Looking for lightweight material for interior

[Niilo06]

Hi,

I'm looking for a lightweight material for a professional boat interior. I need black (from surface), durable and light weight material for boat interior wall panels. Thickness between 5-15mm. Any recommendations?

[Fanie]

Hello Niilo,

I have not done this before, but I an going to in the boat I'm building. I'm going to adhere a closed cell PE foam, even on the floor and roof(s).

The foam is durable enough to walk on and easy enough to replace a part of it. It adds to flotation, and weighs 33kg/cu meter. It is temperature neutral, dampen sound and be soft to walk on. If someone falls it will also cushion the impact. It is also UV resistant, some of my pieces was outside in wind and weather for around 10 years, if you clean it it still looks good. It's also not slippery, even when wet.

Here it is available in black, blue and white. The foam can be cut, milled, drilled, sawed, whatever, and you can glue it well with james bond glue or those things the join car panels with, called Dow Corning here. The latter would be better for paneling, the former for joining edges.

It is flexable and shapes around corners, but thicker pieces (20mm+) are a bit tough to stretch.

So far using this foam only have advantages. I've used it before, but I've sandwitched it in glass.

Fanie, who is the supplier - I would like to look into this. thx

[Fanie]

www.sondor.co.za

I'm using the XPS33. They also offer a certificate for flotation.

Thank-you.

[Fanie]

I suggest you obtain a couple of pieces to play with first. I'm merely suggesting this since paneling is always a problem. Imo this makes it easy and it also forms well. Varying the colours may make for some attractive interiors.

[Fanie]

Ok, I'll admit the truth. The main reasin is so your beer mug doesn't break when it drops...

[sabahcat]

Interesting stuff

This crowd does some wild colours

http://metrofoam.com.au/polyethylene-foam.html

[Fanie]

Wow ! I haven't seen those colours on our PE foams ! With an interior like that you can go on a trip (pun) eh

Our's are available in much thicker, I think up to a meter, which is the bun size.

I tried to get them to pour that foam into a hull. You just work out what you don't want, and it would be the best buoyant boat ever. They won't do it though.

[Niilo06]

Great, thank you Fanie!
I tryed to find a datasheet from the company web page but couldn't find. Can you confirm the product name once again.

[jim lee]

You need black, lightweight interior panels? Get a sheet of formica counter top material. Wax it, PVA it and shoot black gelcoat on it. Then a layer of cloth, core, cloth infuse.. Presto really light weight paneling with a nice textured finish.

At least this is what we've been doing. Except ours are done in white.

-jim lee

[Fanie]

This is the spec sheet for the foam I use. There should be someone in your area selling or making it.

[Fanie]

Ji Jim,
I recently stayed with a friend on his houseboat. The table tops he has in it is made of fiberglass, and looks just like marble.

If this is how your panels is made I would like to know more. My galley needs something like that.

[jim lee]

No, ours are just formica. It has a sort of "grainy" texture. And we just do a solid gelcoat color. It ends up looking just like a counter top but weighing very little.

I've seen the marble, well.. at least the granite looking stuff. I don't know how they get the coloring like that.

-jim lee

[2020]

very light weight
waterproof
fire resistant
can be bent . twisted under heat then set
totally inert
easy to cut and work
paint or veneer the surface
glue or screw

and no i don't work for them but am using their stuff most happily for internal fitout

www.multipanel.com.au