I recently purchased some 1/4" thick foam to use as padding for thigh braces on my fiberglass Impex Assateague. I had a lot more trouble finding something locally than I thought I should, so I ended up buying online from here:
The link above is to the product I ended up getting. I selected 4lb density, and 1/4" thick, white. What I received didn’t match up with what I think of as “Minicell” foam. The bubbles (cells) are much larger and the surface is not near as smooth.
When I tried to figure out what the density of “standard” Minicell foam is, I came across this:
I’m going to use the foam I received, as I think it will work ok (perhaps even more durable) for the application. Time will tell if it holds up, and if it doesn’t then I just replace it with something else. If I get more than a few years from it I’m happy enough.
But it still bugs me. So, is it me, or would anyone else think that a larger number for density would indicate fewer/smaller bubbles and less air space? Do I have this totally wrong, or where did I mess up when trying to get the right thing?
The material in the first photo you linked does not look like any of the minicell foam I have ever used. With minicell foam, the cells are not really visible. It almost looks like the old Ethafoam we used to use for outfitting back when. But the cells are perhaps not as large as Ethafom.
I thought the same thing when I was first looking at it. But I figured since there were two choices for density and only one picture that I’d likely get something not shown in the picture. It was the only option I could find for a small quantity of 1/4" thick material, and the description sure seemed like what I wanted.
I installed the foam today and it isn’t too bad to work with. It’s a bit stiffer than Minicell but I suspect it may also be more durable against abrasion. It seemed to contour fairly well to the kayak and also trimmed more easily than Minicell, which tends to be a bit more “rubbery” and soft.
Time will tell. One more thing that may be useful is that it seems stronger, so when it’s damaged or degraded it may pull off easier than the Minicell ones did.
The texture in your first photo made me think of a yoga mat I have here. So I took a photo of it next to 1/4" minicell I had purchased to pad the rubber on my Hullavator cradles. I cut out a square of that yoga mat and slid it under the seat pad of my Samba for some extra cushioning. It works fine. Also cut strips of the mat which I attached to my dock edge for cushioning. It’s been on for two years (left outdoors all seasons) and is still in excellent shape. I don’t know what type of foam it is, but it’s waterproof and has good longevity. Am betting the padding on your thigh braces will last quite a while.
Forgot I had remnants of that yoga mat and ordered 12" x 12" 5 mm nylon-backed neoprene to pad the seat of my LV boat. Arrived yesterday. Will use the one that’s most cushy.
I have used a cheap yoga mat in my thigh braces - which are in reality knee braces and thus a bit hard on my knee caps without cushioning. It works fine.
My yoga mat is not the shiny type with a closed surface, but rather something akin to minicell. But it hardly makes much difference as long as it doesn’t absorb water (which can be found out by weight measurement before and after putting it below water for a long time).
I have used garden kneeling pads in the past when trying to save a few bucks (they seem to hold up pretty well), but if I’m outfitting a canoe I’m going to keep for a while, I go right to a kayak/canoe supply house (NRS, Jacksonkayaks). It may cost a little more, but I know I can trust them to send the right material.
Any good kayak shop should have blocks of minicell and a band saw to cut it. And the really good ones will give you what you need. Or am I just lucky to live near one of the best in the business.
@magooch said:
Any good kayak shop should have blocks of minicell and a band saw to cut it. And the really good ones will give you what you need. Or am I just lucky to live near one of the best in the business.
GIVE??? That must be one heck of a shop! AT the premier shop in our area (in Oak Orchard NY) the only thing that’s free is the parking!
@magooch said:
Any good kayak shop should have blocks of minicell and a band saw to cut it. And the really good ones will give you what you need. Or am I just lucky to live near one of the best in the business.
I obtained some a few years back from MEC, the local outdoor supplier. I could have purchased some thicker stuff but didn’t want to “resaw” it down to 1/4" to cover the large area of the braces.
Most of the stores around here only have things in stock that can be marked up significantly and fly off the shelf quickly.
The foam you bought is the equivalent to Ethafoam, which comes in densities from 1.2 to 8 lb. The 4 lb is pretty stiff and is commonly used for archery targets in 2" or greater thickness. Glue doesn’t adhere to it very well and it will absorb water, as it’s not technically a “closed cell” product. Overall, it’s a lousy material for use in kayaks and you typically only see it used as pillars in cheap rec boats.
Minicel is a trade name for “micro-cellular polyethylene foam”. It’s available in at least a couple of densities, though the numbers elude me at the moment. Either one will work fine in a kayak, but the denser foam is pretty hard and wouldn’t be comfortable where you want padding with some give. Micro-cellular polyethylene foam is also available with varying amounts of EVA in it, which makes if feel more rubbery and less “dry”.
@bnystrom said:
The foam you bought is the equivalent to Ethafoam, which comes in densities from 1.2 to 8 lb. The 4 lb is pretty stiff and is commonly used for archery targets in 2" or greater thickness. Glue doesn’t adhere to it very well and it will absorb water, as it’s not technically a “closed cell” product. Overall, it’s a lousy material for use in kayaks and you typically only see it used as pillars in cheap rec boats.
Well, now you have me curious about the water absorption. The info on the web site gave me the impression that it would be fine for this use, but I might do my own test to confirm it.
“Ethafoam” varied considerably in quality. The original brand name stuff was not too bad and was widely used for canoe outfitting before better foams were available. But there were many generic “ethafoams” that were developed for use as inexpensive packing materials with a much more open cell structure that were much less good.
