Getting foam out of mast!
 

Hi there,

There's been lots of talk about putting foam in Ally masts - any ideas
on getting it out - previous owner of boat foamed in wires - PU foam
injected through 1/4" holes at about 6ft intervals. I now want to
replace these, and revert to internal halyards. Mast is 28 ft and only
access is from foot end. I had considered using plastic pipe with the
end cut like a holesaw and twisting, anyone got any other ideas that
won't ruin the anodising?

Thanks in advance,
David. SY Colros.

Getting foam out of mast!
 

David,
Do not worry about the anodizing, very few masts are anodized. Even if
it is, it would take some very special arm waving to get the inside to
anodize at all.
Good Luck and keep us posted.
Matt Colie

wrote:
Hi there,

There's been lots of talk about putting foam in Ally masts - any ideas
on getting it out - previous owner of boat foamed in wires - PU foam
injected through 1/4" holes at about 6ft intervals. I now want to
replace these, and revert to internal halyards. Mast is 28 ft and only
access is from foot end. I had considered using plastic pipe with the
end cut like a holesaw and twisting, anyone got any other ideas that
won't ruin the anodising?

Thanks in advance,
David. SY Colros.

Getting foam out of mast!
 

Will acetone dissolve it?

BS

wrote in message
...
Hi there,

There's been lots of talk about putting foam in Ally masts - any ideas
on getting it out - previous owner of boat foamed in wires - PU foam
injected through 1/4" holes at about 6ft intervals. I now want to
replace these, and revert to internal halyards. Mast is 28 ft and only
access is from foot end. I had considered using plastic pipe with the
end cut like a holesaw and twisting, anyone got any other ideas that
won't ruin the anodising?

Thanks in advance,
David. SY Colros.

Getting foam out of mast!
 

I would try petrol ( gasoline, benzin?) first, acetone evaporates too
fast and may attack the wiring.

KS


Robert or Karen Swarts wrote:
Will acetone dissolve it?

BS

wrote in message
...
Hi there,

There's been lots of talk about putting foam in Ally masts - any ideas
on getting it out - previous owner of boat foamed in wires - PU foam
injected through 1/4" holes at about 6ft intervals. I now want to
replace these, and revert to internal halyards. Mast is 28 ft and only
access is from foot end. I had considered using plastic pipe with the
end cut like a holesaw and twisting, anyone got any other ideas that
won't ruin the anodising?

Thanks in advance,
David. SY Colros.

Getting foam out of mast!
 

Very few large masts perhaps but anodising is common for the mast size
in question.
BTW, anodising is an electro chemical process that affects ALL the
surfaces of the part being immersed in the anodising tank. It does not
require a special arm :-)

KS

Getting foam out of mast!
 

On Tue, 01 Nov 2005 22:18:10 +0000, wrote:

Hi there,

There's been lots of talk about putting foam in Ally masts - any ideas
on getting it out - previous owner of boat foamed in wires - PU foam
injected through 1/4" holes at about 6ft intervals. I now want to
replace these, and revert to internal halyards. Mast is 28 ft and only
access is from foot end. I had considered using plastic pipe with the
end cut like a holesaw and twisting, anyone got any other ideas that
won't ruin the anodising?

Thanks in advance,
David. SY Colros.

Not sure how practical this is, and I KNOW it will evolve poisonous
gas, but a wire loop on a stick, driven by a low voltage transformer
might core it out quite nicely.

Brian Whatcott Altus OK

Getting foam out of mast!
 

On 1 Nov 2005 20:45:34 -0800, "az100" wrote:

Very few large masts perhaps but anodising is common for the mast size
in question.
BTW, anodising is an electro chemical process that affects ALL the
surfaces of the part being immersed in the anodising tank. It does not
require a special arm :-)

KS

Actually no. Anodizing reaches exterior surfaces of the anodic object.
To reach interior surfaces needs an interior cathode, not usually
done.

Brian Whatcott Altus OK

Getting foam out of mast!
 

Thanks for suggestions - Neither acetone nor petrol have any effect on
his foam - there is a commercially produced Foam Eater, but it's a
thick paste and labelled Do Not Use On Aluminium so thats no use. Heat
has interesting possibilities though - I'll see how the foam reacts to
it. Maybe I'll try taping a soldering iron to a long batten!

More suggestions welcome!

Cheerrs,
David.

Getting foam out of mast! Sand Blast or Power Wash
 

Try a power washer.
You can rent something with really high pressure.

A sand blaster can be rigged with walnut shells -
that might cut the foam,
tidy up the Alum.






wrote in message
...
Hi there,

There's been lots of talk about putting foam in Ally masts - any ideas
on getting it out - previous owner of boat foamed in wires - PU foam
injected through 1/4" holes at about 6ft intervals. I now want to
replace these, and revert to internal halyards. Mast is 28 ft and only
access is from foot end. I had considered using plastic pipe with the
end cut like a holesaw and twisting, anyone got any other ideas that
won't ruin the anodising?

Thanks in advance,
David. SY Colros.

Getting foam out of mast!
 

On Tue, 01 Nov 2005 22:18:10 +0000, wrote:

Hi there,

There's been lots of talk about putting foam in Ally masts - any ideas
on getting it out - previous owner of boat foamed in wires - PU foam
injected through 1/4" holes at about 6ft intervals. I now want to
replace these, and revert to internal halyards. Mast is 28 ft and only
access is from foot end. I had considered using plastic pipe with the
end cut like a holesaw and twisting, anyone got any other ideas that
won't ruin the anodising?

Thanks in advance,
David. SY Colros.

Hi,

Does a pressure washer cut it? If so a drain cleaner attachment might
be able to 'burrow' along the mast, they have a forward firing jet and
a few rear firing ones.

If a domestic one doesn't cut it a company that does drain jetting
might be able to help you out.

cheers,
Pete.

Getting foam out of mast!
 

On Tue, 01 Nov 2005 16:08:14 -0800, Robert or Karen Swarts wrote:

Will acetone dissolve it?

BS

wrote in message
...
Hi there,

There's been lots of talk about putting foam in Ally masts - any ideas
on getting it out - previous owner of boat foamed in wires - PU foam
injected through 1/4" holes at about 6ft intervals. I now want to
replace these, and revert to internal halyards. Mast is 28 ft and only
access is from foot end. I had considered using plastic pipe with the
end cut like a holesaw and twisting, anyone got any other ideas that
won't ruin the anodising?

Thanks in advance,
David. SY Colros.

If the foam is really polyurethane, I don't think acetone or gasoline
will dissolve it rapidly enough. At least I know that polyurethane
coated fabrics used in some dinghies are very resistant to ordinary
chemicals such as acetone and fuels.

--Mac

Getting foam out of mast!
 

On Wed, 02 Nov 2005 06:03:01 +0000, Brian Whatcott wrote:

On 1 Nov 2005 20:45:34 -0800, "az100" wrote:

Very few large masts perhaps but anodising is common for the mast size
in question.
BTW, anodising is an electro chemical process that affects ALL the
surfaces of the part being immersed in the anodising tank. It does not
require a special arm :-)

KS

Actually no. Anodizing reaches exterior surfaces of the anodic object.
To reach interior surfaces needs an interior cathode, not usually
done.

Brian Whatcott Altus OK

You sound like you know what you are talking about. I can certainly vouch
that when I have had tubing anodized, it only affected the outside of
the tubing.

What you say his makes sense from an electrical viewpoint as it is very
difficult to create an electric field inside of a conductive tube unless,
as you say, you put a conductor inside of it. And without the electric
field, no current will flow, and no anodization will occur.

--Mac