hull group field trip to cellofoam, winchester, va

In 2013 our hull was made by skewering expanded polystyrene (eps) discs onto a spindle, fairing it to the desired profile and fiberglassing over the form.  It was pretty straightforward, but time intensive.  Some of our eps had come from cellofoam via a roofing contractor we knew.  We'd heard they could make big, intricate shapes.  If we had the financial resources but limited time, might we be able to work with cellofoam to make our fiberglassing form?  We decided to find out.  Hence, our trip to cellofoam's plant in Winchester, Virginia, where Plant Manager Rick McMahon gave us a guided tour.

Our conclusion:  Yes!  Cellofoam could be a valuable resource for our submarine team.  Not only could they make a shape to the size and dimensions we needed, but they could mark centers or ship it with a center-axis spindle in place.  Thank you for the great visit, Mr. McMahon and the cellofoam team!