HilldaFlyer
Well-known member
I think we are all excited about the FliteTest branded Adam's foam core that will be waterproof. We've seen a few hints of arrival and I hope it is soon.
My plan is to get a few sheets and test it in several ways to see how it holds up against the Ross brand foam core.
Please post your suggestions... on how you would test this new foam.
I'll add it to the list.
My plan is to get a few sheets and test it in several ways to see how it holds up against the Ross brand foam core.
- Strength - my standard 20" span and add weight until it fails as seen here.
- Effort to peel - qualitative study to compare how difficult the paper peels from the foam.
- Weight - Measure the weight and compare against Ross and Adams.
- Warp factor - After getting wet. Wet one and both sides and measure how much the foam warps when dried.
- Peeling - After getting wet, does it peel or not? Get foam core wet and try to peel while wet and after dried. Wetting will include total submersion for a specified time, spraying like rain and misting for humidity.
- Painting - I don't like the brown paper... but if it is truly waterproof, we'll need ways to brighten the finish. I'll throw some paint on it and see how it looks... maybe even try some spray paint to see if it penetrates to the foam.
Please post your suggestions... on how you would test this new foam.
I'll add it to the list.
- Cold adhesion of hot glue. Ross vs Adams vs FT Waterproof. Make a T shape test piece. That will let you test adhesion to bare foam and to the various papers in one shot. Freeze them for x minutes. Take them out one by one and just smack them. Report which interface breaks cleanly from the hot glue (if any do). My only worry is whether or not the waterproofing might need scuffed up for cold flying builds. If they all come apart tearing the paper or foam that's a good thing.
- Paint adhesion test. Spray paint each one carefully and with the same number of layers. Let them dry for x hours. Place some packing tape onto each surface after they dry. Press it down good. Leave a tab end (fold the tape over onto itself like a hatch tab). Hold them down similarly and rip that tape off. Again, worry is with waterproofing, do we need to scuff it or not.
- Bend brittle test. Take pieces of regular Dollar tree Adams foam and a piece of the waterproof foam, and bend it until it breaks cleanly and compare. You can also vary the testing by removing some or all of the paper from the foam. Just taking a measurement of AUW of the foam would also give you a good indication of this (more weight = more density= more likely to be brittle).
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