building a large cowl

[peter lavandier]

I have to build a large cowl for my new hydro. I was thinking about carving it out of foam and the using fiberglass cloth and using finishing expoy. When I checked at the lhs they had a white type of foam. At the building supply store they had both a blue and a red type of foam. Has any one done this type of thing? If so can you tell how the right way to do this.

 

[Mark Poole ModVP]

Someone may correct me if I am mistaken but I believe the insulating foam, blue or red will stand up to being covered with epoxy. I would use a faster setting resin since it will dry before sitting on the foam very long. Get the "shell shape" that you want then dig the foam out when it cures.

 

[FloridaScaleBoater]

Mark is correct, Epoxy resin will NOT attack the blue or pink/red insulation foam sold @ Home Depot or Lowes.

There is no need to use a fast set epoxy, as the resin will not "soak in" This type of foam is a closed cell.

As far as you plans to carve a cowl out of this foam,,,, You are on the right track, & the way to do it

 

[Hydro Junkie]

I would take it one step farther and use the initial foam/glass cowl assembly as a plug and make a mold. That way, if you damage/destroy/lose the cowl, you don't have to try and carve a new one, just lay up a replacement in 1/3 the time

 

[TUNLBOTR]

I would take it one step farther and use the initial foam/glass cowl assembly as a plug and make a mold. That way, if you damage/destroy/lose the cowl, you don't have to try and carve a new one, just lay up a replacement in 1/3 the time

This way you can produce a "master", and can always make a piece to change and remold.. destroy the one off, and you start from scratch again, lot of time lost.

 

[CySlyde]

I agree with hydro... never did this for a boat, but I used to do the pink foam, then use something to act as a barrier (foil or plastic wrap was my fav) then lay the fiberglass over it that way if i ended up ruining the part i could just pop another one when I got home.

 

[BeaverGuy]

This JAE21 cowl was built by making a blue foam plug on a 1/16" plywood hatch. Used West System Epoxy & fg cloth to create a female mold which I reinforced with 1/4" plywood. Coated the inside of mold with Evercoat Mold release from Lowes. Laid up the cowl with West System Epoxy and fg cloth. This is the 5th rigger cowl I've made this way.