FoamStream...

[Wobbly Wheels]

FWIW, I used a 5" cutoff wheel (3/32" IIRC?) in an angle grinder on foam - it melted the foam and the gap closed up after the wheel passed. If one were to use a thicker stone grinding wheel (~5/32") that might work...but I don't know if you can get them in 7-1/4".

I see you just put up the pics: and here I though I was building a giant beer cooler !

Just curious, how are you planning to canvas the inside ? Are you going to wrap the ribs as well or wrap the canvas onto them ?

Compared to the Mk I foamie behind it, the FS is HUGE

[GPW]

Was planning on putting some heavy brown Kraft paper on the inside foam bits (like wallpaper),between the ribs and wood , just painting over all the rest .... No need for a real “skin” inside with all that framework, it should be strong enough... ... Just trying to keep it simple and practical , nothing fancy ...

It even surprised me once I got it on the trailer ... Big , and the nose is yet to go on ... Bigger ... ~ 72 sq.ft. of floor space, including the nose, compared to the 29 sq. ft. of #1 ... even the "Chief Acquisition Officer" had a walk through and she pronounced it Big enough ...

[KCStudly]

We interrupt this thread for a public service announcement:

This is probably a good time to mention that any abrasive type cutting wheel should not be used on metal after having been used on soft stuff (foam, wood, glue, etc.). (For aluminum and the soft yellow metals special wheels with the appropriate grits should be used. Cutting wax can also be used to help prevent the stone wheels from clogging.)

Once the pores of the abrasive stone are clogged with melted foam goop, etc., the wheel may no longer cut metal cleanly. In this case the friction can heat the stone abnormally causing it to shatter violently.

Sure, there are plenty of people out there that will say, "I do it all the time and have never had a problem", but for a dollar or two for a fresh wheel, why take the chance?

Now back to your regularly scheduled build program.

[GPW]

Hey , THANKS for that KC !!! Had no idea ... Hope you’re feeling better !!!

[GPW]

Speaking of “no eye deer" ... I just had a thought that if I had installed the sheets Vertically , could have made some quick templates for kerfs and used my how wire bow to easily cut any kerf I wanted , we know that works ...which is how I cut the blocks in the first place ... DOH !!!! Would have been EASY with the sheets only 24” wide , and the bending would have been easier too ... I erroneously thought laying them horizontally would add more strength , but since the foam provides little “structure” , that’s of little concern which way it goes on ...

My Very Very DUMB!!!

Maybe not too late to do that ... switch over...? We’ll have to do some “calculations "...

[KCStudly]

I think the way you are doing it (horizontal) will come out fairer, or at least be easier to fair. Any lack of fairness will look better along the long axis, flowing with the profile rather than interrupting it.

Thanks for your concern Geep. Unfortunately, I don't seem to be doing any better.

[GPW]

Ok, went out , did some measuring , and need 8’ to span the rest of the roof .... I Have 10’ panels , so that would Work with a little cutting ... Would be a LOT Easier than the way things are going now ... 24” kerf cuts will be a “piece of Cake “ ...

KC , there’s going to still be a lot of sanding and shaping , but I feel well up to the task ... .. and the long sides are already on ...

[GPW]

Canvas on SALE ... 12oz. That would make a nice skin ... http://www.bigduckcanvas.com/12-oz-duck ... wholesale/

[GPW]

“Bagged" the idea of 10’ long kerfs Went ahead and made a pair of cutting templates out of thin Masonite to cut the 24” kerfs with the bow .. Which will be mounted to a 24” + board as a jig to slide the sheets through for the kerfing ... MUCH Easier to do , and I’ll have the 1/2’WX 2.5” deep kerfs we originally planned on.. !!! Spaced @ 3” apart .. It won’t bend as pretty as the smaller kerf cuts , but at this point don’t care ...It will all get nicely sanded and rounded anyway and covered with the “wallpaper” on the inside , so no worries ...

[GPW]

Here’s a pic of the kerf jig layout ... simple ... The spacing of the two grooves shown is 5” , but using a single V , we can cut to any spacing we want , by just sliding the foam back and forth ... I’m thinking the closer the kerfs , the smoother more rounded the outer surface ... More testing ..

[GPW]

Well, here’s a development ... Cut a test panel with the 24” kerfs and the hot wire bow (which worked perfectly) Easy to do using the jig ... difficult for one person to use , my alignments were a little off trying to catch both sides at once... But it worked and I was able to kerf the whole panel pretty quickly ... But just handling the beadboard and it snapped at a kerf ... in two places ... So , back to the old method with the saw and tiny kerfs ... which seemed to bend much better being closer together ... and no breaking ... I don’t believe this is as likely to happen with the extruded foam (blu or Pink)

Here’s something I learned .... when doing hot wire cutting , allow an entry area on the jig Before it hits the foam ,for the wire to align before the cut is made .... much neater that way ... learned that the hard way ... (see Pic)

[GPW]

In shear desperation , I glued 3 jigsaw blades together ... Two shorter ones on to one long one ... Sanded the mating surfaces thoroughly and wiped clean with Acetone... Glued with JB weld ... so we’ll see how strong that stuff really is ... has to dry /cure overnight , so no testing till tomorrow ... This should give me ~ 3/16 “ width kerf , which should be OK ... no rasping .... Cuts will be 1” apart ... Lets see now ... that’s about 96 cuts for the four remaining panels , @ 10’ long each or a total cutting distance of 960’ ...

[Wolfgang92025]

In shear desperation , I glued 3 jigsaw blades together ...

GPW,
Now that's thinking outside the box....It ain't pretty, but should work. Not a lot of load or heat involved.

[KCStudly]

In shear desperation , I glued 3 jigsaw blades together ...

GPW,
Now that's thinking outside the box....It ain't pretty, but should work. Not a lot of load or heat involved.

+1

[Wolffarmer]

JB Weld is strong stuff. I once used it to fill in a gouge in the top of a block of a big diesel motor that the exhaust gas had cut between 2 cylinders. It was still holding 2 years later when the truck was sold off.

Randy