Here are my blue foam pipes being made. This took a while and had a few itterations. I had to route the foam to my 1″ thickness and glue bits together using pins to hold them. I had to get the access holes right too so I could install and remove the foam block shapes.

Pic 2 and it has happened. I have my pipe ‘molds’. There was a lot of sanding and adding little bits here and there.They fit and they are removable for now.

The next part of the plan is to coat the blue foam in several layers of micro using West systems, only because I have a fast hardener for this. You can see the first coat in Pic 3.

I’ll do a few more of these until I get a smooth finish I’m happy with. This will be the shape of the inside of the pipes. Once thats all done I’ll wax the outside as you do for a mold release. Then I’ll glass them with two plys of the fuel resistant epoxy. When that is really cured, I’m going to slit the two thinnest sides and get the tool or mold out. Then I’ll tape the halves back together. Next will be two more plies for the pipes and finally I’ll glass and flox them in place so they cannot move. Ever.

Yes it will infringe on the armrests and the GIB. I’m happier with this approach rather than hiding them in the fuselage sides which would look nice buy further weaken the structure.

OK wish me luck.

Building foam shapes

Fitted pipe in foam

First coat of micro