I have a 16'x5' flatbottom Alumaweld. On the weekend I lifted the floor up to find the foam was soaked with water. I took out the easy to get at foam along the sides (wieghed about 150lbs), but the foam the has been injected under the box girders is also soaked and I can't get at it to cut it out. Does anybody know of any way to dissolve or remove this foam without cutting into the box girders. Also , should I replace this foam and if so with what? I tried to find an e-mail address on th eAlumaweld site but could not find one, so hopefully some here has a solution.

help, anyone?

Have you taken a piece of that foam and tried putting acetone on it to see if that will dissolve it?

Cowlitzfisherman

The foam in the girders would best be left alone, as cutting the girders is not a good idea.... I do not know of any way to get it out, the welders here say it is toxic when heated so dont melt it either... As far as replacing it I dont know the products name but will try and find out for you.

Thanks, I had thought about melting it, but that is now out. Will try the acetone deal, but the volume of water may dilute it too much. Late yesterday I talked to some one at Alumaweld. He told me that the foam they use will over time absorb water and lots of older sleds may have this problem if they don't get covered when storing them.

Can you say Willie?

What a BUMMER! Are you the original owner? If so, I'd be *****ing like hell to Alumaweld. That's an issue several boat manufactures had in the 70's and 80's and some of them "made it right" with the original owners. Foam shouldn't "wear out"! I've used gasoline to melt styro. out of "beauty or decorative" areas in concrete pours. It worked great, but you're talking about alot of by-product. Maybe a fillet knife and a shop vac too! Good luck and let us know what happens.

We had a Livingston do something similar. The foam wasn't really closed cell, more like open cell with a skin. When the skin breaks down the whole thing becomes a sponge.

We finally had to drill holes in the inner skin to drain the water out. Wrong material for the application.