Foam - defoam - refoam.... why?

Frosty

Frosty

New York Crew
Location
Western New York
i was thinking that i would still use a drain tube type setup from the engine compartment to the transom. Perhaps an XFT style set up... along with the drain holes/plugs idea that Mark has on his ski.

Then use the poly foam. That way i get the good engine compartment drain i want, with a foam that will not absorb water. In case I develop leaks down the road i have the small removable drain plugs to let it out.

I wanna still use a tube from the engine compartment to the transom in case i have a leaky scupper. If that happened the rear of the ski will fill up with water... even with non-water absorbing foam I don't want tons of water collecting back there.

that make any sense at all, or am I rambling now...
 
Mark44

Mark44

Katie's Boss
Location
100% one place
If the scupper leaks it leaks into the engine compartment not into the tray area because the 2” pcv pipe is sealed at the back of the ski and at the tray wall.

Mark44
 
Frosty

Frosty

New York Crew
Location
Western New York
Mark44 said:
If the scupper leaks it leaks into the engine compartment not into the tray area because the 2” pcv pipe is sealed at the back of the ski and at the tray wall.

Mark44
Click to expand...

right. I originally thought about using no pipe at all... just a scupper on the back of the ski and leaving the bulkhead open for water to drain through... like the SXR does.
 
3wheelerdude

3wheelerdude

Talk less, Ride more!
Location
Ontario Canada
I am wondering: if you have re-inforced sidewalls, could you use an inflatable tube like we use in tires on each side and inflate to preferred psi. You could adjust pressur to float more or less according to ski height in water. You could also use with drain plugs. All you have to do is release the air pressure, open drain plug to drain water and then re-inflate.

The more I think of it, the more I feel like doing this to my SN.
 
Mark44

Mark44

Katie's Boss
Location
100% one place
p

3wheelerdude said:
I am wondering: if you have re-inforced sidewalls, could you use an inflatable tube like we use in tires on each side and inflate to preferred psi. You could adjust pressur to float more or less according to ski height in water. You could also use with drain plugs. All you have to do is release the air pressure, open drain plug to drain water and then re-inflate.

The more I think of it, the more I feel like doing this to my SN.
Click to expand...

But if you ever have a problem with the bladder like a hole or rot you will have to cut the ski open to fix unless you are going to have a removable panel on each side.

Mark44
 
3wheelerdude

3wheelerdude

Talk less, Ride more!
Location
Ontario Canada
The tubes I use in the Wagon wheels on the farm equipement is almost indestructable. Its hard to cut open with a knife. So once inflated I would let it sit for an hour. If it has not gone down in psi, then it means it has not been punctured by anything inside the sidewalls and should remain like that for ever. Then I glass over it.
 
Ericfox

Ericfox

Do it twice?That's DooDoo
Location
Akron area --> OHIO!
I think perhaps the issue there is structural and also it may be hard to use an inflatable tube because it would have to fit around all the tubes going through that area....

I am still thinking about some kind of drain like the drain around your foundation of your house...

just drill a 1" hole as close to the bottom of the hull as possible and insert a pvc pipe with the ends cut like a saw just like installing a scupper... then insert another pvc tube with as many little holes you could drill all over it.

Insert it up to the firewall and then seal the end at the back of the ski and install a drainplug there.... any reason why this would be bad? I think it would provide an adequate area for all water to drain into and the round shape should provide any structural support that removing the foam took away....
 
3wheelerdude

3wheelerdude

Talk less, Ride more!
Location
Ontario Canada
The problem with drain plugs is that the foam absorbs the water like a sponge. So unless you can blow dry\warm air directly on it or squeegee the water out, it will stay inside the foam.

Letting it drip takes a long time.
 
Frosty

Frosty

New York Crew
Location
Western New York
3wheelerdude said:
The problem with drain plugs is that the foam absorbs the water like a sponge. So unless you can blow drywarm air directly on it or squeegee the water out, it will stay inside the foam.

Letting it drip takes a long time.
Click to expand...

which is why i plan to use polystyrene instead of the traditional two part expanding foam.

also, in terms of draining water, i was looking to do something like this picture of an XFT drain system...
 

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Ericfox

Ericfox

Do it twice?That's DooDoo
Location
Akron area --> OHIO!
yeah but with the "foundation drain" idea wouldnt the water collect in the 1" pvc tube to wait to be drained? as long as the pvc tube is as close to the bottom in the natural V-shaped channed that the hull provides it should collect most of the water... at least it kinda seems like it should, but I'm not sure how foam will hold onto water... does water go through it over time just like it was gravel or sand? just a lot slower?
 
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Frosty

Frosty

New York Crew
Location
Western New York
you could try it... but that foam holds water like crazy. i don't know how well it would really drain to the bottom.

when i pulled off the footholds out of the project ski i am working on, the foam was soaked all the way up to the top of the gunwales. There was really very little water sitting at the bottom of the hull.
 
3wheelerdude

3wheelerdude

Talk less, Ride more!
Location
Ontario Canada
Yeah the polly foam sounds good. It will require to cut alot of the tray to insert the forms of foam to be placed but should work well.

I'll start saving my water cups from work!!!
 
Ericfox

Ericfox

Do it twice?That's DooDoo
Location
Akron area --> OHIO!
This conversation is great. I have done some more thinking and will pass on the refoaming job for now.

I figured that my closed cell stock foam will hold most water out. If it was completely saturated which it is not, it could hold about 1 gallon of water or so.... and that might even be a stretch...

1 gallon water = 8.34 lb

Little battery + xmetal waterbox = more weight than refoaming and perhaps the saving of my hair....

I think I will refoam when my turf gets worn out and I feel like doing some more work.... I have so many projects on the ski this year that thinking about this one makes my head hurt.... I will keep thinking about ideas though... so far the idea of poly foam with channels and drains seems to be the one to beat...

I will try and seal up as many areas as I can from the outside of the openings though to keep as much water out as possible, but I think i may not even do that as it seems like the only way to seal out enough water is from the inside.... I already epoxied the stupid little holes with the stickers over them... that was gay... cant believe they give you a ski built like that... or even that leaks water into the foam like we have been talking about... yamaha needs to read this stuff!
 
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