Metal foams

I was talking with Ed S and he mentioned Aluminum foam, which I had never heard of. I found a graphite foam also.

Aluminum foam:

http://www.ergaerospace.com/duocel/aluminum.htm

Graphite (carbon) foam:

http://www.ms.ornl.gov/researchgroups/cmt/foam/Graphite%20foam.NSA.pdf

Jeff - for your next project ->

How about an Aluminum foam board, with Graphite foam parabolic stringers?

That could be cool. I looked somewhere, can't remember where now, at a test panel of the graphite foam, I think, it was something miniscule like 1.5" x 1.5" x .375" and they wanted $50!!!! Can you imagine what two lengths necessary to form the rails would cost?!

What's interesting to me is that you can combine different materials to create the ride you want. I was on the Surftech website and they have a new construction - TL2. They use a material they refer to as Acrylite. There is a material that is acrylic and uses that tradename...not sure if it's the same stuff or not. The point, in my twisted brain , being that with the vacuum and epoxy, you can laminate so many different materials to the core.

Just find the right one.

the other direction of course -- is to go with a hollow core.

you've probably seen the aviso boards www.avisosurf.com --- hollow boards made of carbon fiber. they only want about $1200 for one... i saw their booth at ASR in San Diego and got to hold a few boards... amazingly light (although I didn't have my trusty electronic scale with me)

shall we have a contest to see who can make the first "backyard" carbon fiber hollow board?

I tried disolving EPS with acetone and it makes the most incredible mess. It turns into a goo. I thought that you could use EPS, laminate it with carbon, punch a hole and then pour acetone on to disolve the EPS. I'd guess that is still possible, but by my estimates, it would take 3 years and 700 gallons of acetone to completely disolve the EPS.

I'd guess that you could make a mold...sheesh that is getting pricey, though.

I think I'll pass on the hollow carbon contest

Gasoline eats foam... although it becomes incredibly flammable. napalm anyone? I guess acetone would do the same? I really dont know.

Glass it, drill a hole, fill with gas, then drain... plug the hole, and your golden.



(Message edited by adamo on November 05, 2007)

LOL - giant malotoff cocktail. That was my thought, but what happens, I'd guess because of the limited space...it just turns to a glop.

You get 1 teaspoon in...then 2 teaspoons...it takes ages and it's a mess. I couldn't figure out how to form the board and leave a decent void to fill with a solvent. So, if you have 2 cu ft of foam, but to start with, only 1 cc of void, it takes a long time to see any progress.

If you can put the entire foam core into a solvent, it still turns to a glop, but it's easier to pour off, but when you have like a 1/2 (or a typical size for a vent) hole...it's not attractive.

Crazy science all around Jeff
I think next X-price is yours.

Wow those Al and carbon foams are awesome.
Since I left my glass and resin supplier warehouse full of technology materials like carbon, aramid, divinicells... all these crazy ideas rotating thru my head ever since
Best way to receive good result is in right mixture of heat, pressure, resin and layering cocktail - probably in some autoclaves.

And for sure Jeff dont forget about programable density foam which is used in car upholstery! I think its injectet with computer driven jets.
And then there are nexstep nanotechnology materials. Oh I nearly forget about awesome rapid prototyping 3D printers - wow.

Welcome to Jeff's Skunkworks



And after all this its good to gets to the basics - surf some doors and have a beer

(Message edited by hawaj on November 05, 2007)

translation from japan blog about construction of Aviso
http://translate.google.com/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fnakisurfstaff.blog.shinob i.jp%2FEntry%2F185%2F&langpair=ja%7Cen&hl=en&ie=UT F-8&oe=UTF-8&prev=%2Flanguage_tools

and scheme
http://file.nakisurfstaff.blog.shinobi.jp/f295cb21jpeg

(Message edited by hawaj on November 05, 2007)

(Message edited by hawaj on November 05, 2007)

Jeff did you heard about casting to mould filled with wax model which then disappear?

you can make wax inner board which than can be simply heated till it pour out