Drilling a Frame-Ya or Nay?

[Hawg]

I don't want to hijack the other post by RiverChuckNorris about my question but wondering about LPG's reply about all manufactures are drilling their frames now because of trapped condensation. It's got me thinking of the pros and cons, what do you guys think? Wouldn't the condensation take 2 lifetimes to really hurt anything or is that the naive approach? Rust does happen fast.

[Hawg]

Maybe frames should be foamed?

[rossco1418]

I don't think I would be too concerned about the rust but I have heard of frames bulging because of the trapped water freezing.

[leech~~]

Drilling a few small drain holes wouldn't hurt anything and may just help. If your house gets frozen into deep slush-water good chance it could get into the frame and rust or crack it.

Edited October 13, 2016 by leech~~

[Lip_Ripper Guy]

What I found most interesting is that the pictures are all of 2015 and 2016 houses, so they haven't seen much ice time.  

[Snowbound]

11 hours ago, rossco1418 said:

I don't think I would be too concerned about the rust but I have heard of frames bulging because of the trapped water freezing.

I agree, I think a bigger concern is trapped water freezing and bulging the steel which can crack or tear. See this on hand rail supports all the time.
I plan to try and spray foam inside the tubing on my build

[Lip_Ripper Guy]

57 minutes ago, Snowbound said:

I plan to try and spray foam inside the tubing on my build

I hate to be a nay-sayer, but I think that plan is a nay.  You'll still get the condensation inside the tubing, and you'll never get it to dry.  That trapped moisture is going to make it rust way faster, and you'll still have the issues with moisture inside the tubing.  Just my $.03. 

[Snowbound]

43 minutes ago, Lip_Ripper Guy said:

I hate to be a nay-sayer, but I think that plan is a nay.  You'll still get the condensation inside the tubing, and you'll never get it to dry.  That trapped moisture is going to make it rust way faster, and you'll still have the issues with moisture inside the tubing.  Just my $.03. 

I'm using aluminum so not worried about rust.

Spray foam is closed cell and does not take on water

[leech~~]

14 minutes ago, Snowbound said:

I'm using aluminum so not worried about rust.

Spray foam is closed cell and does not take on water

Some, is closed cell. Make sure you check the one your going to use.

[Lip_Ripper Guy]

5 hours ago, Snowbound said:

I'm using aluminum so not worried about rust.

Spray foam is closed cell and does not take on water

The foam itself is closed cell, but it is going to spread inconsistently throughout the tubing, and those voids are where the condensation will pool.  

[vtx1029]

Dealing with moisture issues in a welded tube structure is nothing new, just look back what they have done for decades in aircraft. Boiled linseed oil is poured inside the fully welded tubes to fully coat and protect the inside of the tubing after coating the oil is drained. LPS 3 could also be used as an alternative. http://www.lpslabs.com/product-details/612

IMO galvanizing is the best route to go for a steel fish house frame for the 3-500 bucks you won't regret it.

Another alternative would be to fully weld the frame as an air tight vessel, pull a vacuum on frame and then fill with nitrogen to 2-5 psi and monitor the pressure over the life of the frame if the pressure drops you may have a cracked weld or leaking valve...

 

No I would not put foam in a tube if the foam shrinks or pulls away from the frame your going to encourage corrosion. If you look at where corrosion occurs in structures the heaviest spots of corrosion are where 2 pieces of material is up against each other allowing a thin layer of moisture between them.

Edited October 14, 2016 by vtx1029

[leech~~]

As stated before. Not all spray foams are closed cell. If you spray it yourself or have Joe-Blows foam company do it you may want to check that it is closed cell spray foam, if your going to use it on any outdoor use project.

 

Learn more about our low pressure spray polyurethane foams here.

Fomo Products, Inc. manufactures both open and closed cell low pressure spray polyurethane foam products. Choice of either foam type depends on the application requirements or desired outcome.

Generally speaking, closed cell foams consist of trapped gas bubbles formed during the foam's expansion and cure. These gas bubbles consist of the blowing agent and are permanently locked into place during the curing of the foam. The trapped gas increases the insulation capability of the cured foam. The cured foam must be strong and of a medium density in order to lock in the gas bubbles. The foam's strength, coupled with its closed cell nature, enable it to resist liquid water and function as a vapor retarder.

Open cell foams; however, are quite different in nature. The blowing agent gas is not trapped by the forming cells and instead is released to the atmosphere during foam expansion and curing. The foam cells have "holes" in their walls, enabling them to interlock and interconnect. The spaces within the cells are filled with atmospheric air, much like a sponge. Due to its porous nature, open cell foam does not resist liquid water or water vapor (humidity). Without trapped gas bubbles, open cell foams also do not need to be as strong, and therefore, are less dense than closed cell foams.

[vtx1029]

I came across this the other day figure it would fit good on this thread

http://www.eastwood.com/internal-frame-coating-w-spray-nozzle-qt.html