Seat Cushion Foam

[Chris]

I have a bench seat with a vinyl covered foam pad and have found it gets soaked in the rain or when there is lots of spray. This then puts a lot of strain on the hinges when opening the bench seat.

I have to remove the pad from the seat cover and then lean it on its end to allow the water to drain down and out of the foam. Its that multicoloured stuff. with a 10mm layer of softer foam stuck on top.

Anyway today when over tinkering on the boat then dog decided to take the foam inner out for a play and by the time I realised he had it it was in mumerous pieces on the lawn out side my boat shed.

Sooo.... I have a good excuse to get one made up that drains more easily. Has anyone got any ideas as to the best foam to use that does not hold the water. I have seen adverts for a special foam that show the water literaly falling straight throught the foam...?

Chris

[PeterR]

Hi Chris,The foam you are looking is called closed cell foam and you have different densitys which will in reality give you different hardness.The other thing that is sometimes done is a thin polythene is wrapped around the foam before the vynil is stapled on

[Hightower]

My Seat Cushions have been "bagged" they wrapped them in poly sheet. They still suggest covering them if the boats not in use though.

[Limey Linda]

Originally Posted by Hightower

My Seat Cushions have been "bagged" they wrapped them in poly sheet. They still suggest covering them if the boats not in use though.

I used to have a girlfried that needed to be bagged; actually, double bagged.
There were other compensations however.

[Dirk Diggler]

Reticulating foam is what's needed for this job, as it doesn't hold water.

[Pete7]

Chris, not heard of Reticulating foam perhaps Dirk could give us a link or say who supplies. Most of the manufacturers seem to use chip foam.

http://www.cutfoam.co.uk/foam.html

Its quite hard which you need bouncing through the waves. If you going to replace the seat, paint or resin the ply bases as they soon get wet and self destruct. Also most of the manufacturers seem to use mild steel staples which disolve faster than an old suzuki once wet. If your making new ones try using evostick to glue the vinyl to the seat base instead.

Pete

[yorfuoj]

in 2002, I bought a polyurethane open cell in Italy.

The address is :

CPS via Strada Nuova per Meda, 22060 NOVEDRATE (Como)
tel : 39 - 031 - 792 164 fax : -- 792 229

It comes in block, approximately 2x1.5m, and I had it cut in 5cm deep foil.

It is perfect because the water goes through. Perfect to make a very comfortable mattress, or boat cushions.
Compared to the usual closed cell foam one can find on italian ribs cushionery, it is much softer.

I should still have a 2x1.5foil remaining.

[Dirk Diggler]

Originally Posted by yorfuoj

in 2002, I bought a polyurethane open cell in Italy.

That'll be reticulating.... As used in quality boats, and some ribs. My upholsterer uses it all the time!

[Dirk Diggler]

Originally Posted by Pete7

. Most of the manufacturers seem to use chip foam.

That's because it's cheap.

[yorfuoj]

It's cheap - good reason - but it look much more confortable by hand.
But when you sit on, you have a direct contact ... too loose.

[Fe11]

I got a piece of foam padding cut to size here. They have reticulated foam.

[ribber]

Calipore Outdoor Extra Firm » Custom Foams