappy at estimating square inches. The amount of foam going beneath the deck is nearly double the amount that I removed from the two enclosures, seat and bow deck. It was in sad condition anyway. Half was styrofoam and the remainder was water logged craft foam like what one would find in a silk flower arrangement. It may float up-side down, but it'll float.
 
WELL I DECIDED NOT TO TEMPT FATE ANY LONG THAN I HAVE WITH OUT THE FOAM SOM IM GONNA REPLACE IT ALTHOUGH IT MEANS LOSING SOME OF THE STORAGE I WAS INTENDING ON USING, OH WELL WHAT YA GONNA DO
 
BOB350RX said:
WELL I DECIDED NOT TO TEMPT FATE ANY LONG THAN I HAVE WITH OUT THE FOAM SOM IM GONNA REPLACE IT ALTHOUGH IT MEANS LOSING SOME OF THE STORAGE I WAS INTENDING ON USING, OH WELL WHAT YA GONNA DO
WOW I REALY CANT TYPE
 
BOB350RX said:
BOB350RX said:
WELL I DECIDED NOT TO TEMPT FATE ANY LONG THAN I HAVE WITH OUT THE FOAM SOM IM GONNA REPLACE IT ALTHOUGH IT MEANS LOSING SOME OF THE STORAGE I WAS INTENDING ON USING, OH WELL WHAT YA GONNA DO
WOW I REALY CANT TYPE

There's an edit button, but I'm pretty sure you can't edit after a certain time period or after someone posts after yours.

While we're on the topic, mind killing the caps lock? :wink:
 
I'd add the foam. As someone on here said, it is the difference between filling with water but being able to tow it back to the ramp and the boat with all your stuff becoming structure for the fish. =D>
I added weight with the decking so I added foam under it. One sheet of 2" foam filled the space under the floor and also used it for a floor under the casting deck. It was like $29.
 
Im sure that i dont want to use any open cell foam but is there anything i should not put in? been looking at the two part poly foam, but that would set me back awhile as im ready to start to put this thing back together, getting tired of looking at it and want to use it i hear walleyes are hitting right now about 3 min drive from my house and its killin me
 
I read in one of the multiple posts on here that some folks are using the "swim noodles" to replace the foam. They are closed cell and wont absorb so much as the standard stuff (which was like a sponge in mine once I found it...YUCK!) . My plan is to follow the advice that I read and hit up the dollar store, buy a ton of them, cut them to the size I want and go to town! I have to agree with adding foam...I'm a "fat kid" and while I can swim...I cant swim forever lol!

Good Luck!
 
I thought about the swim noodles for a little while, too, but second thoughts are getting to me. I'd like to hear from a couple of people who have gone that route to learn about their long-term results. I tried them for a couple of uses around the house and I don't think that they are meant to last very long. To be fair, I was using them for padding/cushioning. After a surprisingly short time, they were squished flat with very little "bounce-back" to their original shape. That makes me question the closed cell aspect of swim noodles. Plus, part of the reason you want closed cell foam is to provide resistance to gasoline spills. Anybody tried putting gas on a swim noodle ? I know what it does to styrofoam. Home-made napalm.
So far, the best advice i've seen outside of the two-part mixes is the pink or blue panels from Home Depot or Lowe's. Just cut it to size for your space and add as many layers as you need. You can also glue the layers to each other. This prevents annoying squeaking. That's the route I'm planning for now.
Just my .02's worth.
 
ok so i did a lil research on foam and the such i found that "great stuff" and the like products are a poly, foam much like the two part "kits" you can buy, im gonna use the pink foam board from hd or lowes and use the foam in a can stuff to fill in all the lil gaps, also the stuff is a great adhesive, use one of the old ladys kitchen towels the clean up after and youll find out... [-X anyhow thats my plan for now
 
BOB350RX said:
ok so i did a lil research on foam and the such i found that "great stuff" and the like products are a poly, foam much like the two part "kits" you can buy, im gonna use the pink foam board from hd or lowes and use the foam in a can stuff to fill in all the lil gaps, also the stuff is a great adhesive, use one of the old ladys kitchen towels the clean up after and youll find out... [-X anyhow thats my plan for now

It should only take a few minutes for this thread to fill with people saying not to use great stuff. I've never had any problems using it, but I dont leave my boats out in the rain all year.

I suspect its not entirely closed cell, but its "close enough" for most boat mods, IMO.
 
well i have had a pretty good sized chunk sumbmerge in a 5 gal bucket for 3 days now and it hasnt absorbed any water, yet i also dont leave mine out in the rain so i think ill be ok, but i could see if you left it out it eventualy breaking down
 
BOB350RX said:
well i have had a pretty good sized chunk sumbmerge in a 5 gal bucket for 3 days now and it hasnt absorbed any water, yet i also dont leave mine out in the rain so i think ill be ok, but i could see if you left it out it eventualy breaking down
apparently i was misinformed great stuff is a 1 part poly foam, not like the kits you buy, it is not uv resistant will break down, so im not going to use it for the only floatation, in the boat, not will it be exposed to sunlight and any time so i think a lil wont kill me...hehe :shock:
 

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