Question about expanding foam

[Anonymous No.1716370]

I know that this stuff can be pretty handy not only for insulation and filling cracks, but I have heard that it can be used to make model mountains and what not for model train sets. I had an idea of using it to make a very large faux boulder that is hollow inside to hide the filter system for a koi pond, and I was wondering if there was a type of foam spray that come in huge quantities or expands at a much higher volume than usual, since this stuff seems to usually come in a small can. Is there like an industrial type or size you can order for large projects?

[Anonymous No.1716399]

>>1716370
You'll get more than you can handle out of the $4 can.

[Anonymous No.1716406]

>>1716370
There are large cans, but they can go a long ways. Here's a tip. Get some news paper strips and dampen them with water. When you need to fill a large void or build up a large area all at once, do it in layers and every 2 inches of unexpanded foam you lay down, place a piece of that news paper then cover it over with more foam spray. This is better used when filling in large molds when making foam items. The water helps the foam cure deep in side where the humidity in the air can't get to it. This can let you work much faster if you need.

[Anonymous No.1716417]

I'd recommend going with EPS foam and carving it with hotwire tools since it's way easier to work with and doesn't kill you

[Anonymous No.1716423]

>>1716370
Just fyi, EXPANDING FOAM IS TERRIBLE TO WORK WITH. I got some on my hands and figured no harm no foul, I'll just wipe it off when I'm done. WRONG. That stuff does NOT come off. It's like if you poured liquid band aid or liquid super glue on your hands and nails and let it dry. I tried soap, dish soap, gojoe, fast orange, brake part cleaner, carburetor cleaner, lacquer thinner, acetone, paint thinner, starting fluid, and gasoline and NOTHING WOULD TAKE IT OFF. I was like WTF IS THIS STUFF??? I finally read the side of the can and sure enough, there's a warning that says there are no solvents that exist that will remove it. You literally just have to wait for it to fall off your hands. I used a wire brush and peeled it off my hands as best I could. Hurt like heck. It's been months and I still have it stuck to my fingernails. Literally like that liquid superglue stuff, and it doesn't peel off. You can file it down with a fingernail filler, but then you just make your fingernails get thin. I can't stress this enough, IF YOU EVER USE EXPANDING FOAM EVER WEAR DOUBLE LAYERED DISPOSABLE LONG SLEEVE GLOVES BECAUSE NO SOLVENT EXISTS THAT WILL REMOVE IT FROM YOUR HANDS

[Anonymous No.1716424]

>>1716417
>>1716406
>>1716399

Thank you, this is very helpful.

[Anonymous No.1716426]

>>1716423
Thanks for the warning, will do!

[Anonymous No.1716438]

>>1716423
I would add that you should read the instructions VERY CAREFULLY and because this is an "off label" usage, be very careful when it comes to using paints/solvents etc to decorate it.

Mixing chemicals is super dangerous; just look at that poor bastard that killed himself with bleach at Buffalo Wild Wings last week.

[Anonymous No.1716446]

>>1716438
Yikes, will do, thanks

[Anonymous No.1716461]

>>1716423
>messy kid doesn't read instructions, or wear PPE, and plays with adhesives and highly compressed gap fillers the post

[Anonymous No.1716475]

>>1716370
So I have guests coming over next weekend and my bathroom door has had a HUGE hole in it ever since we moved in, and the gf and I have just been covering it with poster and paper but because of the humidity of the bathroom it always starts to fall off and we live in the mountains where having a gaint hole in your door let’s a lot of cold air in. So I’m splitting kindling for the fire last night and I have a brilliant plan which I will show with pictures.

Expanding foam is pretty neat.
Also reading other anon’s post I am glad I wore gloves. Though my bottle says that it does dissolve in acetone. I got a tiny bit on my fingernail so I’ll test that when I can.

[Anonymous No.1716476]

>>1716475
I soaked the kindling pieces and while most of them are just held there by friction I did use some gorilla glue on some joints.

[Anonymous No.1716477]

>>1716476
I’m about to start working on it with a utility knife, and afterwards I’ll apply spackle, then sand.

[Anonymous No.1716484]

>>1716477
A piece of sheetrock is $15.

[Anonymous No.1716486]

>>1716484
How would Sheetrock have helped? The door has odd cardboard cavities throughout. Plus I had this stuff laying around. If I was gonna spend money I would’ve just bought a new door.

[Anonymous No.1716523]

>>1716486
a decent door is $30-

[Anonymous No.1716547]

>>1716477
Needs more ramen noodles. but in all seriousness WTF ARE YOU EVEN DOING?!?!? An inside door is like $40 max, just buy a new one and paint it!!!

[Anonymous No.1716551]

>>1716475
>>1716476
>>1716477
WTF ARE YOU EVEN DOING DOORS ARE CHEAP

HOW DID YOU GET THIS FAR IN LIFE?

[C¤©¤ℕυͳ !!iP+zMtpHJTV No.1716655]

>>1716475
>>1716476
>>1716477

[Anonymous No.1716662]

>>1716551
How far into life do you think this guy is? He moved into a house where one of the previous tenant locked themselves in the bathroom and someone else bashed a hole in the door to get them out. Plus for whatever reason he can't complain to the landlord.

[Anonymous No.1716667]

>>1716475
>>1716476
>>1716477
posts like these are why i still browse this board

[Anonymous No.1716740]

>>1716423
You didn't read the instructions beforehand because reading is for nerds?

[Anonymous No.1716777]

>>1716662
Sometimes you get lucky with what kind of damage the previous renters did.

[Anonymous No.1716843]

>>1716662
>>1716547
>>1716523
>>1716484

It’s coming along nicely, all things considered.
In my defense I’m a college kid in my early 20s and posters worked just fine until the reality of living in the mountains hit (my first time) and I realized just how important insulation can be.

It’s going fairly well though I’d say, though I wish the spackle would dry faster.
1-2 hours per layer my ass.

[Anonymous No.1716844]

>>1716843
ALSO, I have 0 experience with doors that slide into the wall. See? I don’t even know what they’re called. I know the local Lowe’s doesn’t sell them or the handles. (I’ll post my lock solution later).
It seemed like a job for kindling and insulation foam to me!

[Anonymous No.1716845]

>>1716667
It is DIY is it not? I’ll be damned if I buy a new door and my landlady charges me for it when I can fix it with literal twigs and foam.

[Anonymous No.1716848]

>>1716662
Also about 15% of my gravel driveway composite is 9mm casings if that tells you anything.

[Anonymous No.1716849]

>>1716843
Considering this is where I’m coming from , with the last bit of printer paper obviously showing how big a hole it was;
I’m damned proud of my progress.

[Anonymous No.1716936]

>>1716849
Good job I guess but next time that happens, replace the damn door.

[Anonymous No.1716944]

>>1716849
You do you OP, I love that expanding foam bullshit.

[Anonymous No.1716951]

>>1716845
It is. I'll be honest when I was 14 I made a huge hole in the wall and filled it with paper mache, covered it with paper, then painted over it. All so my parents wouldnt see

[Anonymous No.1716955]

>>1716424
If you go the hotwire route go with US made tools because the Chinese ones are straight garbage fire hazards

[Anonymous No.1716987]

>>1716951
Did it work?

[Anonymous No.1717025]

>>1716849
>a pocket door
Good on you mate, those are a right cunt.

[Anonymous No.1717108]

Chicken wire, newspaper, and a can is probably all you need.

[Anonymous No.1717127]

If you're doing a bunch of foam work this thing owns fucking hard.

[Anonymous No.1717354]

>>1716423
>>1716426
Kek this. When still wet, it can be removed with acetone or PUR remover (which is acetone in a spray can). Once cured it can only be, as some cans will dryly mention, "removed mechanically"

[Anonymous No.1717380]

>>1716848
What a waste of money. Brass can be reloaded.

[Anonymous No.1717403]

>>1716475
>>1716476
>>1716477
Now show us the outside.

[Anonymous No.1717460]

>>1717403
It’s not THAT bad. I mean it’s not great... but still...

[Anonymous No.1717507]

>>1717460
Inside is actually pretty cozy though

[Anonymous No.1717510]

>>1716423
LOL.... I can attest to that. This stuff is a nightmare to work with.

Plus it has a very interesting smell. Not sure if deadly, but it could be. It was a new smell to me, there's like no new colours in the world to see, but here was something new that I've never smelled before!

I'm surprised it's not banned, it probably should be. Therefore it's got to be good!

[Anonymous No.1717577]

Can one of these fill the entire volume of the interior of a car?

[Anonymous No.1717593]

>>1717577
Not nearly at all. My home depot had a small plank of plywood covered with the foam. it was only like 3-4 times the volume of the can.

[Anonymous No.1717779]

>>1717577
Not at all, that’s the same stuff I used for the door repair above and while there is some left, I’d guess it only has maybe 20-25% remaining in the bottle.

[Anonymous No.1717804]

>>1717779
Hey OP what did you use to cut it? A serrated knife? I wanna trim some that I have insulating my window a/c, just not sure the best way to go about it.

[Anonymous No.1717828]

>>1717577
Though if you wanted to fuck with someone’s car one can would be all you need to do serious damage. Spraying in the vents, keyholes, around the steering wheel, exhaust pipe etc etc etc

[Anonymous No.1717829]

>>1716438
>look at that poor bastard that killed himself with bleach at Buffalo Wild Wings last week
>tfw that was my go-to BWW
Its not the same anymore

[Anonymous No.1717830]

>>1717804
I’m not OP, I’m door guy. But I used a serrated saw, used the same one I use to tell trees actually, just put it flush and cut straight down then used a coarse grain sandpaper to make it slightly less than flush. Either way, you will need something serrated. Or like the other anon said that hot wire tool, but I’ve never used that before myself, but I’m sure it’s more effective than what I did.

[Anonymous No.1717833]

>>1717829
>>look at that poor bastard that killed himself with bleach at Buffalo Wild Wings last week
>>tfw that was my go-to BWW
>Its not the same anymore

Jesus, how many massholes are on this site?

[Anonymous No.1718087]

>>1716475
Barring a door replacement I would have just put a thin wood panel or veneer on both sides of the door, either using screws or construction adhesive. filling the internal area with foam is a good idea; but that area is going to have bad structural integrity. One hand out of place and they could dent and/or go through the door again. You get a 10/10 for creativity though.

[Anonymous No.1718239]

>>1717833
Why did you take a picture of me shooting up?

[Anonymous No.1718872]

>>1716370
youtube. watched loads of videos for making WH40k stuff.

[Anonymous No.1718929]

>>1716844
It's called a pocket door and they are a pain in the ass. Lowe's does sell them but the hardware is not universal. I have a couple with broken locks and I've just written them off.

[Anonymous No.1719034]

>>1717577
>>1716370

Amateurs...

http://www.uscomposites.com/foam.html

[Anonymous No.1719137]

>>1716423
>>1717510

This shit is made from a byproduct of gasoline evaporation called pentane (and lots of other stuff), so I guess thats the sweet smell of eventual lung cancer.
In its concentrated liquid form, if you get it on your skin it will cause it to dry out until it cracks open like smashed glass and takes weeks to heal, you need to scrape it off your skin with a knife ASAP to limit the damage.
If it gets on your clothes or anything at all you may as well burn it, it can never be removed from thing in question but at least your skin will grow back in time.
It should probably be banned for its harmful effects, its potential for outgassing, and its insanely elevated flammability risk but there is nothing I know of that can do the same job as it so we are stuck with it, also have to get rid of that dang pentane somehow.

[Anonymous No.1720230]

>>1719137
chemist here

explain to me again why pentane is the problem and how an expanding foam is made out of pentane, because everything you said about pentane is based on pure stupidity (except for it being derived from petrol)

[Anonymous No.1720337]

>>1716423
AHAHAHA!

I know that feel anon. I did it too

[Anonymous No.1720338]

>>1716438
What? How

[Anonymous No.1720381]

>>1720338
He tried to make crystals

[Anonymous No.1720384]

>>1720230
What are you on about?
>byproduct of gasoline evaporation called pentane
correct
>(and lots of other stuff)
correct
>the sweet smell of lung cancer
correct
>on your skin it will cause it to dry out until it cracks open like smashed glass and takes weeks to heal
correct
>you need to scrape it off your skin with a knife ASAP to limit the damage
correct
>If it gets on your clothes it can never be removed
correct
>insanely elevated flammability risk
correct

[Anonymous No.1720399]

>>1720230
other chemist here
light petrol like pentanes, hexanes, etc are pretty bad inhalants, and can cause brain damage. That probably explains the hysterical/retarded posts itt

[Anonymous No.1720401]

>>1720399
You mean that the posters are brain damaged?

[Anonymous No.1720406]

>>1720401
Anyone who can smell "solvents" in their line of work, especially if it becomes unbearably strong
Organic chemistry will fuck your shit up, for real

[Anonymous No.1720409]

>>1720406
Then why are these posters retarded, you are admitting that they are correct.

[Anonymous No.1720411]

>>1720409
They're retarded for thinking dry skin needs to be cut off, and that volatile solvents can't be removed, or that being a "byproduct" of petrol has jack to do with its health effects.
If you're only half right, you can still be half wrong.

[Anonymous No.1721874]

>>1717510
here in germany it has to be locked up in the hardware store.

if you want to buy some you need to search an employee an show him you ID card so he can unlock the shelf and give you a can

[Anonymous No.1721876]

>>1719137
its main working ingredient is isocyanates which is why it needs water to cure and yes isocyanates are pretty cancerous

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isocyanate

[Anonymous No.1721878]

>>1716423
i just noticed that on most newer cans disposable gloves are included underneath the cap.

[Anonymous No.1722662]

>>1716461
All in all it looks like he just needs a haircut. Thank God it's not in his eyes.

[Anonymous No.1722771]

>>1720406
when I interview guys for engineering jobs at work, I make sure to schedule them for the end of the day, right when the painters finish up, then take them into the paint booth to see our 'finished products'. The smell of the solvents kicks in and some start squirming. It's a good litmus test for who is and who is not a pussy.

[Anonymous No.1722778]

>>1721874
What are the grounds for disqualification?

[Anonymous No.1722793]

>>1716370

You will go broke trying to make a permanent rock-looking thing with expanding foam, my friend.

If you have to go totally DIY, you should get artistic and use fiberglass or epoxy but building the skills required to make realistic rock with paint will be many hours of labor and prototypes.

But its going to look like absolute shit, and too toxic to work with frankly- scraped foam is the worst pollutant ever. Just buy this shit & admit you can't do better

[Anonymous No.1722795]

>>1722771
>I interview guys

So you're the cunt

[Anonymous No.1723368]

>>1722793
He might be able to get away with using natural stone as 'bricks'.
I imagine the goal OP has is to make it easy to move this pump cover, so the foam could help reduce the weight.
It wouldn't be as light as a straight fake foam boulder, but it wouldn't be as heavy as a real boulder either.

No idea if OP could pull it off (or me, for that matter)

[Anonymous No.1723374]

>>1718239
>Why did you take a picture of me shooting up?

let me guess, you're the one in the hoodie

[Anonymous No.1723635]

>>1717507
What is that oven even called

[Anonymous No.1723979]

>>1722771
Litmus test for hiring people dumber than you. If you hire smarter they might replace you. Good thinking.

[Anonymous No.1723992]

Marine supply places sell expanding foam by the gallon, two part kits as jn you mix A with B and wait a few seconds...

The nefarious uses for that much Great Stuff are endless.

[Anonymous No.1724057]

>>1722662
*she
mistook foam for hairspray

[Anonymous No.1725003]

>>1716475

[Anonymous No.1725150]

>>1717460
>>1717507
outside is comfy af
its like you live in a horror movie and can die at any time

[Anonymous No.1726762]

>>1716370
what happens when i put this foam in someones car?

[Anonymous No.1727027]

>>1717403
>quit larping
>i built this house

[Anonymous No.1727029]

>>1717577
This works great for the filler tube in the gas tank.
It also works great in the exhaust pipe of a car. If revenge is a option

[Anonymous No.1727075]

>>1717507
Is that in SC?? I think I've been in that house

[Anonymous No.1727114]

>>1726762
it destroys everything it touches

[Anonymous No.1727159]

>>1727075
Nah, NC, close though.

[Anonymous No.1727163]

>>1723635
I call it a fireplace. We don’t need have central heating so it IS the central heating. Once it gets going it does it’s job though. I had never seen a fireplace in the middle of the room until this one.

[Anonymous No.1727170]

>>1725150
Trust me it feels like that sometimes. Had a bear, or something, try to get inside one night about a month ago. Couldn’t see what it was because it was pitch black but it was so heavy I could physically feel it walking around the deck that wraps around most of the house. Knocked shit over, shoved a cage (which I guess previous residents used to store trash in) like 2 feet into some thick bush against the house near the kitchen. I banged pots and pans and it would go away for about 10 min then come back. All I had on me in terms of defense was a machete and felling axes. Needless to say I immediately went and bought a shotgun the next day.

It was probably just a hungry black bear smelling my chicken quesadillas, but I hadn’t felt true life or death fear like that in awhile lol
And the light that illuminates my woodpile is broken due to whatever drunkard wired the kitchen. I may actually make a thread about that because thats getting to be an issue and my attempt to fix it lasted maybe 2 weeks.

But to end this ramble and get back on topic with this thread, my gf said she saw a mouse last night. And with winter here they are going to be a problem. Can insulating foam be used to seal the areas they might be getting in? Or will they chew through it? And if they eat it will they die and rot in my walls? If any anons has experience with that let me know. I also have a silicon sealant I can use, not sure which is better.

[Anonymous No.1728158]

Dumb question:

I rent a place with a garage, and there's some noticeable gaps in the walls. I'm sure it wouldn't be ideal as an insulator, but would hot glue be better than nothing for someone who can't be assed to make a trip to fix up something that's not even mine?