Bending Foam with Heat ....

[GPW]

Years back we came up with a simple jig for bending 1/4" foam into wings ... http://www.foamfly.com/gallery2/v/Photos/Glen/album58/
Just thinking if we had a way or jig to bend the 2" foam with Heat , this whole Trailer building process would be much simplified , not having to cut gazillions of kerf cuts...or be restricted to straight edge designs... With no kerf cuts , the foam is Stronger too ...
Anybody care to experiment ???


Ps. once the foam is heat bent it stays in that shape ...

[DJT]

I'd be game to try, but I'm not sure my wife would understand the 5' wide pizza oven in the back of the shop!

Seriously though, what kind of "heat application equipment" would be required? Most of this foam gets "soft" at 80-90*C right?

[GPW]

DJ, I noticed on the Dow website a picture with foam and a wide flame torch ... I was just thinking about a couple heat guns , one on the outside , one on the inside ... Once we soften the outside (tension load) , and the inside (under compression) It should bend , and without setting the foam on fire.. 190F does it for me (boiling water works ... just difficult to deal with ) Just have to be careful to keep the heat source moving and heating evenly ... Shouldn't be difficult ...

[GPW]

OOPS!!!! My Bad !!! Upon further investigation , found that "torch" was actually a spray Glue device...
But the torch would work if we used an Aluminum sheet as a protector, and bending aid for the foam ... the aluminum would spread the heat out more evenly , and take the tension loads off the foam ... Pricy though , unless you have some proper size Al sheet hanging around...
too complicated for most (me too) ... Heat guns seem to be the logical choice ..