Bear with me for a second.

I have been hearing about people using ping pong balls for floatation.
However, I can't find anyone who has actually done it.

It makes sense in that it will allow water to flow and not trap water in
the bilge. They should last a while and certainly easy to install.

Anyone have any first hand knowledge of doing this?

--
Tailgunner
BS#232

You ever lit off a ping pong ball? They are made of celluloid, a
mixture of nitrocellulose and champhor. It does not take a lot of heat
to set them off and they burn like flash paper. A bilge full would
make a pretty spectacular fire.

Tailgunner wrote:
Bear with me for a second.

I have been hearing about people using ping pong balls for floatation.
However, I can't find anyone who has actually done it.

It makes sense in that it will allow water to flow and not trap water in
the bilge. They should last a while and certainly easy to install.

Anyone have any first hand knowledge of doing this?

--
Tailgunner
BS#232



--
Glenn Ashmore

I'm building a 45' cutter in strip/composite. Watch my progress (or lack
there of) at: http://www.rutuonline.com
Shameless Commercial Division: http://www.spade-anchor-us.com

I would think more like an explosion in quantity.

"Glenn Ashmore" wrote in message
news:2pYFb.10091$JD6.9829@lakeread04...
You ever lit off a ping pong ball? They are made of celluloid, a
mixture of nitrocellulose and champhor. It does not take a lot of heat
to set them off and they burn like flash paper. A bilge full would
make a pretty spectacular fire.

Tailgunner wrote:
Bear with me for a second.

I have been hearing about people using ping pong balls for floatation.
However, I can't find anyone who has actually done it.

It makes sense in that it will allow water to flow and not trap water in
the bilge. They should last a while and certainly easy to install.

Anyone have any first hand knowledge of doing this?

--
Tailgunner
BS#232



--
Glenn Ashmore

I'm building a 45' cutter in strip/composite. Watch my progress (or lack
there of) at: http://www.rutuonline.com
Shameless Commercial Division: http://www.spade-anchor-us.com

Glenn Ashmore wrote:

You ever lit off a ping pong ball? They are made of celluloid, a
mixture of nitrocellulose and champhor. It does not take a lot of heat
to set them off and they burn like flash paper. A bilge full would
make a pretty spectacular fire.

Very good point. Surrounding the fuel tank would make for an even better
explosion.



Tailgunner wrote:
Bear with me for a second.

I have been hearing about people using ping pong balls for floatation.
However, I can't find anyone who has actually done it.

It makes sense in that it will allow water to flow and not trap water in
the bilge. They should last a while and certainly easy to install.

Anyone have any first hand knowledge of doing this?

--
Tailgunner
BS#232



--
Glenn Ashmore

I'm building a 45' cutter in strip/composite. Watch my progress (or lack
there of) at: http://www.rutuonline.com
Shameless Commercial Division: http://www.spade-anchor-us.com

Yes: Malcom Campbell used it in one of his BlueBirds, trying to break the
world speed record on the water.
I saw the boat with the ping pong balls at the London Boat Show but that was
many years ago.
Right now we have better products like 2 part foam.
To be honest, I did not "see" the ping pong balls, they were inside the
boat.

--
Jacques
http://www.bateau.com

"Tailgunner" wrote in message
...
Bear with me for a second.

I have been hearing about people using ping pong balls for floatation.
However, I can't find anyone who has actually done it.

It makes sense in that it will allow water to flow and not trap water in
the bilge. They should last a while and certainly easy to install.

Anyone have any first hand knowledge of doing this?

--
Tailgunner
BS#232

Tailgunner wrote:



: I found a place that sells a gross at $20 ($0.07 each). Not much better. I
: thought about bottles (free). But the deck would have to be removed to install
: them. Next year I am thinking of replacing the deck so maybe. They are
: certainly not flammable even with the caps epoxied on.


One has to wonder what happens to the bottles if you put them in
during a chilly spring day, and then the seasons change and it's a 95
degree Summer day.

Or vice versa....if you put them in on a hot day, what happens in
September or October. Do the bottles crush some? Does that imact
flotation?


--- Gregg
"Improvise, adapt, overcome."

Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
Phone: (617) 496-1558

At a dime each, it's cost over $100/ft^3. How about plastic beverage
bottles?

Tailgunner wrote:

Bear with me for a second.

I have been hearing about people using ping pong balls for floatation.
However, I can't find anyone who has actually done it.

It makes sense in that it will allow water to flow and not trap water in
the bilge. They should last a while and certainly easy to install.

Anyone have any first hand knowledge of doing this?

--
Tailgunner
BS#232

Jim Conlin wrote:

At a dime each, it's cost over $100/ft^3. How about plastic beverage
bottles?


I found a place that sells a gross at $20 ($0.07 each). Not much better. I
thought about bottles (free). But the deck would have to be removed to install
them. Next year I am thinking of replacing the deck so maybe. They are
certainly not flammable even with the caps epoxied on.


Tailgunner wrote:

Bear with me for a second.

I have been hearing about people using ping pong balls for floatation.
However, I can't find anyone who has actually done it.

It makes sense in that it will allow water to flow and not trap water in
the bilge. They should last a while and certainly easy to install.

Anyone have any first hand knowledge of doing this?

--
Tailgunner
BS#232

--
Tailgunner
BS#232

Tailgunner wrote:


: Gregg Germain wrote:

: Tailgunner wrote:
:
: : I found a place that sells a gross at $20 ($0.07 each). Not much better. I
: : thought about bottles (free). But the deck would have to be removed to install
: : them. Next year I am thinking of replacing the deck so maybe. They are
: : certainly not flammable even with the caps epoxied on.
:
: One has to wonder what happens to the bottles if you put them in
: during a chilly spring day, and then the seasons change and it's a 95
: degree Summer day.
:
: Or vice versa....if you put them in on a hot day, what happens in
: September or October. Do the bottles crush some? Does that imact
: flotation?

: Gregg, you're just paying too much attention. 8-)

Well you might be right about that ;^)


: I honestly don't think it would be that much of a change. Maybe if they were in
: direct sunlight they "might" expand. Tell you what, I'll ask one of our scientists
: here at work (WHOI) and see what they think and report back.

I only ask because I've seen closed, empty plastic bottles puff up in the
sunlight.



:
:
: --- Gregg
: "Improvise, adapt, overcome."
:
: Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
: Phone: (617) 496-1558
:

: --
: Tailgunner




--


--- Gregg
"Improvise, adapt, overcome."

Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
Phone: (617) 496-1558

Gregg Germain wrote:

Tailgunner wrote:

: I found a place that sells a gross at $20 ($0.07 each). Not much better. I
: thought about bottles (free). But the deck would have to be removed to install
: them. Next year I am thinking of replacing the deck so maybe. They are
: certainly not flammable even with the caps epoxied on.

One has to wonder what happens to the bottles if you put them in
during a chilly spring day, and then the seasons change and it's a 95
degree Summer day.

Or vice versa....if you put them in on a hot day, what happens in
September or October. Do the bottles crush some? Does that imact
flotation?

Gregg, you're just paying too much attention. 8-)

I honestly don't think it would be that much of a change. Maybe if they were in
direct sunlight they "might" expand. Tell you what, I'll ask one of our scientists
here at work (WHOI) and see what they think and report back.




--- Gregg
"Improvise, adapt, overcome."

Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
Phone: (617) 496-1558


--
Tailgunner