DIY spray foam and how to foam a cavity 

Haha mans is asking to chop a hand

Ya......lol 😆

Had me nervous

Thanks for that - I'm going to follow up with similar videos to this hopefully making people aware of what we expose ourselves to on the daily.

until you loose a finger!

Cheers Paul

Cheers, yeah - it's crazy right. For some reason people think when it comes out of the can it will solidify without understanding why.

Thanks, what you have just witnessed is years of experience, a huge amount of skill and a little bit of art all intertwined.

Appreciate the comment. I had intended to do a bunch of little videos like this but the video didn't get many views etc early on so haven't invested the effort in planning any more. Comments like yours give me a bit more motivation to revisit the idea. Thanks

Glad it was helpful! Will be doing a few more vids like this

Thanks Carl, I actually started doing it before I needed to foam inside cavities, enough moisture for full cure only seems to get 30ish mm inside the foam and then it becomes open cell and full of large voids. So I recommend this technique anywhere someone is using a large volume of foam in or out of a cavity. Inside smaller cavities you can damp the internals down with a spray bottle first.

Additionally, as I mentioned... I wouldn't use a froth pak. Google 'sick home spray foam' thousands of houses have made their residents sick due to improperly cured foam. I understand this can happen if the foam gets too hot during application or improper mixing/ratios - something I think is a real risk with that style of system.

you have to be lucky to have all your fingers in the number

Hey, welcome to my channel. Thanks, I think....

Brendon Tait Hi I’m enjoyed binge watching all your videos. Great info. I’ve never seen of the steam method before, is it something you devised? Also, like many others I’d love to know why the Sikaflex failed. Stuart.

Thanks, I've never seen anyone use it either. I devised it about 8 years ago after foaming a bunch of things, having it take ages to cure and then getting big internal voids due to the foam not fully. There are other methods that people use, however they still take a long time to cure. I'm going to re-do this video showing other methods and describing it more fully. I'll crack into the sikaflex video after I've made decent progress on the truck. Am keen to get away in it.

Hey Clyde, I agree - but I see a reversal in that! The two tank system can and does work safely, but I think due to lack of dosing pumps they could give inconsistent results. I assume the container wood was giving off methyl bromide, formaldehyde etc. Results will vary a lot depending on the testing instruments they used, a lot of test instrumentation will not pick up everything. If you are interested in this sort of thing, keep an eye out on my channel. I have some of the best testing instrumentation available and going to show a lot of the nasties in products in the future.

@@brendontait6968 im subscribed, like your channel! And I LOVE my foam! Wish i could have afforded pros to come in because it was MESSY lol. 2000 sq/ft two brdroom house….. cold in summer and warm in winter…. Electric bill averaged less than 50/month….. foam not the only reason but it plays an important part! Thanks for the reply!

Cheers Clyde... hopefully will get back into making videos soon. Have got loads more to share. Foam is deff great for getting in those places where nothing else will. That being said... it's caused an awful lot of headaches too. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-0Hh5MYv7lWc.html

Thanks... lots more of this sort of thing to come. I think I might wah on about chemicals and their effects a bit more towards the end of most of these sorts of videos. News like from Simone Giertz today is just getting too common. That way people who want to know more can stick around till the end and become better informed about the environment they choose to make for themselves...

Of course I remember you Pete. Glad to hear the bonding went well. With the foam, I'll do an update video on this, something I didn't mention is don't let the steam stop while there is foam in the nozzle else you will toast your steamer. I'm glad you've found my tips helpful, these ones are for the most part from my own tinkering and haven't seen anyone using either of these methods before. I've got a bunch more tips and thoughts to share, I just need to get the time to make some videos. Knowing that people are finding them useful adds to the motivation. Thanks 😊

Hey... no problem. I also buy surplus/expired cans. You can get them for a fraction of the retail cost. Have never noticed any perfomance issue from old stock. (There is a chance they get to much separation in them to mix well when shaken... however, just shake a bit longer)

Thanks Paul, in the future ill be putting up a bunch of other info along these lines

Thanks viking

Haha, thanks... some didn't approve. With regards to the saw, it is only battery powered, so no need for any safety equipment.

Minimal Self Preservation Instincts Here, poor risk to reward value!

get over yourself mr. perfect.

Some people just pu$$ies

Hey, same foam... different technique

Glad you enjoyed it

Hey, yeah.. it could work. I'm confused why you didn't get a compressor fridge? The foam bead will likely be good enough. It does have a tendency to break up with movement. But if it is all fastened down well enough.. should be fine.

Cheers, this method will cure all the way through without any problem.

Thanks Jeff

Just leave the steamer running. If you turn the steamer off, the steam in the steamer line will condense and suck the foam back into the steamer. Good luck.

haha... well to be honest... and this is something that people often don't see risk.. would you rather lose a finger from a saw or yr life from cancer?

Cheers, might do a followup on this sometime soon

Polyurethane isn't a thermoplastic, so it doesn't really melt. It just starts to decompose. Regulat urethane will be good for about 100C but I believe you can get some high temperature urethane that is good for around 150C. Things like steam will kill it tho.

Hey, thanks... I'm pretty sure the pressure won't be anywhere near 50psi, I'd think closer to 10 but I've been wrong before. The pressure in a tire would be fairly irrelevant if it had rigid foam in it?

@@brendontait6968 that is true. However the tire I have is a 6x1.25 Inch folding bike tire. It recommends 90psi to run normally. Idk how ridgid the foam will be unless one injects steam in with the foam while filling.

I'm not sure rigid foam in a tire is a great idea... it will degrade and turn to powder. If you are trying to make a tire that won't go flat, you could try a two part flexible foam - tho you'd have to have a decent setup, the reaction is generally pretty fast. But there are plenty of semi solid puncture proof bicycle tube around for not much money?

@@brendontait6968 true although I haven't found many in 6x1.25 inch

misting water in a cavity will work also alternating between mist and foam.

What about just introducing your breath through a straw or some tubing as you release the foam? That has to be extremely humid air, and well mixed with no droplets. Might be worth a trial. ..

It would work separately, and it would work. However.... I think if it is mounted outside, it could break. The foam would offer little complaine in the wind and could break under compression.

it should work, but not sure how much sturdier it will make them. I'd be more concerned with heat stress cracking them than cracking from pressure. I'd do it to your least favorite one first.

Most polymer foams are not particularly strong, the majority of it is gas. The rest is a polymer (normally polyurethane) with a fraction the strength of steel. It could help structure in some ways... but maybe not so great with impacts. An example of adding strength would be if you were to get a coke can, they are fairly strong, but as soon as there is a deformity in the skin of the can... the strength disappears. If you were to fill a coke can with foam, this would reduce the ability for the skin to deform and it would allow the can to hold a lot more weight. However... in an impact, the skin would deform and you are left with the strength of the foam which isn't great. I've played with a lot of 2 pot foams previously. They have varying physical properties based on their density and plasticity, but I would not consider them strong. Obviously as you increase in density the strength will increase. Some things that you wouldn't think of as foams like the front of some ATM machines, CT machines or the inner wall that you see on aircraft. Are a fairly tough foams (Altho they don't appear as a foam) but they are very dense with not many gas voids.

Forgot to mention also... metal foams are coming soon, they look like they have phenomenal properties.

Just a tinkerer, lots more to share...

Once it has cured, or set hard.. it will no longer grow appreciably. If steamed it sets hard in 5 mins. Now... I have to talk to you about units. Feet, inches, cubic inches.... 🤦‍♂️ please, come to the dark side. Imperial units are the worst to figure anything out with. This is why pretty much the whole world is metric. It would seem you may have made an error with your maths (I'll blame the imperial system for that) I get about 32,000 cubic inches... a bit over 500 litres. I think it would be possible with cans, but think you'd likely need around 25 cans. Make sure you practice before committing.

I think it will fully cure with the moisture in the air eventually and you shouldn't have any residual after a while. Keep good ventilation going in yr van and it'll be fine. Ventilation is key to a healthy living space.

Hey Christina. If you filled an air mattress it would feel like laying on a surfboard. It is rigid foam, not flexible. It would eventually break up and start to crumble inside.

Hey, I'd be using something like a semi rigid foam like polystyrene, EPE, EVA etc. (EPE is probably the healthiest - it's the stuff often used in packaging) Then seal the small gaps with this style of spray foam.

@@brendontait6968 Thank you.

That's actually a great idea, I could make a whole video series of alternative ways of using power tools!

Of course... keep it moist!

Crazy... who would have thought or expected?

Hey... yes, unless the foam has two parts... it needs the second part to cure which is moisture. It will not cure in a closed space by itself. Should get around to an update video in a couple months. Cheers

@@brendontait6968 have you thought about a two part types in same type garden sprayer bottles?... . Put a Tee in line of one of the bottles from the other bottle..... . pour equal amount in each bottle for 1.1 . pump each bottle up the same number of strokes and .... ........... give it shot..

No fingers were harmed in making of this video.

Don't be a pu$$y man

The foam bottle is connected as usual to the valve (to its bottom). And the steam machine sprays steam by the needle into the plastic tube, just at the end of the valve.

I would keep the foam in. One of the major issues that made houses uninhabitable was the foam being applied too thickly. In a van, the walls are significantly thinner so less heat could build during curing. That doesn't mean that the components were adequately metered tho. Have a good sniff and see if the foam has a smell. If you want you could send me some foam to test for dangerous outgassing. If you are concerned, I would be inclined to use something like a mylar or thin aluminium barrier which would work well as a vapor barrier anyways. Sealed up properly with aluminum tape... and it's not likely any fume would come through.

@@brendontait6968 Thanks for the information.How can I send you the sample? A small piece will be ok?

@@19261577 no problem, message me on Instagram

@@19261577 contact me on insta

Hey, thanks. Yeah I have been meaning to do a followup video. I have a few different techniques to add to this.

i had no luck with this method, i used the same steamer but the pressure may be too low as its an old one. The foam seemed to get stuck and come out the needle hole as well. Either very little come out the end or too much. Needle was also very hot so made pulling trigger down difficult, and was pulled down on an angle. Also i noticed when testing before hand pressure looked ok, but when i put finger over foam intake of dispenser the pressure seemed to drop. I had needle end after the foam intake, so it would have been pulling then pushing foam. Does it have to be steam air, could an air compressor be used instead? Will have another crack at it, its just too good an idea to give up on. @@brendontait6968

haha, thanks Jake... I'll cover this in a future video - this was a test to my audience to get a feel for peoples perceived danger/risk levels. There are safer ways I could have cut the bottle, but I couldn't think of any other ways that would have made people feel much more uncomfortable. I feel a chopped off finger would be as bad an injury as that technique could yield and I see that as a fairly minor injury and nothing to get too worried about - believe it or not... I've chopped a finger off before and although it was fairly uncomfortable for a couple of days and brought some small annoying inconveniences for a few weeks. It really is very minor on the spectrum of injuries.

Hey Chris, thanks for the comment, it's generally but not always inert when cured, improper mixing or high temps during cure can make it outgas. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-0Hh5MYv7lWc.html appreciate the safety concern... but you might want to avoid some of my future videos if the saw bothered you.

@@brendontait6968 I used to paint industrial Fire escape Cat ladders without a harness. I used to break the rules when I was younger. Mind you, back in the 1980's Health and Safety was only beginning to become a thing now you have to take a safe pass course before setting foot in a building site.

Steam, I'm just using a 2nd hand one of those household steamer/cleaner things like this www.amazon.com/Shark-Deluxe-Portable-Pocket-SC650/dp/B00HZCY26O

Search "Polti Vaporetto steam" on Ebay. Years ago I caved in to a 3am infommercial (which I never do) and bought one. I resisted until they showed using it to clean the top of a refrigerator door gasket - the accordian style. I think they MAY have pumped some simple green or 409 on it first and let it sit for a minute, but then when he strafed that gasket with the regular nozzle tip, and pushed this tsunami wave of crap down those creases out past the end into a waiting rag ... That's what did it .. I pulled the trigger, worried about spending the money, but any way, Crumbs, dead gnats, dried chocolate syrup, dried jelly, you name it, it all came right off, and left the gasket virtually dry, but I like to follow with my little 1.5 gal shop vac "hang-up" with a crevice tool ... Hit it with some Armor-All, and it looks like new. Whether you use it like this video shows, which I think is genius, I use mine to cured regular cyanoacrylate glue all the time - but my main point here is that after all these years, its some of the best money I ever spent. Its one of those things that you wonder how you ever did without it. I'm on my second one now as I literally wore my first one out. They will tell you that you can use tap water, but if you have hard water, don't do it. Use at least half distilled water. I use half distilled and half filtered. If I have my steamer, my little shop-vac and my SPIN MOP, I am invincible! Lol ... Good luck!

Brendon Tait I like this video very informative. Could you give me more information on the spray foam you used. I am going to do my van and I have some deep voids I need to fill and I think your process will work for me. I would copy your demonstration with tests of my own in the plastic bottles to make sure I got the process down before I put it in the van but if you could give me the link to the product I would appreciate it Thx in advance

@@johnmaciejewski4 I came up with this idea a few years ago when I had to foam fill a prototype I was building. Even though it wasn't in a cavity, I found that the foam only cured a couple of cm deep then would have big porous holes. I've used that method for years with different foams and not noticed any adverse reactions (not to say that will be the case with all brands of foam). Just try what foam is available and cost effective. Like I said, I've tried a bunch of different foams previously without problem. Check for any unusual odors from the foam post cure.

@@brendontait6968 I went looking for that model steamer and found it was discontinued. A little searching and I found a "used" one (the box appears to have never been opened) for $30 US. I'll report back when I've used it. Thank you for this video. I don't think I've found anyone else demonstrating this technique.

Always! Still have 10!

That is an old shark pocket steamer. I'm going to re-do this video because I dont think I explained it well enough. A few people on here have not been able to make it work. What are you hoping to do?

@@brendontait6968 YES PLEASE! would be awesome if your next video update on this was using a van or bus roof. They have lots of cavities and #vanlife is trending :)

You mean the banana trees? 🍌

@@brendontait6968 I'm from the UK - we don't see stuff like that. Fantastic.

Who would have thought after doing that sort of thing for decades, I still have all my fingers....

I don't really want to Fred.

Thanks for the tech info, I can see why the Nikes & others adapted it for their new athletic shoe shipments - cheap & effective.

I don't really know sorry. I would think it's unlikely to end well. The foam would likely breakdown and crumble over time. If I were to try it, I would do it with the steam. You'd need several bottles and swap them quickly as the foam sets quickly when used with steam. Practice with some plastic bags first.

It's coming...

Cheers mate, still have all my fingers and use one several times a week - astonishing rite!

That's actually a pretty good idea. I don't have a bandsaw, but I have a chainsaw and that's pretty much the same... great idea, I'll use that instead next time!

Neither did I. Nor did it show the two brands of foam or whatever that demo was with the two soda bottles.

Was an old steam mop thing, made by Shark

@4:30 you can see it is liquid inside. I'm not going to cut into liquid polyurethane with my saw. It would be destroyed. I guess I could have cut it apart with scissors. You can see quite clearly the internal volume that has set and the volume that hasn't.

@@brendontait6968 Use a utility knife...

Lol... I'm not sure how you did that, I've been doing it for years and likely approaching 100 cans all with the same steamer, never had anything close to what you describe happen. I guess there always has to be someone... Did you stop the steam flow while the foam was being delivered? If you aren't confident with steam you can use a water sprayer and spray water into the cavity, put wet strips of paper or maybe just hire a professional if you need spray foam. I will do a future video showing different ways of accomplishing the same things with and without a steamer.

@@brendontait6968 Yeah, I guess it wasn't clear in the video that you ALWAYS have to start the steam first before you start the foam. I used a different foam product since I'm in the states. They sell a product called Loctite and the plastic that they make the head nozzle out of is much harder than the Gorilla Pro that you have where you are so the sharpened inflation needle wasn't strong enough to puncture the back of the head nozzle. I had to use a utility knife to start a hole big enough and that may have been my problem. With one hand on the bottle trigger, the other hand on the steamer trigger and foam oozing out parts other than the end of the nozzle straw where it should have been coming out, it took a lot of coordination for a first timer while standing on the end of a ladder to fill a small roof cavity on a house.

I'll do another video in the next few months. I havent done many RU-vid videos so is good to get feedback like this. I normally tape the trigger on the steam so it's constantly blowing steam out the end and the foam only comes out when I pull the trigger, I think I showed this? With anything... it's probably best to get a good feel for what you are doing a d practice in a comfortable place rather than trying first time balancing on a ladder in an awkward space.

Brendon Tait l

It's only a battery powered saw, you don't really need to be that careful with those. They are just toys. I've chopped fingers off before, it's no big deal. You just put them in your pocket and walk up to the hospital, they normally stitch them back on fairly quickly.

If you stop the steam before the foam it will ruin your steamer.

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Amazes me how people get concerned about the possibility of losing a finger or two (I've got plenty), but no one bats an eyelid when it comes to breathing isocyanates or other potentially cancer causing chemicals. Due to the general apathy society shows toward this sort of thing, cancer now affects 1 in 2 people in the western world. Thanks for the comment =)

You mean in your country that you don't use a saw like that?

Petro will clean it off squeaky clean

Cheers Rick, a lot of people worry about the way I use a saw. I've only ever chopped one finger off and they managed to stick it back on with no dramas. Am also within walking distance to the hospital so there is really nothing to worry about. I do however find it curious how people seem fixated on how potential finger amputation seems worse than chemical sensitization or cancer. I'm sure if I ever have children they will be just as concerning as yours running around the yard with chainsaws on poles.

@@brendontait6968 So you legit lost a finger and still cut things like that?

Correct

I'm going to make another video on this. Let me know what went wrong and I'll try cover it off.

@@brendontait6968 the pressure backflushed from the plastic. Also went too hot and melt the plastic later on. And even after a lot of trials and redos, it never went like your one.Maybe foam type?

Haha... thanks Tom. I thought the internet would be an amazing place where so much knowledge would be available for all. Unfortunately it seems as if it's a platform for morons to spread their stupidity onto others. Cheers for the comment.

You're deff not tripping... You are actually the first person to see the deeper meaning in my video!

Brendon Tait 😀😃😄😁😆😅🤣😂🤭 Yes well, Great minds and all that. 😏😉😎 ✊🏾🧔🏾

Live like a king brother!

As a King. 😉😏 ✊🏾🧔🏾

Why?

@@brendontait6968 You are lucky no thumb has been cut off.

I'm not sure if you believe me, but I've actually cut my little finger off at the base before. But it's no problem, the hospital is just up the road. They managed to put it back on no problem and you'd never know the difference.

I believe you. Please show RU-vid how one can learn from their mistakes and take good care of your safety. Lots of us will like that. 👍 Keep up the good work, cheers!

Have a look at my battery build video, you might enjoy how safe I am when testing batteries, I even put shoes on! ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-kYx097cVR48.html

He foamed you?

@@brendontait6968 yes just like that bottle

Lucky lady....