Looking for styrofoam blocks

Yamaha FJR Motorcycle Forum

Help Support Yamaha FJR Motorcycle Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Funny, A blockhead...

good-grief-charlie-brown.jpg


Lookin for a block of Styrofoam :lol: Whata tool :p

:jester:

 
Johnny~

A potential source of free foam is large appliance warehouses/dealers. The manufacturers use it to pack the refrigeration units during shipment and it is waste when the appliances are delivered to the end user.

Another place would be to check some of the larger "Big Box Stores" like Home Despot, Lowes, Kohl's, etc. Check with their shipping/receiving folks to see if they have any. Another potential source would be music stores that sell high end pianos. If I recall correctly, the movements are protected during shipment...

Just a few thoughts. As a general rule, the more expensive the item is, the better it is going to be prepared/packed for shipment.

You have a great idea with the concept of making a master mold for the Smuggler. I'll be following your progress closely.

Don

edited to add: Do you have a receiving station for recycling/trash disposal in your area? You might give them a call to see if they have any foam they have sorted out of the intake pile. They absolutely hate the stuff, 'cause as pointed out earlier, it doesn't degrade and fills up the landfills...

 
I am looking for some home made foam blocks that I can carve into a mold for the home smuggler I am building.
I am looking to make a block about 18 by 12 by 10. I can glue pieces together or would be happy with a solid block. I am easy.

If you work anywhere that has access to styrofoam sheets or blocks or expanding foam please send me a PM. I went out to price this stuff and it is expensive. I throw this stuff and now when I need it I don't have any. Used foam is fine it doesn't need to be new.

My goal is build a smuggler that can be reproduced from a mold and then attached to a stock rear seat pan. Then people can take the fiberglass cast and finish themselves and attach it to a seat pan. I will pay shipping for the foam. If everything works and this is successful I will gladly make a fiberglass cast for who ever sends me foam if they want to build there own smuggler.

I just can't see paying so much money for a smuggler.
Go to Lowes or Home Depot and get a sheet of the blue building foam 2' x 8' x 2"thick. Cut to rough size (rectangular) then glue about 4 pieces together with gorrilla glue (follow it's directions, it is water actuated). I rough shaped mine with a fine tooth hacksaw blade then used a Surform to shape then a sheetrock sanding block with screen type sandpaper. The glue lines will help you to get the dimensions equal on both sides.

It shouldn't cost more than $40 for the foam and tools. The fiberglassing will be the fun part...do some research.

Hope this helps & good luck

Wrench

 
Last edited by a moderator:
I am looking for some home made foam blocks that I can carve into a mold for the home smuggler I am building.
I am looking to make a block about 18 by 12 by 10. I can glue pieces together or would be happy with a solid block. I am easy.

If you work anywhere that has access to styrofoam sheets or blocks or expanding foam please send me a PM. I went out to price this stuff and it is expensive. I throw this stuff and now when I need it I don't have any. Used foam is fine it doesn't need to be new.

My goal is build a smuggler that can be reproduced from a mold and then attached to a stock rear seat pan. Then people can take the fiberglass cast and finish themselves and attach it to a seat pan. I will pay shipping for the foam. If everything works and this is successful I will gladly make a fiberglass cast for who ever sends me foam if they want to build there own smuggler.

I just can't see paying so much money for a smuggler.
you still wanting ideas? I know you said the great stuff didn't set but I've used a similar product from a lumbar yard that came in two parts and you mixed it yourself. It expanded, was the color of coke foam and was cutable and sandable after it cured.

You could also buy a small styro cooler adn fill it up with the great stuff and you'd have a uniform block.

Keep us updated on this project.

What do you intend to do for the fiberglass shell?

 
I am looking for some home made foam blocks that I can carve into a mold for the home smuggler I am building.
I am looking to make a block about 18 by 12 by 10. I can glue pieces together or would be happy with a solid block. I am easy.

If you work anywhere that has access to styrofoam sheets or blocks or expanding foam please send me a PM. I went out to price this stuff and it is expensive. I throw this stuff and now when I need it I don't have any. Used foam is fine it doesn't need to be new.

My goal is build a smuggler that can be reproduced from a mold and then attached to a stock rear seat pan. Then people can take the fiberglass cast and finish themselves and attach it to a seat pan. I will pay shipping for the foam. If everything works and this is successful I will gladly make a fiberglass cast for who ever sends me foam if they want to build there own smuggler.

I just can't see paying so much money for a smuggler.
you still wanting ideas? I know you said the great stuff didn't set but I've used a similar product from a lumbar yard that came in two parts and you mixed it yourself. It expanded, was the color of coke foam and was cutable and sandable after it cured.

You could also buy a small styro cooler adn fill it up with the great stuff and you'd have a uniform block.

Keep us updated on this project.

What do you intend to do for the fiberglass shell?
I am collecting foam at work and from a friend who works at Lowes. I am going to check out the blue building foam at Lowes too. After that I am going to shape the foam then fiberglass it. I have never done fiberglassing before so we will see how it goes.

 
No progress on this project. I bought a smuggler a few weeks after my last post on this and have not gone to back to the project. I do want to build this but I never did get the Styrofoam.

Got any leads?

 
What about trying a surfboard manufacturer? The foam they use is easily sanded. There might be some off cuts available.

 
There is also the foam that florists use to stick flower stems in. It's very soft and easily shaped. Get your sweety some flowers while you are there.

EPS (Expanded PolyStyrene) foam, as used for coolers and packaging, is a pain to work with except with a hot wire. Sawing and sanding produces little beads of foam that stick to everything by static electricity. A buddy had a beanbag chair (remember those?), stuffed with EPS beads, bust open in the trunk of his car. Never did get them all cleaned out!

Sounds like a good project. Post some pix of the process!

pete

 
I have thought of the same project but planned on using minicell foam. this is used for outfitting white water boats and is easy to shape and work with. I have bought mine from Nantahala Outdoor Center. Here is a link NOC minicell link

 
Top