Custom/Hybrid Flotation Bladders instead of Foam?

SirMrManGuy

SirMrManGuy

Location
Taupo NZ
Just an idea from the kayak world, since foam tends to water log what about putting inflatable bladders installed under the deck. It should weigh less than foam and work better. Maybe a put a Shrader valve sticking through the bulkhead on each side to keep it pressurized.

Something like these below the tray:
http://www.apsltd.com/c-4686-buoyancybags.aspx

When I was into 4wheeling a bunch of guys had fuel tank bladders made up by some aircraft tank company (keeps the fuel from sloshing away from the pickups), you sent them the dimensions and in a week or two they sent back a really nice bladder for a few hundred dollars. It definitely wouldn't be as cheap as 2 part foam or ping pong, but you could get custom made bags to fill the under tray area completely.


Has anyone tried this?
 
WFO Speedracer

WFO Speedracer

A lifetime ban is like a lifetime warranty !
Location
Alabama
I put blow up dolls inside my footwells , I wasn't using them anymore and well it just seemed like a kewl thing to do.
 
SirMrManGuy

SirMrManGuy

Location
Taupo NZ
Idok said:
search it..been done

its ALLLLLLLLLLLLLL been done
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For the record I did search "flotation bladders" and "flotation bags" it yielded pages and pages of seemingly unrelated results. I may be a noob here, but I'm in no way new to the internet. The search functions on forums are usually not helpful unless you know the title of the thread you are looking for (at best you end up with empty threads that say "search noob" :twak:).
 
SirMrManGuy

SirMrManGuy

Location
Taupo NZ
MADMAT said:
They are all hidden in other threads.....but I know what you mean about searching...it sucks sometimes...

http://www.x-h2o.com/search.php?searchid=947511
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Cool.

Mostly I was also throwing out the idea of custom shaped bladders, companies like http://atlinc.com/marine.html make custom shaped bladders for racing fuel cells. Didn't know if anyone had used a vendor like this to get a custom fitted under tray float
bladder, I could see it as a nice solution for a high dollar ski.
 
MikeyB

MikeyB

H2O-Addict®
Location
Michigan
I got tired of shaping and trimming all of the individual pieces when using the polystyrene sheet foam so I started looking into how its actually manufactured. Apparently a mold cavity is filled with EPS beads and then they are fused together with steam. It would be cool if a process could be developed so that you could just fill your tray with the beads, fuse them and then not have to cut out all the individual pieces. I suppose you would still have to shape the gunwales with the sheet foam, but it seems like it would make the overall job easier.
 
509freerider

509freerider

Location
Spokane, Washington, United States
MikeyB said:
I got tired of shaping and trimming all of the individual pieces when using the polystyrene sheet foam so I started looking into how its actually manufactured. Apparently a mold cavity is filled with EPS beads and then they are fused together with steam. It would be cool if a process could be developed so that you could just fill your tray with the beads, fuse them and then not have to cut out all the individual pieces. I suppose you would still have to shape the gunwales with the sheet foam, but it seems like it would make the overall job easier.
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There is a company here locally that I do work for that manufactures foam. They said they can laser scan the tray area if the decks were split and then CNC a block to fit. Thats my plan if I ever have the decks split!
 
Idok

Idok

F1pro
Location
Nations oldest muthaF+++kin city
dirtbike tubes have been thought of as an excellent source of flotation....ping pong balls....beer pong balls...plastic coke bottles..sealed air chambers its all been done



...nothing is as good as poly/couch foam.....no need to reinvent the wheel here

spend the time to shape the poly, install drains and and forget it
 
madness maker

madness maker

John
Location
freaked on long island
Just about all late model cars use poly foam as an impact absorber under the bumper covers, I recently filled the nose of my sf with it(think was from a honda), it took a little bit of cutting and shaping a few pieces, but once wedged in tightly they don't move. I'm Pretty happy with it. I also did some testing with soaking it in fuel for a while, and didn't break down at all.

Sent from my BlackBerry 9650 using Tapatalk
 
G

garrcass

Location
Redding CA
You don't want to use any EPS (expanded poly stirene) foam in a ski it will melt with any gasoline or solvent contact.. the foam in car bumpers and most skis is EPP (expanded poly propoline) it is a closed cell foam that will not melt when exposed to a litle gasoline now if you dipped it in it that's another story perhaps. you can purchase it in varying thicknesses on the internet or possibly from your local Radio controlled airplane hobby shop.. it is glueable with silacone, gorilla glue, hot glue, or welders cement, if gluing sheets together with silacone or hot glue puncture the surfaces with a small tack or some small needles to make some shallow holes..

Sent from my LG-P925 using Tapatalk 2
 
G

garrcass

Location
Redding CA
Oh you can also glue it with FOAM SAFE CA. And activator From the local hobby shop its basicly foam safe super glue and a activator the foam holds no moisture like wood.. all you need is a contour gauge and a ruler a tape meause and some foam and glue ;-)

Sent from my LG-P925 using Tapatalk 2
 
BrightE's

BrightE's

Paul
Location
Seattle, WA
MikeyB said:
I got tired of shaping and trimming all of the individual pieces when using the polystyrene sheet foam so I started looking into how its actually manufactured. Apparently a mold cavity is filled with EPS beads and then they are fused together with steam. It would be cool if a process could be developed so that you could just fill your tray with the beads, fuse them and then not have to cut out all the individual pieces. I suppose you would still have to shape the gunwales with the sheet foam, but it seems like it would make the overall job easier.
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Even cheaper than molding it might be hot wire cutting. Much like cutting foam wings for RC airplanes. Homemade 2 axis CNC cutters can be made on the CHEAP with enough know how.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2VUmrpN1lk

509freerider said:
Next time I'm in there I'll talk to them and find out what the cost would be. I just wonder if it would be a marketable item and what people would be willing to pay for the ability to just drop in a solid block of foam? May have to take you up on your offer Steve!
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I wouldn't think there would be much of a market for people wanting to split their bond-line open. You might have better luck with foam molding or hot wire cutting a brick set of say 5-6 pieces, that could be assembled (w/o glue or adhesive) inside just from cutting the tray open rather than doing a complete split and dropping a single block in.

This I would buy.
 
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