Freestyle Looking for tray replacement suggestions.

[NVJAY775]

I'm looking for some words of wisdom on how to replace my tray. It's been molested a bit before I got it and I want to replace it.

Things I am going to do along the way are using polystyrene where my waterlogged foam was, shaping in lowered footwells, lowering the side rails to just above whatever holds I end up going with.

So my thoughts initially were to try and find some place that sells fiberglass already laid up in 1/4" sheet form (stock tray thickness), then cut and shape it in. But lately have been thinking of doing all the shape work first, then laying up over it, but I'm not sure what will work best for the layup.

So... What do you guys think would work best?

Thanks yet again.
Jay

 

[scotts2t]

I dont know where you would get sheets of 1/4 fiberglass but you could always make your own panels to be fiberglassed together. A good method I've used before is layup on a piece of vaselined sheet glass then cut them to fit. use alum or fiberglass brackets to hold the panels together, then layup over the seams. thats how i'd do it.

 

[LBE]

May I suggest widening the tray while your at it.

 

[NVJAY775]

LBE I forgot to mention widening the tray... My badd lol!

Scotts2t, I was thinking something like that as far as laying up a sheet, but then thought of shaping the tray first, then laying up over it. I just don't know what materials will work best for the layup. 2 layers of 17 oz biax, chop matt combo / biax. I just want to get it as close to right as possible, while TRYING (lol) to keep it on a diet at the same time.

 

[McDog]

fill the bottom half with polystyrene. The go over that with some two part foam and shape the tray and the gunwhales out of foam. Then fiberglass over that with a couple of layers of biax. I would suggest sealing the foam first with microballoons in epoxy or maybe a layer of 5200. I would incorporate some premade footholds in that too.

disclaimer: I am no expert. That is just what I would do.

 

[LBE]

You have a nice fresh start there. One other thought on widening, don't forget to modify your exhaust tube. I worked around mine, but friends who have modded the exhaust tube, get the most out of widening the tray.
Forget about the diet, make it strong. The place where all your body weight comes down is not the place to be thin with fiberglass.
One other thing: A friend recently widened his tray and lowered it as well. You are limited by the pump box though. He has a slight slope down in all directions from the pump box. I have not ridden it yet, but he loves the lower center of gravity.
Good luck!

 

[Crab]

make it strong as LBE says, or it will just beat up the foam from flexing like the stock stuff.

 

[227]

fill the bottom half with polystyrene. The go over that with some two part foam and shape the tray and the gunwhales out of foam.

X2 took the words right out of my mouth. The polystyrene in the bottom section won't waterlog in the future. Two part foam in the gunnels can be shaped to what ever you like and water most likely will never touch it. The little that does can drain down through the polystyrene. This is what I'd do also.

 

[NVJAY775]

You have a nice fresh start there. One other thought on widening, don't forget to modify your exhaust tube. I worked around mine, but friends who have modded the exhaust tube, get the most out of widening the tray.
Forget about the diet, make it strong. The place where all your body weight comes down is not the place to be thin with fiberglass.
One other thing: A friend recently widened his tray and lowered it as well. You are limited by the pump box though. He has a slight slope down in all directions from the pump box. I have not ridden it yet, but he loves the lower center of gravity.
Good luck!

Thanks for the heads up on making it strong over weight. Makes good sense. Not too worried about the weird shaping around the pump box like your buddy did. Just looking for the same advantages he picked up on.

make it strong as LBE says, or it will just beat up the foam from flexing like the stock stuff.

And yet another good point on crushing the foam going thin.

X2 took the words right out of my mouth. The polystyrene in the bottom section won't waterlog in the future. Two part foam in the gunnels can be shaped to what ever you like and water most likely will never touch it. The little that does can drain down through the polystyrene. This is what I'd do also.

Thanks man! Really appreciate the help from everybody on this.

So... Once I do the polystyrene and 2 part shaping, what exactly would you guys recommend for the strong material tray layup?

 

[NVJAY775]

HOLY CRAP! My first multiquote. Thanks Shonuff for being "that" guy.

 

[Crab]

So... Once I do the polystyrene and 2 part shaping, what exactly would you guys recommend for the strong material tray layup?

I think I did 2 or 3 layers 1208 overlapped with wet layup over the 4 pound foam, I added two layers triax to my current stock rn tray where I stand, seen too many cracked trays under the feet. (4lb is really strong when done right)

 

[Shadow7874]

I was thinking about polystyrene earlier today and wondering how it would work out. Are you just going to use big chunks and try and make it fit as best as possible or smaller pieces? I seems like it would be pretty easy to just get a back of the little pieces and pout it into the lower half and just put some foam over that but im not sure.

 

[smoofers]

For making a new tray, the method I have used is to make a new panel by waxing my flat wooden workbench top with Johnson's Paste Wax (you can find it in the cleaning supplies section at Home Depot). Put down 2 layers of wax and then layup over that. Cut your new panel to fit, then glass it in with some more layers to get your desired thickness.

 

[NVJAY775]

I think I did 2 or 3 layers 1208 overlapped with wet layup over the 4 pound foam, I added two layers triax to my current stock rn tray where I stand, seen too many cracked trays under the feet. (4lb is really strong when done right)

After listening to you guys and then calling uscomposites about materials, stronger is better. That being said I am going to use 3 layers of 1708 in the tray and 2 layers for the rails, on top of the 4 lb foam you recommended. And some 8.9 oz s glass for hold areas.

I was thinking about polystyrene earlier today and wondering how it would work out. Are you just going to use big chunks and try and make it fit as best as possible or smaller pieces? I seems like it would be pretty easy to just get a back of the little pieces and pout it into the lower half and just put some foam over that but im not sure.

I want to leave the bottom of the tray free for water flow to drains, so I will use polystyrene cut up into all kinds of random tight fitting pieces in the bottom lol. 2 part (I am told) will always absorb water over time. So I am avoiding using that in the bottom. But will use 2 part to hold it together as needed and to use over the top of the polystyrene for shaping over the pump area and lowered footwells. The bummer about polystyrene (I am told) is that fuel, oil, cleaners break it down. But I'm not worried about that, because it will be out of the lower channels. In theory lol!

For making a new tray, the method I have used is to make a new panel by waxing my flat wooden workbench top with Johnson's Paste Wax (you can find it in the cleaning supplies section at Home Depot). Put down 2 layers of wax and then layup over that. Cut your new panel to fit, then glass it in with some more layers to get your desired thickness.

Dang I wish I could do this. But with all the shaping, I will end up laying it all up over the 4 lb shaped foam in the tray. But I have to say that is a sweet way to go. And I will probably use the paste wax layup trick for the gunnel sides, if I can pull it off.

I have to say the X rules again. You guys are awesome. If there's aby more thoughts let my newb ass know.

Thanks Jay

 

[snowxr]

Hmm, I do have a Carbon/ Kevlar RN tray sitting around.

 

[NVJAY775]

That sounds kinda nice. I'm cutting and shaping the tray so much I have decided to just shape it and glass it. Kind of a pain, but should work out fine.

Thanks for the offer though. That would be sweet.