Foam core stips (smaller pieces)

Hello all,

Building foam core pieces would it be better to make a vaccum bagged foam core panel(constant result/weight) and then cut the pieces/strips you need or just cut all the pieces and then hand laminate? inefficient/weight.

How should i cut the glassed foam core panel (diamond cutting disc or what kind of blade ?) in order to avoid damaging/delaminating the glassed panel ?

I do like the constant result of the vacuum bagging but i dont like the mess.
And i dont like the extra weight and not constant result of hand laying but i like the non messy process of not have to cut the panels after curing.

 

You can infuse foam laid over male or female stringers just fine, the foam itself is airtight, just take care to seal the joints.
You can read all about it here: https://www.fram.nl/float1.html

 

Both have their place.

For example, let's say you make a 4x8 glass panel for interior furniture. And you want to make a kitchen cabinet. The cabinets can be cut from the stock. But cutting from stock is always inefficient use of materials...only is guaranteed to occur as you cut out windows or other openings in panels.

It is always best to make panels to size. Why? You can put tape reliefs into the panels and reduce fairing and make nicer parts. You can also adjust your glass to suit. On a large project, you will have 200,400,600,600/225 glass available. There is no reason to cut a stock panel for something super light from the heaviest stock. For stock panels, I found 600g to be the most common one I went hunting for from the scrap heap.

Cutting.

Cutting a stock panel or trimming a vac table panel is done the same. I use a 4" carbide blade in a circular saw. Sometimes, the saw can't make a corner, and so an oscillating tool is always on hand. Cutting slow is the key to less delam. Almost any panel is going to be tabbed in and so very rare to have a delam end up exposed; although I had one the other day from trimming that I allowed in a solid frp lid. Also very important to sand all the edges after trimming to avoid any trouble, but the panels are pretty sturdy generally.

If I were you, I'd avoid building any stock panels. I had a hull panel I rejected on my boat because I felt it had too much air in it. The panel was cut up down to the last sections, but there are a lot of unusable sizes left.

I had to do some hand laminating; just no getting around it. The job is really no different; just more resin. I tested the more resin panels and found they were generally not as good as bagged.

 

Valid point Fallguy cheers.

 

Now, THAT is beyond diy.....that is dam prof quality right there.... cheers

 

No reason you can't replicate that. Be patient when glueing the foam and use goretex hose for the infusion.