Where can I buy a cheap 2 part foam to pour a seat.... and what density? Going in a rf99 and I am 5’7”.... didn’t know how much to buy... thanks in advance for the help!
greg
Cheap 2 part foam seat
Where can I buy a cheap 2 part foam to pour a seat.... and what density? Going in a rf99 and I am 5’7”.... didn’t know how much to buy... thanks in advance for the help!
greg
Well everyone will say use a bead seat.
But if you do want 2 part foam the cheapest I found is http://aircraftproducts.wicksaircraf...oams/instafoam
Sent from my SM-G955W using Tapatalk
1 gallon kit good enough?
Yes it should be plenty. I did 2 full size seats with a gallon kit in my FE and I'm small. Seat is full cockpit.
Just try to do more at once rather than less. The reaction works better and yields more and a more solid seat.
Cover everything in plastic, then put a huge bag in and pour the foam in. Get the foam right to the front / bottom as far as you can. Then get in as it starts to expand and try to get yourself in the driving position you want.
Everyone says to rush but really you have a good amount of time no rush needed. But once it does start to firm up then you need to take your position and hold it, before it solidifies.
The period of time from goo to semi firm is long. The time from semi firm to solid is short.
Sent from my SM-G955W using Tapatalk
you can get off of amazon. TotalBoat foam. Get giant garbage bags too. like 100 gallon clear and double bag them in case of pinhole. you need less liquid than you think too. the stuff expands like crazy. and overdoing it is UUUUUUUGLY if the bag overflows.
also get a beadseat or call Jody for a SpeedSeat. 100000x better. I'm cheap as hell and even I have Jody do my seats.
You can use 2 part in a pinch or a temp seat until you can do a real one. I swear I heard somewhere that 2 part seats aren't legal as they're mega flammable.
Awww, come on guys, it's so simple. Maybe you need a refresher course. Hey! It's all ball bearings nowadays.
You can find it all day long on Amazon.
https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_n...ds=2+part+foam
When I did mine, I found their prices to be better than anywhere local (e.g. a boat supply store) even with shipping.
My recollection is that I used 2lb and got a gallon. I had plenty left over (agree with the above on only mixing as much as you need). I used the excess for a variety of items including creating a shape to create a fiberglass part. Handy stuff to have around.
Eric Little
Two part foam
When I make a "first seat" for someone, I get mine from a fiberglass supply. In my case, Eastpoint Fiberglass in Eastpoint Michigan
The smallest available unit works for a seat or two.
Once we have determined that the driver has a seat that works (used for a few races) we then resort to building a bead seat.
Do not wear your race suit. Simulate your suit with other clothing so if you get a leak or over flow it wont be damaged. Permanently!
Great info from all! Thank you!
Tape bits of cardboard to those places that you would rather the foam not squeeze into (otherwise you might not be able to get the seat out...).
Agree 100% about not wearing your suit and yes to the big garden bags.
I do it in 2 pours. Mix 200 + 200ml and pour the base. Then you can repeat 10 minutes later to do the back. The stuff sticks very well to itself. I have done a 3rd pour to 'add extra' to thicken the back up and extend it higher up. Better to have done several pours than have it extruding out the top of the bag onto everything (think absolute panic). And boy does it stick.
It is remarkably versatile stuff. If one bit of the seat if not quite right, either add extra foam (another little pour; as long as you can peel the bag away) or cut the bad bit out and add some more.
Be resigned to having 3 goes first time (ask me how I know). The first two can go on the shelf as a momento. Offerings to the Gods of Speed.
This is ABSOLUTELY a two person job. Don’t even think about trying it solo. Definitely carboard and tape off areas. I actually kind of like a few tubes exposed as it makes an indent in the foam and hold the seat in place better. Get giant bags. 100gal. Overfill (but don’t over flow bags) and let the foam
edpand around you and then trim to fit with a hack saw blade or hot knife or whatever carving implements you like.
Awww, come on guys, it's so simple. Maybe you need a refresher course. Hey! It's all ball bearings nowadays.
Good source here...quick and affordable. Amazon sells both 2 lb density and 8 lb density. I've used both the 2 lb and the 8 lb, and both the polyurethane and the Isofoam. The 8 lb is MUCH stronger and will last longer. Both poly and iso are fairly flame retardant, but they are also both fairly friable, which is one reason why long term the bead seat is a better choice.Originally Posted by Eric Little
Stan Clayton
Stohr Cars
Ask Steve Lathrop or Richard Pare about making a beat seat equivalent from EPS foam sheets. Definitely the most inexpensive route to a bead seat and since no pouring is done you have all the time you need to fit it.
^^^^^
Works great, but the sanding of it to get your shape really makes a mess of the shop!
Seat
Try seatinserts.com for a complete kit.
cheapo bead seat
this is no more expensive, a lot easier to get right, much less of a PITA when trimming, and is more durable:
i do 2 part foam, the "quart" kits are enough for me with some left over
i form the inside in cardboard, - making sure there is no protrusion under a tube...then drape the car and the inside in plastic
use a big garbage bag, tape it off and the corners
i pour in ~2 efforts (with an assistant helps tremendously or you have to move really fast and be very planned...), focus on the bottom and work my way up the back, otherwise i can never control the seating position and i seem to "sink somewhere if i try to do it all at once.
then i pull it all out.
in my swift i had to do the bottom and back in 2 separate pieces, otherwise you can't get it out, in my zink i was able to do one piece.
a loose hacksaw blade is really handy, if you have a "blowout" and foam gets around a tube and you wiggle it around and cut the foam out.
i then shave it with the hacksaw blade and a sureform (yellow cheese grater" tool).
put it in the car, and mark it up to make more adjustments and fit, if its poured a bit thick somewhere, i shave it down, if there is missing foam, i bag off that spot and pour a tiny bit to build it up, or just fill in spots on the bench. shape it, etc..
once i got the foam how i want it, i get a sheet of fiberglass cloth (not chop), brush some resin on the seat, place the cloth on the seat side surface, more resin on top as needed, put in in the car, plastic on top, sit in it and cook...
take it out and trim up the glass.
then get some cloth to your preference... spray glue, and trim it out...
i like the fiberglass because it adds some structural strength, and makes a more real crushable structure. and i like the cloth because it looks pretty, and comfy...
Last edited by fitfan; 02.20.19 at 3:54 PM.
BT29-24 Swift DB1 Matra M530
Very NICE!!!
Set up time
How long does it take for this 2-part marine foam to set up…ie how long do I need to sit still for?
I feel like it's something on the order of 20-30 min, by memory...
thats my memory too. And you’ll get a bit hot…
LOL - yeah, it's a good time of year to do it!
Make sure to get some under your butt if at all possible, for potential vertical impacts... though maybe more of a relevant topic for full-on bead seats.
couple things I'll add to this thread:
For places hard to shield with cardboard, foam pipe insulation will provide room around tubes. Especially helpful around the shift linkage.
When you start to carve the stuff:
1) do it outside
2) have a blowgun handy so when you need to check fit you don't drag much foam dust inside
3) wear a set of lab goggles with the breather holes taped
4) before going in the house or removing your clothes take a blowgun and blow yourself off real good. Then have someone wearing goggles blow you off again.
Those little pieces of foam are like ground glass. Getting them in your eyes is absolute misery, and they static cling just to make the misery more probable.
Foam seat
16 year old thread, but with some good tips.
https://www.apexspeed.com/forums/sho...ight=foam+seat
Never again.....
.....Will I pour a foam seat in a formula car. Its not like I haven't done it a bunch of times successfully, but the last one I did I had the bag break for some reason and the foam exited into the ally side panel near the fuel cell. Made a mess out of everything it touched, on my freshly restored RF 82, some of which was impossible to remove.
Never, ever again. Bead seat only
cheers,
BT
I'm a crew, not a driver, but I've done many seats for many drivers, including boat foam, beads, etc.
Personally, I can't see how drivers rationalize wearing a $1000+ helmet while sitting in a $50 seat
Ian Macpherson
Savannah, GA
Race prep, support, and engineering.
2 part foam seat
I have been making two part foam seats for 40 years and I never had a bag break cause I always use at least two bags and sometimes three.Before bead seats we only had two part foam.Two part foam seats are good but bead seats are much better.I have customers who would spend $800.00 painting their helmets and not want to spend the dollars on a bead seat. So go figure.
I've very late to the discussion but I can recommend the kit from http://motorsports-sw.com/site/custom-seat-kits/, Dean walked me through the process and helped me select the right size kit. With the wife's help we were able to pour a pretty nice seat.
Van Diemen RF78 #258
That is indeed a very nice looking kit, considering all it includes - thanks for sharing.
I used this kit in my RF99 and it was great. It was a two person job to pour but I was happy with the result.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Don't go cheap
I would always recommend to everyone that they should never go cheap. Always go with mid range or high end products.
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote