Spray Foam Insulation for project.

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11-07-2015, 03:40 AM
Crawler

3 Attachment(s)

Spray Foam Insulation for project.

Okay fellas, I need a bit of help choosing materials for a project. Do any of you have experience with spray foam insulation?

If this would be better suited for "The Conversation" section, it is at the Mod's discretion to move it.

I have a Pontiac '06 G6 GT that is missing the dual cup holder insert for the middle console. (Will add pics for reference). Due to the discontinued nature of Pontiac, this item is understandably scarce. I plan on giving a few junk yards a call to see if their paper inventory has some G6's not part of the inventory I searched on their website.

The MaCGyver part of my brain has been slowly spit-balling on this pretty much since I bought the car off my mother-in-law. I think, with a large dose of ingenuity, some spray foam insulation and/or sealant would be great to make a replacement insert. Should be cheaper than an OEM part that I probably won't find. It will have the added benefit of insulating my drinks. Most importantly: it will keep said beverages from turning into a frackin Weeble Wobble every time I take a damn turn! Thankfully, no major spills... yet *knocks on wood*.

The plan for the project will be to line the console with something (saran wrap? Modge Podge Mold-Release? Vaseline?) where the cup holder insert goes, then spray the stuff in. I might use one of our larger cups/glasses (also lined/coated for easy removal) to form the "relief" part. There will obviously be post-set trimming. Gonna lay down some saran wrap or tin foil around the area to keep from making a mess.

So I need recommendations for a spray foam insulation and/or sealant for my latest "over engendered Spit-ball".
Looking for:
* Can be bought at brick & mortar stores.
* On the lower end of expansion amount (I know some make a bead, while others blow up like a Styrofoam balloon).
* Canned. Cause mixing chems is too much work for this.

Got any suggestions?

Pics pulled from around the net (don't own, using for educational reference purposes only):

Attachment 217825
The middle console. The orange bit is a lighting mod, I believe, not original. But this is basically what my cup holder looks like right now.

Attachment 217827
The insert.

Attachment 217829
Another view of the insert.

I look forward to your thoughtful responses!
11-07-2015, 03:47 AM
MJC

This could be interesting - so I'm just posting to make it easier to follow...
11-07-2015, 03:47 AM
Haroldg48

I've used to insulate in confined spaces. Otherwise it's practically uncontrollably. Your idea sounds like a really bad one unless you line the whole interior of you car with Saran Wrap. I'd just jam foam rubber drink coozies in there and trim them off.
11-07-2015, 04:25 AM
Ernie1980

I have used the "great stuff" foam in a can many times for sealing cracks and holes in my attic and outside storage building. It works well, but expands quite a bit. However, it is also easy to sand and cut...
I would very carefully cover EVERYTHING in the area where you are working, because if it touches any type of cloth you are finished! Seal it up and let it expand out, then sand it down the next day!
I have never tried it in my car, but the last little project I did was a window. I covered the walls and shot it in, and then cut off the excess the next day:) Dont get impatient or it will be tacky and you will make a huge mess.
Good luck, and post some after pics!
11-07-2015, 04:29 AM
Crawler

Quote:

Originally Posted by Haroldg48

I've used to insulate in confined spaces. Otherwise it's practically uncontrollably. Your idea sounds like a really bad one unless you line the whole interior of you car with Saran Wrap. I'd just jam foam rubber drink coozies in there and trim them off.

The crazy expansion of this stuff is a concern...

Quote:

* On the lower end of expansion amount (I know some make a bead, while others blow up like a Styrofoam balloon).

Also, I'd use a dab at a time until I got the feel for it. I just lack the experience with it to know which to choose from.

Spray Foam Insulation In Store - The Home Depot
11-07-2015, 04:45 AM
RezDog

I would not use spray foam for that job. It is not really going to do what you want. Ideally you would mix up some latex for making moulds. I would expect it to be available at large craft stores. My second choice would be silicone.
11-07-2015, 05:10 AM
gssixgun

^^^^ What Shaun said

I just finished building a new pumphouse for the well and used the low expansion Great Stuff for insuring there were ZERO air leaks... Worked awesome :)

There is simply no way I would get it near any type of cloth/leather/vinyl it just does NOT come off it is goes anywhere like that.. ask my jeans and shirt :(

Yeah I would go a latex rubber instead for molding
11-07-2015, 06:17 AM
kaptain_zero

I'm with Glen, nothing other than a liquid rubber type deal.

My other suggestion would be, search out a leather/plastic automotive repair outfit.... they have all kinds of leather/vinyl/silicon stuff available to them.... I'd be shocked if they didn't have what you need and the know how to make it happen.

Regards

Kaptain "Without the proper release agent.... you are screwed" Zero
11-07-2015, 06:26 AM
edhewitt

If you just want to stop the drinks moving around you could probably use sticky backed foam, basically high density foam with double sided tape on one side. It usually comes in different thicknesses and widths.
Or you might be able to mould something with fimo or similar then bake it hard. I imagine that if you lined the cup holder thing with foil or similar you could squash out a base and sides then just push a cup or similar in to get the insides right. You could just use a paper cup filled with ice (I.e. freeze the cup full of water and cut the lip off of the bottom so it is fairly flat), you might want to look at suitable lubricants so that you can put whatever in and spin it a bit to get a nice edge profile.

Though I would probably just make a roll of card or plastic and tape it in......
11-07-2015, 06:46 AM
32t

Don't drink and drive. [soda or otherwise]

Pontiac's are cheap/easy to repalce. Find the part.
11-07-2015, 07:15 AM
edhewitt

Or just get a car with cup holders.
11-07-2015, 07:18 AM
Crawler

Good suggestions so far. I tend to let the wife handle arts & crafts things, which this is feeling more and more like lol. Anyway, more than three ways to skin a cat. More for my brain to chew on at the (hopefully) slow day at work tomorrow.

Quote:

Originally Posted by 32t

Don't drink and drive. [soda or otherwise]

Pontiac's are cheap/easy to repalce. Find the part.

Maybe you've forgotten that Pontiac is now an extinct brand. Or at least mothballed until GM is flush with cash again, and decides to revive the sporty side of the name, at which point they will "start over" with a new car that is basically a watered down trans am...
11-07-2015, 07:59 AM
32t

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crawler

Good suggestions so far. I tend to let the wife handle arts & crafts things, which this is feeling more and more like lol. Anyway, more than three ways to skin a cat. More for my brain to chew on at the (hopefully) slow day at work tomorrow.

Maybe you've forgotten that Pontiac is now an extinct brand. Or at least mothballed until GM is flush with cash again, and decides to revive the sporty side of the name, at which point they will "start over" with a new car that is basically a watered down trans am...

If the car is worth saving you can find the parts.

If not hold the can in your hand......
11-07-2015, 03:45 PM
RezDog

https://www.google.ca/?gws_rd=ssl#q=...nsert+for+sale
05-07 PONTIAC G6 CENTER CONSOLE CUP HOLDER INSERT OEM
eBay
Although after a quick search it seems that there are other options.
11-07-2015, 09:09 PM
Substance

Ah spray foam what fun,
Used it a lot in the boatyards as an apprentice for freezer walls insulation etc, also used it to fill tool boxes as practical jokes etc,
Yes cover everything with something disposable as yes it will stick like Sh!t on paper to everything ever made,
But it does easily dissolve and clean off with acetone and thinners

Best to use the 2 part version by hand if you can, as the preassure cans could spray your roof with a over zellist blast hitting the cup holder and bouncing back

It can easily be shaped and sanded as you like but wear a respirator as it is not good for you
11-07-2015, 10:48 PM
Crawler

All options are still on the table. I like to make informed decisions. To do so, I needed more information :). This thread has afforded me a decent amount of progress towards that end.

Quote:

Originally Posted by gssixgun

^^^^ What Shaun said

I just finished building a new pumphouse for the well and used the low expansion Great Stuff for insuring there were ZERO air leaks... Worked awesome :)
...

The low expansion stuff, did the final product have much much give to it once cured? Or was it more like Styrofoam than padding/cushion type foam?

Substance, you mentioned splash back from the canned stuff. I had forgotten about the joys of viscous fluids shot from aerosol cans. Fun stuff :gth. My "adapt & overcome" intuition tells me an impromptu solution would be to make a cone/funnel out of some thick-ish paper to fit around the dispenser straw. This makeshift spray shield would, in theory, dramatically reduce collateral damage from splash back or over spray. :idea:
11-08-2015, 12:54 AM
Chevhead

06 PONTIAC G6 CENTER CONSOLE CUP HOLDER | eBay
There are at least 5 on e-bay...
$20-$25
11-08-2015, 01:26 AM
edhewitt

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chevhead

06 PONTIAC G6 CENTER CONSOLE CUP HOLDER | eBay
There are at least 5 on e-bay...
$20-$25

Why wouldn't you?

The spray foam and your time to get it and fabricate something are probably worth more than $25. And you won't end up with something that looks like someone diarrheaed in your console.
11-08-2015, 09:36 AM
Crawler

Quote:

Originally Posted by edhewitt

Why wouldn't you?

The spray foam and your time to get it and fabricate something are probably worth more than $25. And you won't end up with something that looks like someone diarrheaed in your console.

Part of this is about saving a buck... or ten, in this case. And I work three, twelve hour shifts a week, paid like it's 40hrs, full time in a union shop, yadda yadda yadda; so I can usually get the wife to stop dragging me hither and yon running errands & goin to craft stores for at least a few hours on one of my four days off to toil away on something the flipside of my A.D.D. has had me fixated on. Long sentence short: I can spare the time to try to fabricate simple-ish things if it will be inexpensive to do so.

More importantly, it goes towards a nagging force driving me in the direction of self reliance, self sufficiency, and pulling handyman skills out of my arse.

Also, intellectual exercises like this are kinda fun to approach with outside the box problem solving skills. The wife even joins in organically, after an episode of The Walking Dead...

Maybe I'll scope out the mold making supplies when she drags me to the craft store tomorrow... cause let's face it, it's more than likely. :whipped:
11-08-2015, 10:02 AM
edhewitt

If I takes you feel better I need to fabricate a cooling system for my car, the one it has is failing miserably. It is a GM so I shouldn't hold my standards too high.
11-08-2015, 09:26 PM
edhewitt

I think I have solved the problem with my car. I bought a Toyota.
11-08-2015, 10:22 PM
Crawler

Har har har. ";"";"";" Laugh it up at the guy who finds "thinking outside the box" to be an entertaining pastime:popcorn:. And no, I won't be doing anything to ruin my car's interior.

Generally (& especially on things I haven't tried before), I put emphasis on Research, Planning, & Preparation. If I go the spray foam insulation route, this will likely include some sort of mockup or trial run.
11-09-2015, 03:03 AM
MJC

I keep thinking that it might be easier and more flexible if you fabricated something rather than foam molding.

I once had this wonderful older BMW - the previous owner had fabricated a cup holder out of high density black foam and mounted in on the console.
Seems that when the car was made they held to the same thinking as my German friends and clients.
If you want to drink, you stop and drink.
When you are driving (often at near time warp speeds) you should be driving...

But I know that in the US we have a cup of coffee or a bottle of water in the car often, I do it.

I'm looking forward to seeing how you solve this...Good luck..
11-09-2015, 03:41 AM
Crawler

Yes, I recall watching an educational show about either the US interstate system, or the German Autobahn. They said that the American concept of food or drink in the car, especially the cup holder, was mind boggling for Germans. "Why do they have a drink receptacle in the car?! You don't drink & have dinner there, you drive!" Interesting stuff.
11-12-2015, 11:02 PM
32t

1 Attachment(s)

Here is my similar "silly" project.

Boker pocket knife for 50 cents. A couple of inches of duct tape for forms. Two dollops of JB Weld. Two lunch breaks at work. [Paid.;)] DARN air bubbles!

Attachment 218503
11-12-2015, 11:18 PM
Crawler

Quote:

Originally Posted by 32t

Here is my similar "silly" project.

Boker pocket knife for 50 cents. A couple of inches of duct tape for forms. Two dollops of JB Weld. Two lunch breaks at work. [Paid.;)] DARN air bubbles!

Attachment 218503

You could probably "spatula in" some JB Weld into the bubbles with a plastic butter knife or something lol. Nice job, though. A melding of organic & non-organic can come out lookin pretty neat, like yours did.

Well done, sir.
11-12-2015, 11:42 PM
32t

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crawler

You could probably "spatula in" some JB Weld into the bubbles with a plastic butter knife or something lol. Nice job, though. A melding of organic & non-organic can come out lookin pretty neat, like yours did.

Well done, sir.

I hadn't thought of the organic/non-organic thing. :thinking:

I wanted a cheap useful tool. As far as the bubbles go I have used it for EDC for a week and in normal use I haven't noticed. I would be disapointed if I lost it but not mad.

For me it has been a fun experiment and learning experience.
11-15-2015, 01:20 AM
Crawler

2 Attachment(s)

Just to provide you guys with some insight into my meticulous nature, here is the slap-dash job I did to prep our kitchen before I treated the carpets with aerosol chemicals to kill/protect against fleas etc. This was the "spray affected surfaces, let dry" kind, not a bomb/fogger type...

Attachment 218757
Captioned under "Dexter murder room level: Beginner!"

The kitchen wasn't even a target for treatment (though I took the pic from the living room), but I don't screw around with food safety. It could have been better (sealed in with duck tape on all seams), but it was just thrown together in a pinch with what I had laying around :shrug:.

Back on topic...

I might have found a decent spray foam to try out on this project. The can mentioned something about "over [X amount] feet of insulation as a 1/4" (quarter inch) bead of product". So it might be low expansion enough to not go all "science fair volcano" on me in the car...

Attachment 218760
I still need to do more research on it, beyond the quick look at the can in the store.

I think going the route of mold maker substances found in craft stores would be more expensive than ebay'ing a replacement. Plus... ebay isn't nearly as fun!