Hi all, A week or so ago there was some discussion about the lighter density EPP foam on the exchange. I received a small sample from Rick at RPV Industries so I thought I would compare it's physical properties to the 1.3 and 1.9 density stuff. My tests probably weren't that scientific but they gave me some answers. First I squeezed a 2" cube of each density. I could feel the density difference but the 0.9 foam did not seem weak or floppy and all the cubes returned to their original shapes/sizes. Hot wire cutting the lighter density foam was possible with slightly less voltage than with the 1.3 foam to get the same kind of cut surface. So I band-sawed an 1/8" slice of the 0.9 foam and rolled it as tightly as possible to see if the beads would separate. I did this with the other foams also. None of them showed bead separation. Then I just pulled on each slice until it broke. It seemed to take about the same pull to separate the beads on all the test slices. This surprised me. Finally, I just took the cubes and stood on them...and then jumped on them. They all came back to shape and none, even on close examination of the edges, had separated beads. Well, that's my results for what it's worth. I can see the lighter density foam having practical use where weight is really the issue without sacrificing much strength. Regards Ed Harris Ankeny, IA RCSE-List facilities provided by Model Airplane News. Send "subscribe" and "unsubscribe" requests to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
