Big Project need some advice!

So I recently had to remove the floor in my VLX Malibu to fix a leaking ballast tank. After another WakeWorlder posted photos of a bare hull being built we got the idea to add some extra ballast! It seemed like Malibu used alot of valuble real estate to add foam! I understand this is to keep the boat from sinking all the way to the bottom of the lake, but I decided if she goes down I don't want her back. So we decided to remove all this foam and add more hidden ballast tanks. Everything went pretty smoothly...

We marked where we wanted to make the cut in the floor to acess this hidden ballast storage area.


We cut and removed the carpet. Hopefully we can reuse this for the access door!


We the cut out the rectangle door to access the foam! And we found alot of foam!


Then came the problem... How do we remove all this foam? This was Gary's idea?


I tried using a screw driver, then settled on a tile trowel. There's got to be a better way? Do you guys have any ideas? How do I get rid of all this foam?

Could try a drywall saw?

Good idea Brett, Gary's trying to take credit for your idea now. He said he suggested a knife to me earlier but he probably would have grabbed a butter knife out of the kitchen! lol

Do you have a drywall saw? Wanna come help us out, I got a coors light with your name on it! oops, noticed your only 20, have to buy a 6 pack of coors cutter's! lol

Haha, i'd have to go check in the garage for one. But it should cut it like butter.. in theory at least. And i would love to take you up on that offer, but that would be a long drive back, even if i had to stick to a nice cold root brew.

Chainsaw... LOL

How wire cutter???

I dont have any help with tools but I will be watching to see the results.

Also a thought: That foam is a very buoyant material. Simply removing it may allow the hull to sit a LOT deeper in the water. Maybe not, I am not a physics major but it seems like it would be easier to "slump down". Maybe pull the foam, launch the boat and see how it handles like that. I would also be concerned that structurally the foam may offer a sort of dampening and support to the hull. Either way I am curious to see how it turns out.

maybe a cutter bit.... basically a drill bit that cuts in all directions....

Oh i just got an idea

Step 1
make a loop like a "U" with metal wire. mount it to something like a piece of wood... take a torch for sodering or something like that.

Step 2

heat the wire up really hot and scoop out the foam. in theory it should work but who knows. its worth a shot. just dont hit any gas line for me.

maybe a cutter bit.... basically a drill bit that cuts in all directions....

Oh i just got an idea

Step 1
make a loop like a "U" with metal wire. mount it to something like a piece of wood... take a torch for sodering or something like that.

Step 2

heat the wire up really hot and scoop out the foam. in theory it should work but who knows. its worth a shot. just dont hit any gas line for me.

Try this:

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?itemnumber=65700

I have the Dremel version, but this one appears to be the same deal. Use the scraper blade and it should come out very easily.

-J

I agree with M-Dizzle. You may find you have a rougher ride as the foam prob dampens a lot of the shock in rough water. Good luck on the project tho.

I'm going to try making a hot wire loop out of a clothes hanger and a old soldering iron? Should work, I think?

As for the boat sitting lower once the foam is removed , NO! In fact it would actually sit higher! Why you ask? Well the Hull surface area is displacing its weight in the water. After removing the foam, even if its only ten pounds the amount of water needed to displace the weight of the hull well be less.

As for dampening or making the hull sound or feel more solid there is a possibility that after we are done some of the characteristics of the boat may change. Of course that was our goal to change the characteristics of the boat! lol

robert i figured something like that just because i made the assumption that the foam could melt under heat... let me know if that works.

sawzall or even that shovel. the sawzall will cut it like butter. the shovel will work if you jam it in and pop the foam out. make some cuts first, like a square.

you won't notice any difference with that little amount of foam gone.

what material was the floor made of?

oh yeah...putting a bigger tank in?

We are trying to add an additional 500lbs. on each side under the floor! So we have to cut alot of foam out! As big of a pain as its turning into we might just add Lead? We want to do a fat sac so we don't have to drag the extra weight around when we're not boarding.

p.s. The soldering iron and coat hanger didn't work! I guess there wasn't enough resistance in the coat hanger to allow it to heat up! I guess I have to jump back in there with the spoon and start shoveling it out! lol

p.p.s. Salty87 The floor was made out of a fiberboard type of material? Not really sure what it is to be honest with you!

Hole saw.

Test acetone on one of the pieces that you have taken out. We use it to remove the insides of foam molds after they are glassed. I'm not sure exactly what type of foam malibu uses but its worth a try. Use it only on the foam and wipe it up fast once its on the glass.



(Message edited by soundbox on August 01, 2009)

like Ben said, use acetone (you can get it at any Home Depot or Lowes). Just be carefull that the sludge is cleaned up with a wet/ dry vac or rags and wear rubber gloves for easy cleaning of your hands.

***Acetone Update.... If it is a poly foam (more than likely) it will not do much. Sealed styrofoam molding blocks are what we dissolve and it has different properties. Its still worth a try.

Stay away from flammable vapors in enclosed spaces. If you try to use your drill later you could end up with disaster.

I would seriously consider lead instead of water ballast in this situation. Just hog out a couple cubic feet and fill it with tire weights. Don't ever sink your boat and try to make an insurance claim, though.

Gas and a match works well

Well I tried acetone on a small piece of foam I had already ripped up, and it did nothing, well it did soak the gas up and I imagine it made a nice little bomb! I wouldn't want to spray anything flammable in the boat anyways.

I think I've decided to add lead!

I have carved out 1.125 cubic feet of foam which should net me Aprox. 795.5 lbs if I use pure lead. If I used water I'd have maybe 78.8 lbs. I think I'll add a bunch of used tire weights, which well net less weight but I should manage to get about 500lbs each side. Then i'll seal them in with expanding foam so they don't slide and the compartment well appear stock after a little carpet work! Not my first choice but I think this well create the desired affect!

And if it sinks nobody mention this post on here! lol

This should be interesting.