Filling the frame with expanding insulating foam?

While we’re throwing things at the wall to see what sticks, how ‘bout a solid steel frame? or a polymer frame like a glock or a laminated wood frame like a Morgan? Or a hollow frame without any holes that stayed pressurized? The booms on my old companies humongous draglines were pressurized and if the monitors detected a crack=pressure drop they would shut down the machine. Anything sticking yet?

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The solid frame would weigh over 1000 lbs. Polymer would be unrepairable and exorbitantly expensive. The size of the Morgan style frame would keep lots of termites happy. (yes I know Morgan still fully dips their frames in a very cool bug killer)
 
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Kind of interesting as I watched a program earlier today from the Jaguar assembly plant and they coat the interior panels with a proprietary product on 2 piece assemblies such as door frames and it expands and cures in the paint oven.
 
OK that surely got the propellers on top of the thinking caps going...
The foam being non-absorbent, the problem may be that over time the foam may shrink a bit, and allow water in which could not escape.
Back to the Eastwood option I think.

The expanding two component foams do not shrink over time.
 
Some genius did this to one I got.... I'd say it didn't work.

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New jeeps have galvanized frames..... they had welding problems with a few. It will be many years before we know if that was a good choice.

Also the biggest problem with filing the frame with foam. If you need to weld something to the frame what is the heat going to do to the foam?
 
If you could cap all the holes on the frame and tap it for a couple of needle valves, you could purge it with nitrogen/argon. Not sure it would be worth the time and effort, but we do this with offshore assemblies that will be in the splash zone for some time prior to installation. Between 7 and 10 psi with a small gauge to monitor pressure during storage.

Like I said, probably not viable for a frame with skid plate bolts and what not, but if we just throwing around ideas to see what sticks...
 
Why not spray it with heavy oil?
Hey, there's a good idea. Like a heavy lanolin oil, almost waxy in consistency so it goes on thick. If only a company would produce such a Fluid Film type of undercoating, I bet it would catch on.

Nah, that's just crazy talk!
 
If you could cap all the holes on the frame and tap it for a couple of needle valves, you could purge it with nitrogen/argon. Not sure it would be worth the time and effort, but we do this with offshore assemblies that will be in the splash zone for some time prior to installation. Between 7 and 10 psi with a small gauge to monitor pressure during storage.

Like I said, probably not viable for a frame with skid plate bolts and what not, but if we just throwing around ideas to see what sticks...
I actually toyed with that idea awhile back, but consensus was even if you could weld up every hole and seam and seal all the threaded holes, the factory welds are likely to be full of pinholes anyway and would need to be welded over.
 
Since we’re just spitballing here, how about an aluminum rectangle tube frame?