Spray foam project
 

Ive seen tons of posts on various forumns about what if when it comes to a lowes spray foam plane. But no one that actually tried it. I had some foam left over from recent remodel and decided to give it a try and wanted to share the results so far.

SO I started with a plan download for a profile 3D from the 3dfoamy site. Cut from paper then traced onto cardboard and peiced together and stuck a stick mount down the center to just before the wing front.

http://i1113.photobucket.com/albums/...-17-43_571.jpg

After that I used steel rods used to hold up insulation as holding pins to hold the shape of the cardboard and give a orientation and holding frame.

Using a 1/2" spade bit I drilled holes throughout the frame so that the foam would be 1 peice not 1/4's separated by the cardboard skeleton.

http://i1113.photobucket.com/albums/...-26-43_470.jpg


Fast forward coating it in spray foam from your favorite hardware store. This is the large gap fill.

http://i1113.photobucket.com/albums/...-01-02_163.jpg


After it expanded for about 48 hours I began to shave it down with a bread cutting knife following the outlines of the cardboard.

http://i1113.photobucket.com/albums/...-19-28_118.jpg


http://i1113.photobucket.com/albums/...-20-08_371.jpg


There are a few voids here and there but nothing major and the shaved version is very light and very tough. Still have to form the wings and such but it is a alpha version of me trying this and I have already made several changes to how I would do it a second time. (window seal foam expands with less gas than the large gap). And I think I would try wrap the skeleton with plastic wrap to help hold it to the cardboard better. Alot of foam was wasted as it dripped off while setting.

Ill try to keep more info up if there is interest as I finish it. I would like to get it smooth enough to econokote it.

I have to give you an A for Effort :$ Seems like a very labor intensive way to build a plane :concern: if you would have cut out some Depron foam to the shape of the Cardboard pattern you used, you would have been done with the fuselage :rolleyes: But i Admire people trying new and different things, and as long as your having Fun, Thats all that matters ;-) good luck to you on your Project, Chellie

I tried to make some floats with that expanding foam, they did not turn out very well, and they were heavy, Just my 2 cents worth.