DIY foam filled mooring buoy?

[GilesH]

My mooring buoy has deflated, and I'm considering injecting it with expanding foam, to save buying a new one! Has anyone tried this?

I know some expanding foams absorb water (obviously not a good idea!), but AB building products make one they claim to be waterproof - does anyone think this could work??(http://www.abbuildingproducts.co.uk/admin/cms/air-tight-expanding-foam-pr-6045.php)

Many thanks!
Giles

 

[BERT T]

Use 2 PART POLYURETHANE FOAM LIQUID.
Available here: http://www.cfsnet.co.uk/acatalog/CFS_Catalogue__2_Part_Polyurethane_Foam_Liquid_415.html

 

[Rigger Mortice]

My mooring buoy has deflated, and I'm considering injecting it with expanding foam, to save buying a new one! Has anyone tried this?

I know some expanding foams absorb water (obviously not a good idea!), but AB building products make one they claim to be waterproof - does anyone think this could work??(http://www.abbuildingproducts.co.uk/admin/cms/air-tight-expanding-foam-pr-6045.php)


Many thanks!
Giles

I'm not sure what they mean by "waterproof". It may simply mean that, when it is used to seal, say, a window frame, it stops water getting in.
In their technical data sheet they say that, after 24 hours, it absorbs 1% water. !% of what isn't clear, but that seems to indicate that you can't rely on it to not absorb water.

 

[john_morris_uk]

Instructions for sorting out mooring buoy that has developed a leak.

1. Assess the problem.

2. Put hand in pocket.

3. Pull out debit card, credit card or cheque book.

4 Buy new buoy.

(I don't think the foam will last very long.)

(But it might be worth a try and might delay the instructions above.)

 

[prv]

Builder's 1-part spandy-foam doesn't work if injected into a sealed bag (which I guess a deflated buoy counts as). When installing Kindred Spirit's new fuel tank, I had the bright idea of putting extra-thick black bags into the odd-shaped gaps and then filling them with foam. I thought they would inflate, and then set hard to the exact shape of packing block to fit each space. Instead, the foam just deflated into a slimy liquid, and didn't set.

It needs to be exposed to air (preferably damp) to react.

Pete

 

[GilesH]

Thanks everyone. (And apologies for not starting this thread in the more appropriate PBO forum - I'm new to this malarkey and got confused!)

Turns out the 'waterproof' foam I'd found isn't available any more anyway.

Pete, cheers for explaining why standard builders squirty foam would be no good. Bert - thanks for the link to that 2-part foam (I'd only found larger 2-part systems costing £300!). It would be ideal for flotation/ buoyancy - but probably only in a boat. it says "will absorb water when crushed, so needs to be protected by GRP skin". Wind over tide would very quickly squidge my mooring buoy, so filling an already damaged buoy looks like it would only delay the need for John_morris's solution -buying a new buoy.

I'll possibly get one that is foam-filled from the outset - does anyone have one and think they are worth the extra money?

Thanks
G

 

[Daydream believer]

I'll possibly get one that is foam-filled from the outset - does anyone have one and think they are worth the extra money?

Thanks
G

Get a solid buoy
Considering you probably have £ 300-00 of mooring tackle down below it would be a pity to loose it because the buoy deflated
I have lost 2 sets of tackle on inflatable buoys over the last 11 years. One due to some RYA trained " Roy Rogers" lassooing the buoy & bursting it. The other due to lending it to someone who pulled it up tight so it slid on the bar & wore through
You do need to make sure that the buoy does not slide up & down on the central post ,or if you have the rode going through the buoy it cannot rub up & down as you will wear the buoy out very quickly on a choppy mooring

 

[vyv_cox]

Years ago I built lots of canoes and filled the ends with two-part polyurethane foam for buoyancy. Two years later we dug all the foam out, by this stage saturated with water and offering no buoyancy whatsoever. Professionally built canoes use polystyrene blocks for good reason.