Foaming at the joints

Foamy
Originally uploaded by Phil_Parker

They should have thought of this when building the Titanic.

At the boat club we have a harbour for our docking competition. It's quite high-tech for model boaters being made of plastic fascia boards floating on a network of drainage pipes. Or rather very slowly sinking. The push fit joints on the pipework aren't proving to be as water-tight as we'd hoped so the top of the harbour is level with the water surface. If nothing was done, this years docking challenge would be open to submarines only.

So on April fools day a few of us hauled the harbour out of the water and flipped it upside down. Water was emptied out of the pipes and the everything securely re-assembled. Then holes were drilled in all the corners - not an obvious move when making things float unless you are drilling a hole in the bottom to let the water out again !

To keep the wet stuff out of the pipes we have filled them with something buoyant - expanding filler foam. I've used this stuff before so was given the job of foaming. I like to think that this is down to my expertise and not 'cos no one else wanted to get the stuff on their hands.

Two cans were enough for our pipe network. As you can see the stuff oozed out of the holes as it expanded. Drying took around half an hour in the sun before the excess was pulled off and disposed off. It's noticeable that some of the pipes have developed a slight curve - probably caused by the air pressure in the middle as the foam at each end grew.

Back afloat the harbour now sits on the surface which should make docking manoeuvres easier this year. Not good news really as I've won the last two tears. Perhaps I should have refused to help and built a submarine instead ?