Moulded packaging.

[Hightower]

I want to make some moulded packaging pieces to accomodate a pair of Gekkos and one or two other Items I would rather not have rolling around the interior of my RIB.

Anyone with suggestions on what to use and where to get it from?

[rickuk3]

You could try the expanding foam stuff for filling the holes around pipes where they go through walls, from DIY stores or plumbing merchants.
Richard

[Poly]

do you have a budget in mind - I suspect this is going to work out more expensive that you first thought!

Were you thinking cut foam or vacuum/thermoformed plastic. The latter requires tooling which as far as I have been able to determine in the past rules it out for affordable low volume applications.

You could get some closed cell foam and cut it to size yourself? We have a suplier at work who for complex 3d shapes either routes it out (using a CNC maching) or cuts shaped in a series of layers which are then glued togehter to form the final piece. If he does it then there is a "set up cost" which for one offs would rule it out - but I suspect you could DIY it...

[Hightower]

I kinda of thought about this stuff, very messy to use and to look at, was after a neater soloution possibly.

Is there any block foam (not seat cusion foam) that one can carve into shapes, that is pretty hard wearing and doesn't fall to pieces when being used?

I was thinking of a camera case where the foam fits around the camera lenses etc, but on a larger scale.

[Hightower]

Originally Posted by Polwart

do you have a budget in mind - I suspect this is going to work out more expensive that you first thought!

Were you thinking cut foam or vacuum/thermoformed plastic. The latter requires tooling which as far as I have been able to determine in the past rules it out for affordable low volume applications.

You could get some closed cell foam and cut it to size yourself? We have a suplier at work who for complex 3d shapes either routes it out (using a CNC maching) or cuts shaped in a series of layers which are then glued togehter to form the final piece. If he does it then there is a "set up cost" which for one offs would rule it out - but I suspect you could DIY it...

Themoformed plastic is out due to cost, however what the object of the exercise was to stop the visors on the geckos from getting scratched and my spare prop from pulperizing anything it came in contact with.

I never had problems with Kohaku as there was never enough room for gear, so was packed in together. With Solent Viper there is too much room

[osprey__viper]

Andy, I used to have a twin helmet holder in the rally car. Might be what your after.

Have a google for a company called Demon Tweeks, they are in wrexham. Might have summat for you.

Ya new boats looking good mate

[Hightower]

Originally Posted by osprey__viper

Andy, I used to have a twin helmet holder in the rally car. Might be what your after.

Have a google for a company called Demon Tweeks, they are in wrexham. Might have summat for you.

Ya new boats looking good mate

Just had a look, they have helmet boxes which are £30 or something and a good selection of bags too. Thanks for that!

Still I would like to explore what people have either used or thinking of using for secure everyday packaging as it's something that I've not seen discussed here before and could benefit all.

[Limey Linda]

Ok. here we go. This experience is from making custom cases for very expensive handguns. Purchase a slab/sheet of polystryrene ( insulation material and cheap is also closed cell so it will not absorb water) also a can/bottle of thixotropic contact adhesive. ( this is water based so it will not dissolve the foam). Laminate up the thickness you want and then carve the shape with a serated bread knife: it is sometimes easier to make it in two parts. You can shape fine detail with a soldering iron, very carefully. When shape is correct then using the same adhesive and line it with green baize or thin felt. Make sure to allow for the thickness of the lining when shaping the foam.
Hope this helps.

[eilean mor]

depending on the size of your spare prop; I've used either plastic buckets, or washing up bowls that the prop would fit in, and not wobble about, or pad it out in some easy way; I also taped the right spanner/bits that I'd drop from the original into the bowl;- this then all fitted into a space somewhere and can be forgotten until needed on a remote beach

[The Grocer]

For our Geckos we use their own padded bags - the draw cords can be used to lash them to something (seat back?), and they've provided ample protection in the time we've used them.

And if it gets too bouncy you'll want them on your noddles anyway...

[Matt]

B&Q sell 4" thick polystyrene foam from which you could hot cut, or even carve, your desired shapes.

[jwalker]

Styrofoam will be better than polystyrene. It's softish, slightly springy closed cell foam which can be shaped easily without covering you with a million white bits. You can glue it with contact adhesive and you can even fibreglass over it if necessary.

For your prop storage, why don't you make a pillar on a base plate which you can fix either flat or onto a vertical surface and keep your prop tightly in place with a wingnut?

[Hightower]

Originally Posted by eilean mor

depending on the size of your spare prop; I've used either plastic buckets, or washing up bowls that the prop would fit in, and not wobble about, or pad it out in some easy way; I also taped the right spanner/bits that I'd drop from the original into the bowl;- this then all fitted into a space somewhere and can be forgotten until needed on a remote beach

Hey, washing up bowls is a good Idea. Don't tell the missus that I'm looking in the Kitchen dept. of our local store though. She'll think I'm getting all domesticated

[Hightower]

Originally Posted by Limey Linda

Ok. here we go. This experience is from making custom cases for very expensive handguns. Purchase a slab/sheet of polystryrene ( insulation material and cheap is also closed cell so it will not absorb water) also a can/bottle of thixotropic contact adhesive. ( this is water based so it will not dissolve the foam). Laminate up the thickness you want and then carve the shape with a serated bread knife: it is sometimes easier to make it in two parts. You can shape fine detail with a soldering iron, very carefully. When shape is correct then using the same adhesive and line it with green baize or thin felt. Make sure to allow for the thickness of the lining when shaping the foam.
Hope this helps.

Certainly the lines I was thinking of.

[Hightower]

Originally Posted by jwalker

Styrofoam will be better than polystyrene. It's softish, slightly springy closed cell foam which can be shaped easily without covering you with a million white bits. You can glue it with contact adhesive and you can even fibreglass over it if necessary.

For your prop storage, why don't you make a pillar on a base plate which you can fix either flat or onto a vertical surface and keep your prop tightly in place with a wingnut?

Where can you buy Styrofoam from Jeff?

I was looking at Chris's mounting position on the back of a bench seat, the same as you've mentioned.

However where I had in mind was inside my bench seat and would have to mount it into the floor, I like the washing bowl Idea the best for my application as it's more flexible and can store spare nuts, split pins and spanners in one place.

[Matt]

I don't nkow much about all the different foam types available, but spotted these guys stock some:
http://www.cfsnet.co.uk/acatalog/CFS...RIALS_129.html
Bought some glass materials off them recently and the service was good.

[Poly]

Styrofoam IS polystyrene. It is a Dow Corning polystyrene product which is supplied as a closed cell foam [solid polystyrene is actually a hard transparent solid - similar to plexiglas in appearance]. Genuine Dow Corning styrofoam is blue, but I imagine there are other competitor products available. I think what JW was suggesting was that a closed cell polystrene will be nicer to work with than polystyrene block which is made from expanded polystyrene beads.

[ian parkes]

Hein Gerrick the motorcycle clothing shop sell really nice padded waterproof helmet bags . They have strap points on the corners so they can be strapped on a bike seat .
They come free with AGV helmets also , they gave me one the other day for my spare lid ,so I expect you could buy one for a fiver
they also come with very soft padded inner bag with a drawstring

[jwalker]

Originally Posted by Polwart

I think what JW was suggesting was that a closed cell polystrene will be nicer to work with than polystyrene block ..

A bit. As I said, it's softish and a little squidgy and it can take glues and resin which expanded polystyrene definitely can't. I've got two types, one is blue and the other is white. Maybe I'm using the wrong name...
Anyway, I got most of mine from the fibreglass supplier.

The other soft closed cell foam you could use is ethafoam (sp?) it's like a camper mat.

I spose you could get a couple of manikin heads to wear your helmets for you.

[AndrewH]

Originally Posted by jwalker

A bit. As I said, it's softish and a little squidgy and it can take glues and resin which expanded polystyrene definitely can't. I've got two types, one is blue and the other is white. Maybe I'm using the wrong name...

The other soft closed cell foam you could use is ethafoam (sp?) it's like a camper mat.

I've seen the name Evazote and Plastazote used for the closed cell camping mat stuff that I think JW is referring to. Link below is to the first site google came up with for "evazote"

http://www.algeos.com/acatalog/Evazo...ACK_Sheet.html

Other advantage with this stuff is that you can bend it to the required shape then glue it together with Bostik 2402 (hypalon glue)

HTH