Hi guys,

Anyone have a good source for getting EPP and EPS foam for building your planes? Should I got to a hardware store like Home Depot or somewhere else?

Thanks.

macross

You can find EPP foam through some of the links> manufacturers pages here at the EZone.
Home depot and Lowe's are good sources for open cell PS. For closed cell PS look in your phone book under foam or plastic.
-fish

Here's a link to EPP: http://www.flyingfoam.com/foamsheet.html
-fish

Thanks for the information!

-macross

If you're in WA, you should be able to get Pink foam at either Home Depot or Lowes. It seems that Southern CA is about the only place it ISN'T stocked by these two retailers!

Which foam is best for making wings and making a plane somewhat crash proof like a Zagi? Only EPP? Which is better to cut, blue, pink, or white EPS?

Thanks for the help.

I think blue and pink are allmost the same.
The yellow kind has a hard topping with lots of tension in it, which makes it curl when you cut it.
The white EPS: do you mean the one with the big cells?
that one is much lighter (17g/dm^3) than the others (30g/dm^3).
In a perfect world it wouldn't also be much weaker...
For small planes (speed 400 or less) you might consider DEPRON.
I don't know if that's EPS or XPS or something, but it's a great material.
I comes in plates of 1.25m to 1m and is 3 or 6 mm thick.
The 3 mm version weighs 1.25g/dm^2, the 6 mm version is 2.5g/dm^2.
You can use it to make wings by folding it and insert a wooden profile.

Dirk.

If you want crash-proof, the closest thing you will get is EPP. 1.3Lb is the most common, but DavesAircraftworks uses some very dense stuff for the fuselages...

The std. speed 400 Zagi has an EPP leading edge and beaded EPS for the rest of the wing. It's a decent combo for weight, stiffness and durability.

As far as cutting, the White 1lb EPS (found at most home improvement stores) is probably the easiest to cut because it is less dense. Unless the wing is somehow reinforced with a spar, sheeting, fiberglass or whatever your favorite method is, they're too weak for all but simple parkflyers. The extruded 1.3lb (?) Pink (owens corning) or Blue (Dow) foams are much MUCH stiffer. JK Aerotech's planes are made from the pink stuff. A little strapping tape, and the wings are very strong.

The interesting thing about hot-wiring all EPS foams is that the hot-wire process leaves a hard skin. If you're sanding the wing, this skin makes it difficult to sand evenly.

EPP Foam isn't much more difficult than the EPS foams, but it is different. You tend to get lots of fine "hair" on the cores.

The only yellow stuff I've seen is either polyurothane or Polyisocyaneurate (sp?). Worthless for wings either way...

ANY hot-wire'd foam will give off toxic fumes, so be careful... The dust from sanding EPS can't be good for you either, so wear a good dust-mask.

Originally posted by swami:
I think blue and pink are allmost the same.
The yellow kind has a hard topping with lots of tension in it, which makes it curl when you cut it.
Dirk.

Dirk - You too ??

If I cut a flat bottomed wing (i.e. on one side only) in BLUE foam it curls.

Any idea of what process is taking place here ?

Cool thanks for the tips and knowledge. Time for me to get some foam and get started on this plane.

-macross