blue foam, pink foam, yellow foam?

What's the difference? I see references to blue foam all the time - why?

In article ,
Corrie wrote:
What's the difference? I see references to blue foam all the time - why?

because you can shoot it with a blue foam gun.

with pink foam, you have to hold it's nose till it turns blue, *then* shoot
it with the blue foam gun.

(*shamelessly* stolen from an _old_ 'elephant joke')

Here is the quick down and dirty on foam....

When you are talking about building airplanes there are 2 basic types of
foam, polystyrene (blue, pink) and polyurethane (tan, white, yellow). What
you really need to know is that polystyrene foam can be hot wire cut and is
very susceptible to fuel. Polyurethane should not be hot wire cut since it
emits cyanide gas when burned, but it is impervious to fuel. Generally
speaking, polystyrene foam comes in big blocks for hot wire cutting wings
and the like. Polyurethane foam normally comes in sheets or varying
thicknesses (1/4" to about 1"). The foams will also come in various
densities in weight per cubic feet.

When you talk about blue foam or polystyrene foam there is the construction
insulation stuff and flotation billets. The construction insulation has a
very small cell structure and I do not think it would bond very well to the
fiberglass. The flotation billet on the other hand has a more open cell
that will bond well with the fiberglass cloth.

Hope this helps.

Jeff

"Corrie" wrote in message
om...
What's the difference? I see references to blue foam all the time - why?

On Mon, 25 Aug 2003 21:57:00 -0500, "Jeff" my last name @fidnet.com
wrote:

Here is the quick down and dirty on foam....

When you are talking about building airplanes there are 2 basic types of
foam, polystyrene (blue, pink) and polyurethane (tan, white, yellow). What
you really need to know is that polystyrene foam can be hot wire cut and is
very susceptible to fuel. Polyurethane should not be hot wire cut since it
emits cyanide gas when burned, but it is impervious to fuel. Generally
speaking, polystyrene foam comes in big blocks for hot wire cutting wings
and the like. Polyurethane foam normally comes in sheets or varying
thicknesses (1/4" to about 1"). The foams will also come in various
densities in weight per cubic feet.

When you talk about blue foam or polystyrene foam there is the construction
insulation stuff and flotation billets. The construction insulation has a
very small cell structure and I do not think it would bond very well to the
fiberglass. The flotation billet on the other hand has a more open cell
that will bond well with the fiberglass cloth.

There are several kinds of polystyrene insulation board. Usually
referred to as Styrofoam and Styrofoam SM in the construction trades
up here in Canada. Styrofoam is almost always white, and has a beady
texture. It is low density and rough. It is also available in big
blocks. Cheap foam coolers are made of this stuff.
Pink and Blue Styrofoam SM is often used as sheathing. It is higher
density and smooth. Usually comes in 2 foot widths, and with lap
edges. Occaisionally found in large blocks. This stuff has some
strength to it, where the white bead board is relatively low strength.

Hope this helps.

Jeff

"Corrie" wrote in message
. com...
What's the difference? I see references to blue foam all the time - why?

Thanks - exactly the info I was looking for!

clare @ snyder.on .ca wrote in message . ..
On Mon, 25 Aug 2003 21:57:00 -0500, "Jeff" my last name @fidnet.com
wrote:

Here is the quick down and dirty on foam....
....

Hope this helps.

Jeff

"Jeff" my last name @fidnet.com wrote in message ...
Here is the quick down and dirty on foam....

When you are talking about building airplanes there are 2 basic types of
foam, polystyrene (blue, pink) and polyurethane (tan, white, yellow). What
you really need to know is that polystyrene foam can be hot wire cut and is
very susceptible to fuel.

I wasn't going to mention this, but since you started talking about construction
materials later, I'll go ahead anyhow. Polystyrene also comes in white.

In article , clare @ snyder.on .ca
writes:


I think this is more evidence of the dumbing of American and Canadian
industry. Most large companies have "dumbsized" to the point they have
no-one left on staff who knows anything of the company's history, or
about any products they made more than 10 years ago. ( get rid of all
the old guys - they cost too much in benefits - we can get young
blood, fresh out of college, with fresh ideas, for half as much) One
division has ;little or no knowlege what the other division does.



Which ultimately results in mistakes that were made and corrected years ago
will now be repeated.


Bob Reed
www.kisbuild.r-a-reed-assoc.com (KIS Builders Site)
KIS Cruiser in progress...Slow but steady progress....

"Ladies and Gentlemen, take my advice,
pull down your pants and Slide on the Ice!"
(M.A.S.H. Sidney Freedman)

On 27 Aug 2003 15:07:03 GMT, osite (RobertR237)
wrote:

In article , clare @ snyder.on .ca
writes:


I think this is more evidence of the dumbing of American and Canadian
industry. Most large companies have "dumbsized" to the point they have
no-one left on staff who knows anything of the company's history, or
about any products they made more than 10 years ago. ( get rid of all
the old guys - they cost too much in benefits - we can get young
blood, fresh out of college, with fresh ideas, for half as much) One
division has ;little or no knowlege what the other division does.



Which ultimately results in mistakes that were made and corrected years ago
will now be repeated.

Not when they no longer have the people left who know how to repair
their own propriatary systems. They may not last long enough to make
them again.

One big company developed some very large propritary systems. Then one
day they discovered that they had let go everyone who knew how to fix
and maintain them. It was to the point where oursourcing wouldn't
work as it'd take many months for the outside help to even learn those
systems.

I know the players:-))

Roger Halstead (K8RI EN73 & ARRL Life Member)
www.rogerhalstead.com
N833R World's oldest Debonair? (S# CD-2)



Bob Reed
www.kisbuild.r-a-reed-assoc.com (KIS Builders Site)
KIS Cruiser in progress...Slow but steady progress....

"Ladies and Gentlemen, take my advice,
pull down your pants and Slide on the Ice!"
(M.A.S.H. Sidney Freedman)

In article , Roger Halstead
writes:


Not when they no longer have the people left who know how to repair
their own propriatary systems. They may not last long enough to make
them again.

One big company developed some very large propritary systems. Then one
day they discovered that they had let go everyone who knew how to fix
and maintain them. It was to the point where oursourcing wouldn't
work as it'd take many months for the outside help to even learn those
systems.

I know the players:-))

Roger Halstead (K8RI EN73 & ARRL Life Member)
www.rogerhalstead.com
N833R World's oldest Debonair? (S# CD-2)


I was let go the first of January along with all other contractors at the
company I was working with. The primary system used for company operations was
being entirely maintained by contractors. The only people who knew anything
about the internals of the system are now gone and they don't have anybody left
who knows any of it. Especially the base software (Entera) that was used as
the framework for the 3-tier system. It is going to cost them 20 million to
replace it and they be forced to do so since they can't maintain it any longer.


REAL SMART decision to save a few bucks.

Sounds like the same story but different company.


Bob Reed
www.kisbuild.r-a-reed-assoc.com (KIS Builders Site)
KIS Cruiser in progress...Slow but steady progress....

"Ladies and Gentlemen, take my advice,
pull down your pants and Slide on the Ice!"
(M.A.S.H. Sidney Freedman)

On 28 Aug 2003 14:10:04 GMT, osite (RobertR237)
wrote:


REAL SMART decision to save a few bucks.

Sounds like the same story but different company.


A little bit like that old TV show -" X# of people in the city of New
York, and each has a story"

Devide the number of publicly traded companies with more than 20
employees by half, and you're getting close to the number of stories
that will be told over the next 5 years or so.
You now the old expression "same S---, different pile?"

The main cause of the demise of American companies (particularly
manufacturing) is NOT offshore competition, it is gross mismanagement.
The mismanagement makes them vulnerable to the competition.

Bob Reed
www.kisbuild.r-a-reed-assoc.com (KIS Builders Site)
KIS Cruiser in progress...Slow but steady progress....

"Ladies and Gentlemen, take my advice,
pull down your pants and Slide on the Ice!"
(M.A.S.H. Sidney Freedman)