What's the expanding foam thing called?

[Im_Ben]

When you ship a pc they use like an expanding foam, but what's it called? I can't seem to find it. 

[bcredeur97]

I know instapack makes them. not sure of the exact name, probably just "expanding foam"

 

https://www.amazon.com/EcoBox-Inches-Instapak-Temperature-2030-1/dp/B00KAFU0ZA/ref=pd_lpo_vtph_tr_t_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=JE8T9R4P1DTNFXNDFFFX

[Im_Ben]

5 minutes ago, bcredeur97 said:

I know instapack makes them. not sure of the exact name, probably just "expanding foam"

 

https://www.amazon.com/EcoBox-Inches-Instapak-Temperature-2030-1/dp/B00KAFU0ZA/ref=pd_lpo_vtph_tr_t_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=JE8T9R4P1DTNFXNDFFFX

Thanks!

[Canada EH]

That is sealed air, its a big air bubble. It is not expanding foam. Air is light, foam has lots more weight.

 

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

24 minutes ago, Canada EH said:

That is sealed air, its a big air bubble. It is not expanding foam. Air is light, foam has lots more weight.

 

 

That guy wasn't the brightest crayon in the box. Watch this video instead:

 

 

[imreloadin]

1 hour ago, Canada EH said:

That is sealed air, its a big air bubble. It is not expanding foam. Air is light, foam has lots more weight.

Is that guy seriously using fucking foam window sealant? I'd honestly be pissed if I bought something from someone and they sent me this homebrew packing material bs

[Canada EH]

I dunno, perhaps it was a gift. Depends on price for the smart ratio factor. I am betting either way its expensive. Lots of tricks in the packaging game, keep your ear to the street and the hints come a flowing.

[corrado33]

2 hours ago, imreloadin said:

Is that guy seriously using fucking foam window sealant? I'd honestly be pissed if I bought something from someone and they sent me this homebrew packing material bs

Honestly? It'd work really really well. That expanding stuff is great. If you wrapped your item in a ziplock or something and then put a bunch of expanding foam in the package, I'd 100% guarantee it'd show up not broken. 

 

EDIT: And it's cheaper.... much... much cheaper.

 

https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/great-stuff-gaps-cracks-insulating-foam-sealant-340-g-0642618p.0642618.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMItZ34jcSM3wIVFtNkCh3FxQEJEAYYAyABEgJ4lvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds#store=326

[Lady Fitzgerald]

2 hours ago, corrado33 said:

Honestly? It'd work really really well. That expanding stuff is great. If you wrapped your item in a ziplock or something and then put a bunch of expanding foam in the package, I'd 100% guarantee it'd show up not broken. 

 

EDIT: And it's cheaper.... much... much cheaper.

 

https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/great-stuff-gaps-cracks-insulating-foam-sealant-340-g-0642618p.0642618.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMItZ34jcSM3wIVFtNkCh3FxQEJEAYYAyABEgJ4lvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds#store=326

Cheaper? Not really. The stuff expands too much and will expand the sides of a box. It also takes too long to fully expand and harden. It's much too labor intensive. The Instapaks take only about a minute or so whereas using great stuff takes way too long. Time is money. 

[corrado33]

8 minutes ago, Lady Fitzgerald said:

Cheaper? Not really. The stuff expands too much and will expand the sides of a box. It also takes too long to fully expand and harden. It's much too labor intensive. The Instapaks take only about a minute or so whereas using great stuff takes way too long. Time is money. 

Eh, leave the top of the box open, then cut off the excess. I wouldn't do this for like shipping things every day (if you do that then just buy the packs in bulk) but for a one off shipping? Heck yeah. And it certainly would be cheaper. (3 CAD + 1 ziplock bag vs 10 USD (20 if you want both sides)) 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

1 minute ago, corrado33 said:

Eh, leave the top of the box open, then cut off the excess. I wouldn't do this for like shipping things every day (if you do that then just buy the packs in bulk) but for a one off shipping? Heck yeah. And it certainly would be cheaper. (3 CAD + 1 ziplock bag vs 10 USD (20 if you want both sides)) 

One off is a different story. Leaving the top open may not keep the box sides from expanding. You might be able to brace the sides with cinder blocks to keep the box sides from expanding. I wouldn't use all that wet paper the guy in the video used, though. 

[corrado33]

Just now, Lady Fitzgerald said:

One off is a different story. Leaving the top open may not keep the box sides from expanding. You might be able to brace the sides with cinder blocks to keep the box sides from expanding. I wouldn't use all that wet paper the guy in the video used, though. 

Agreed. Makes me think though. I wonder if you could actually create a "mold" of an item that you ship often, then use this expanding foam to fill it up. That'd be interesting (slow of course, but interesting.) I think the great foam stuff takes 24 hours to fully cure?

[Lady Fitzgerald]

Just now, corrado33 said:

...I think the great foam stuff takes 24 hours to fully cure?

At least. It depends on humidity and air temperature.

[corrado33]

1 minute ago, Lady Fitzgerald said:

At least. It depends on humidity and air temperature.

Probably even longer if you're trying to make thick molds out of it. It's supposed to fill like a few cm gap around windows and doors. 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

True that. I've used great stuff to fill cracks and it was still expanding several hours later.

[corrado33]

3 minutes ago, Lady Fitzgerald said:

True that. I've used great stuff to fill cracks and it was still expanding several hours later.

It is super fun to play with though. You can make pretty convincing "crap" piles. (I was bored working construction when I was a kid.) 

[Rosss]

paying for packaging is always a drag..

 

maybe buy bulk cotton or fiberglass-free insulation and wrap them in plastic wrap