Under floor floatation? Ping Pong Balls?

[pjc]

Re: Under floor floatation? Ping Pong Balls?

---well hello rtw2112------<br />---is good to see your demeanor is-ah--consistent-

 

[grampa's toy]

Re: Under floor floatation? Ping Pong Balls?

Hi guys I've not posted on this forum before but here's my 2 cents, while I have done some things that weren't to safe I would not comprimize others when it comes to safty. what about that green corrigated fiberglass couldn't you glass that in the bildge and put the foam over it? you would have drainage and foam. ps I'm sorry about all the flap my anchor caused, but she wouldn't commit to me she wouldn't stay in one place , always dragging off no matter how much I begged I had to break it off . I hate confrontations so I used my prop to sever our relationship. Little did I know she would show up at your ramp looking for someone new. You can have her, tell her I'm happily reanchored now, but remember no matter how pretty she is there is always someone out there who is tired of putting up with her s##t

 

[JasonJ]

Re: Under floor floatation? Ping Pong Balls?

Pat, Ive been sniffin and postin here for a few years now, mostly in this last year, did mostly learnin' and lurkin' prior to that. I have only had "interactions" with two people, one of which we all know all to well and the other was with BillP. There was a marked difference between the two. With Bill, we "discussed" a difference of opinion on whether to remove the upper deck or not for transom replacement. In the end, I still have respect for BillP because he has shown that he has a large amount of knowledge in the fine art of 'glass, more than I do, and I have learned much from his assistance to others. While I still stand by my opinion of how to do the transom thing, I also see his way was as equally viable once I understood what he meant. It was all good. With that "other" individual, it was a bad deal all the way around, and apparantly the wounds are still fresh on his part. Me, I could give a hairy rats arse, except for a few posts, his 39 posts consist of fighting with everyone and contributing not even marginally to the solving of someone elses problems. There are four types of message board users: Lurkers, Answerers, Askers, and Fighters. I think thats all that needs to be said. Peace Out.....

 

[pjc]

Re: Under floor floatation? Ping Pong Balls?

Jason, from my experience at other boards it is best to disregard "input" from folks that challange others with obvious (to me anyway) bad input (w/o naming same-though not you friend)that is not technicaly sound. <br />I have researched data, or claims at the us composit page regarding their urathane foam floatation. Seems to be great stuff, 2#,4#---etc. They do state that the 2# can be compromised by prolonged exposure to water. Nothing said on their page about more dense foams.<br />Their tech. data (uscomp.) is very thourough imo.<br /><br />Anyhooo- my intentions are to phone the folks at uscomposits and discuss the properties of their floation foam. I have called these folks couple of times in the last few months asking tech stuff about their epoxy resin, #150-1:1 laminating resin as well as #650-3:1 glassing resin 'cause I have ordered and have been using same on the Slikker projy. I phoned them 'cause I needed to know what the ambient temp. threshold was for use of these epoxies (do not work below 50 deg. F).<br />I am very confidant that the usc folks will give a strait up answer to their urathane foam product as it relates to water resistance and so on. <br /><br />I will post the info from usc here in another (new) thread--hope the mods & admin do not think I'm promoting usc stuff for gain or otherwise--any questions mods please say so--this floation topic IS pretty important as others have posted 'cause of safety--<br /><br />I do believe that ROLMOPS as well as JasonJ belief that a real quality cover to keep rain, snow, tempests, locusts,---blaaa-out of our boats are of HUGE importance to keeping our "foam" dry.<br /><br />--gotta go---am all worded out now---

 

[JasonJ]

Re: Under floor floatation? Ping Pong Balls?

Yeah, I like USC, I bought all my foam and other stuff there. There is a place that rebuilds and customizes boats in Spokane an hour away that I got my poly and mat/roving from. It was less expensive going that route than any other way. I still can't remember what density foam I used, I am sure it was either 2 or 4 pound. Either way, just keeping the water out will make the boat last longer.

 

[ED21]

Re: Under floor floatation? Ping Pong Balls?

Grandpa, your idea makes sense. I've got an good anchor & a mess of kids that keep me in place.<br />I'm not about to cut her loose. <br />PS I'm burned out from all of this.

 

[mn_mike]

Re: Under floor floatation? Ping Pong Balls?

Somewhere in my small pile of mid 1980s Hot Boat mags, there was a aluminum offshore racer that claimed to use ping pong balls in cavities for floation. I believed their intent was to make the hull serviceable. Suck them out, weld her up, blow them back in.<br />The idea of cold water scares me. Every year there are deaths in MN with people through the ice and it doesn't have to be that cold. Wasn't a few years ago the several Army Rangers died in Florida wading in cool water?<br />The last reason I want to keep my boat on top would be the expense to raise it. There is no way the DNR will let you leave it there for any time. I believe pickups that go through the ice are recovered quickly by scuba equipt guys and they drag it to shore with a long cable. $$$ They must look real pretty as they emerge.

 

[Boomyal]

Re: Under floor floatation? Ping Pong Balls?

As to JasonJ's and Rolmop's comments regarding a "good quality boat cover", I whole heartedly agree. However, I have had the best fitting, most tied down, most engineered ridge pole support of anybody on the this forum and possibly of anybody on this planet. My boat has never had standing water in it and at most has been subject to appropriate hosing out with the bow held high. Still MY FLOOR AND POSSIBLY MORE IS SPONGY AND ROTTEN. There should be no reason that you can't construct a floor and stringers that will last as long as your hull.<br /><br />So even though this thread has been well attended, let's keep our collective heads tuned to alternatives to foam. If you don't hold water against wood for prolonged periods you won't have well prepared wood go to rot on you.

 

[jtexas]

Re: Under floor floatation? Ping Pong Balls?

Please, please don't downplay the possibility of fire ignited by static electricity generated by plastics rubbing against each other. The danger would be concentrated around the fuel tanks and batteries. Now, if you could use it to charge your batteries that would be another matter altogether. <br /><br />Is there some sort of water-proof material that could be placed tween the wood & the foam? Hot-glue a layer of those stinky plastic cheap raincoats from Wal-marts or something to the bottom of the floor-boards?

 

[mellowyellow]

Re: Under floor floatation? Ping Pong Balls?

Intrigued by Jason's idea... PVC is much too heavy.<br />why not use very light cardboard tubes?

 

[msmorto]

Re: Under floor floatation? Ping Pong Balls?

WHAT ABOUT THOSE FOAM TUBES THAT KIDS USE IN SWINMING, POOL THEY SEEM NOT TO ABSORB WATER???

 

[aggie97]

Re: Under floor floatation? Ping Pong Balls?

One thing I don't think i have seen mentioned is containment. If your hull is breached, and you must rely on the floation of the ping-pong balls, how would that work if they are all floating out of that same hole that breached the hull. By that same reasoning soda bottles would not be a good solution either. I personally would not want to explain to the local game warden or DNR or other entity why I released thousands of little round plastic balls into the public water ways.

 

[catfish1]

Re: Under floor floatation? Ping Pong Balls?

yea aggie, thats been mentioned in this thread.<br />the foam noodles that the kids use, now that could be something to think about. i dont know if those things absorb water or not, but i know you can get them for $1 at the dollar store and you may be able to get them in bulk and save money.<br />does anyone know if these things absorb water?

 

[msmorto]

Re: Under floor floatation? Ping Pong Balls?

TRY THIS<br /> http://www.gladon.com/noodle.htm

 

[Boomyal]

Re: Under floor floatation? Ping Pong Balls?

SEE! glad we still have our thinkin caps on. MS, this idea bears looking further into. One advantage to these is that they wouldn't make any noise if they weren't packed in tight. I have a couple of those out in the pool shed. You take them out of the pool, shake them once and they are virtually dry.