Piecing Together Rail Foam (1 Viewer)

[bsdunbar1]

I have looked through a ton of threads and haven't found anything on the subject.

Long story short I am building a round table for a guy to fit over the top of an octagon dining table. Because of the dining table size the round top has to be 61" in diameter. With that diameter I will have to piece together the rail foam. I have tons of cut-out pieces to use from the center of other oval tables, so i think i can use just a couple of pieces together but I'm not sure what is the best protocol when using multiple pieces.

Is there really anything needed besides butting it up together and gluing it to the rail?

Anyone have any Do's & Don't's?

Thanks

 

[Irish]

Is there really anything needed besides butting it up together and gluing it to the rail?

I usually place a couple of dryer sheets over the butt seem in the foam to prevent any divots.

 

[Jambine]

I usually place a couple of dryer sheets over the butt seem in the foam to prevent any divots.

That is probably the best you can do

 

[Trihonda]

Dryer sheets. But I’d glue then to the top of the foam with spray glue. Just trying to eliminate the seam. Very hard to do imho. Piecing foam is not desired if it can be avoided.

 

[beaver]

I’m not sure where, but someone had posted a tutorial in the past on stretching foam.

If you buy a piece of foam long enough to cover the rail in one direction, you can cut a slice down the center, then pull the foam to the other 2 sides of the rail. One solid piece with no seams.

 

[BGinGA]

I pieced one together (using diagonal butt cuts and the dryer sheet trick), a long time ago. Nobody has ever said a word, but it still bugs me 12 years later. I can tell where the foam seams are, even if nobody else has ever noticed.

A decade of internalized agony wasn't worth the small cost savings, and I'd never do it again. If forced because of dimensional constraints, I'd switch to a multi-piece rail design just to avoid the dryer sheet lumps that are unavoidable with a single-piece rail using multiple foam pieces.

 

[Jambine]

I’m not sure where, but someone had posted a tutorial in the past on stretching foam.

If you buy a piece of foam long enough to cover the rail in one direction, you can cut a slice down the center, then pull the foam to the other 2 sides of the rail. One solid piece with no seams.

I have done this with 54" foam going to 58" round. It distorted it only a little bit. Remember you need some extra to go around and under the rail.
Not sure about an additional 3" to 61" but I'll say maybe.... for sure maybe

 

[Jambine]

This was the result (58" outside)

 

[bsdunbar1]

I’m not sure where, but someone had posted a tutorial in the past on stretching foam.

If you buy a piece of foam long enough to cover the rail in one direction, you can cut a slice down the center, then pull the foam to the other 2 sides of the rail. One solid piece with no seams.

^Hmmm, worth investigating^

1 piece is absolutely desired but I don't know if it is possible with 54" wide foam. The OD is 61" + I have an extra piece on the bottom that is round on the OD and octagon on the ID so it fits onto the table. This means I have another 3/4" all the way around to cover.

I'm putting cup holders in the rail, I wonder if it would be better to put the seem across the cup holder where your arm would never rest? Or if that would be too difficult to keep it butted up tight?

Nobody has ever said a word, but it still bugs me 12 years later. I can tell where the foam seams are, even if nobody else has ever noticed.

@BGinGA is this from feel or sight?

 

[Trihonda]

I haven’t shopped in a while, but I recall foam sources that were wider than 54”. I thought maybe yat had some near 60”, but I could be wrong.

 

[beaver]

Most cities have some kind of custom foam manufacturer, typically making foam for mattresses and furniture, but a lot of them make a wide range of foam in almost any size imaginable. You could try sourcing a larger piece of similar quality foam from one of these places.

 

[Jambine]

I haven’t shopped in a while, but I recall foam sources that were wider than 54”. I thought maybe yat had some near 60”, but I could be wrong.

I don't think they have foam that wide, but they do have 61" vinyl. That's what I used on the table above. Same method, slice it down the middle and force it round.
https://www.yourautotrim.com/61wiblpotara.html

 

[BGinGA]

To me, it's visible. Maybe not so much to others.

I'd definitely put the seams at the cupholder locations, since the foam is already distorted there anyway.

First priority would be finding some decent foam that fits your dimensional requirements. Worth whatever extra it costs, imo.