nerdnic | NEW Adams Readi-Board (Dollar Tree Foam)

It looks like Adams has put out a new version of their standard board. It's being sold as a replacement product and has a new SKU:
OLD 30525
NEW 30524
Read the full review here: www.nerdnic.com...

[@seppilin351]

I've started peeling all the paper off on the outside and using thin laminate. It weighs about the same as the paper, but it compresses as it shrinks and makes structures stronger!

[@nerdnic]

Can you share what product you're using?

[@seppilin351]

I tried out a bunch of different stuff by buying smaller lengths from aloft hobbies (alofthobbies.com/new-stuff-laminating-films.html). The site also has a good description of films. I eventually bought gigantic rolls of 3 mil and 1.5 mil (25" x 500') low melt stuff on eBay. If you go the large roll route - expect 20-40 dollars per roll and avoid the hot melt stuff. That is dirt cheap per square foot. It takes a while to work with. I use a covering iron. EPP wing and fixed wing folks use this stuff all the time. I have two kids at home, and we use this stuff for a lot of other stuff. The flite test guys visited a couple and have an episode on how to use this stuff. I apply it after the plane is built. Pre-laminating flat sheets can warp and doesn't take advantage of the tension strength effect. You'll need to watch where you start and in what direction you iron - other warping can happen and affect alignment.

[@yucannthahvitt251]

I was wondering why I was watching videos where guys were peeling the foam with such ease while I was having a hell of a time getting it to come off, it's the new stuff.

[@Jon.Carlsen]

I built the Flite Test SE5 using half old, half new Adams foam board. The fuselage is old Adams, the wings are new Adams. The only negative noticed with the new Adams is the paper delaminated after airbrush painting with a couple of light coats of Acrylic thinned with Windex. The delamination only happened on the new foam board, not on the old foam board. I didn't notice the brittleness of the new foam board but I haven't crashed it yet either. I rolled an airfoil into the new foam board and it didn't seem any different. Looks like I'll be Minwaxing the new foam board in the future if I plan to paint it. Except for the delamination issue, I like the new Adams. It's more like Ross foam board.

[@nerdnic]

This is good to know. I haven't tested it with paint but now I will.

[@casualflyer1286]

I seem to remember seeing on nic's post in Facebook that minwax delaminated the paper also.

[@Jon.Carlsen]

For the next airplane I treated the new Adams Readi Board with Minwax Wipe On Polyurethane. No delamination of the paper occurred. There was no delamination of the paper after painting with Acrylic thinned with Windex. There was no warping of the foam board after painting either. Pre-treating the new foam board eliminates some of the issues Nic has found.

[@devineutsler7286]

A question for you Nic. Do you know where someone can find the water resistant readi-board, other than buying a whole case from FT?

[@nerdnic]

If you find out please tell me :-)

[@ShahriarFarkhan]

Coming here 6 years later. I was going to purchase Redi-board from Dollar Tree that's close vs ordering a box from FT and paying shipping - Are you still finding the stuff less desirable? I suspect the Redi-board is made for students who don't want the paper to delaminate or tear off so they made the adhesive stronger.

[@juanramirez5472]

Stopped by Dollar Tree today and noticed the new boards too. Picked up a few of them but now I might regret it. Let us know if you end up using it and how it holds up.

[@Rex227c1]

One thing I have started thinking of doing is going to staples and using the printers there to print off plans ,peel as much of the paper off as I can(easy way to do it is run it under some water ) and super 77 the plans to the foam and also blank sheets to the other side ,this would make it more similar to the original style,going to test it out sometime this week

[@DaveHalderman]

Adams says they like hearing from us. I suggest they hear from many of us. Keep it polite and constructive, please! ---begin quote from goadams.com page--- WE LIKE HEARING FROM YOU Whether it be product questions, feedback, or general inquiries, please reach out to us via e-mail or telephone. Phone: [phone] Email: [e-mail]

[@nerdnic]

Yes please contact them, share this video and your experience. I reached out to them and got a reply, the more voices they hear the better!

[@jflight1691]

Hey Nic, I've been doing some of my own testing with this new stuff vs the old. I did a similar crumple test and actually had similar results with both, little to no tearing. Unfortunately, I tried tearing the paper off of both and the new stuff will not come cleanly off, so this stuff cant be made into curves as easily :( It's like a really determined/annoying sticker that gets torn to shreds instead of coming off. Still, at least this new stuff is still better than the heavy Elmer's stuff.

[@EssenceOfKapok]

Spraying a 50/50 isopropyl alcohol/water mixture onto the foamboard will make the paper delaminate easily and in one piece.

[@dylanchalcraft1498]

I have noticed this it cuts horribly too! Grrrr adams!

[@mattrubrich4370]

I don't know if this is still a problem, I tried playing around with scraps of Adams I had around currently and couldn't tell unfortunately. The stuff I have now seem better than this. But I am testing this stuff out I found at a local dollar store called bazic? It seems a little snappy but it is water resistant so I'm giving a try on a p38 I'm building based on yours, just a little less scale, little more beef and hell of a lot smaller! Lol

[@mostlyharmlessrc3920]

I've made a lot of DTFB planes and recently made a big twin-engine plane out of Depron. I now think depron is a superior foam! It's lighter, a little stronger, and the 6mm variety is a tiny bit thicker than original DTFB. Cover it with packing tape or "New stuff" laminate and you're good to go. Depron is pricier though! www.rcfoam.com/depron-and-epp-foam-suppliers/6mm-depron/6mm-white-depron---half-case-%2810-sheets%29-p-1256.html.

[@yucannthahvitt251]

It had better be superior, it's 6 times the price.

[@terreljackson2391]

Walmart has 88cent foam board made by Ross it bends before it breaks

[@nicholaswakeford2848]

I'm not impressed, that's unfortunate, you think they would have released a product comparable to the water resistant brown foam board that flitetest uses.

[@nerdnic]

That would be great.

[@rockdean1]

They make the product for FT

[@jfmarzulli]

Any idea when this change started hitting stores?

[@nerdnic]

Mid last year from what I can gather.

[@jfmarzulli]

I last purchased some around September, just checked and looks like the Seattle area stores have all cycled into the new stuff.

[@AntsRC]

You need to let them know

[@nerdnic]

I have contacted Adams.

[@johaze007]

Where are the build logs for 3d planes?

[@nerdnic]

Which plane?

[@kdobson83]

I guess it's time to buy a crap ton of the water proof stuff from FT, or hoard a box of the old stuff if u can find it.

[@nerdnic]

I went around to all the Dollar Trees in my area and bought the old foam.

[@kdobson83]

Nic Lechner Is this a permanent thing, like, they replaced the old with the new? Or maybe it's just a 'bad batch' type thing.

[@nerdnic]

Permanent. The reply I got from Adams indicated they were working with 'a major player' in the RC community to improve the board, and this is the result.

[@kdobson83]

Nic Lechner hmmm I wonder who this 'major player' was... Surely not FT, for the board was already good for their stuff... interesting.

[@kdobson83]

Nic Lechner but why would FT want the board changed I wonder? It was pretty good the way it was... hmmm...

[@scoodles93]

Could you build some ww1 planes?? I want to see a se5a do 100mph hahaha

[@nerdnic]

That would be awesome!

[@wesbrackmanthercenthusiast4695]

I think that we are a large enough of a group that if all of us started complaining they would go back to the old type we are not just a drop in there bucket like you said on your article we are a deluge if we all stopped buying their product they would have a bit of financial problems $😈

[@yayathidayat6678]

I saw something on thumbnail

[@devineutsler7286]

It looks like it is a lot like the "ROSS" foam board that Walmart sells for $0.88 a sheet. The paper on that stuff is a real hassle to peel.

[@nerdnic]

It's a tad bit different but the new stuff is as brittle as ROSS.

[@tamuct01]

I agree that this looks like ROSS that I got from Wal-Mart. In my few experiences the Adams was more durable in a crash, but suffered from serious delamination of the paper due to moisture and time. The paper comes off way to easy. The ROSS is pain to get the paper off of, but seems more durable to time and weather. It does tend to break easier as you have seen with the new Adams. I have a bunch of water-resistant FT foam now, so I'm going with that for future builds.

[@AntsRC]

That sucks

[@williamdecker3989]

That sucks!