Foam for interior cushions??

[Adele-H]

What is the best foam to use for berth cushions?

What is the best way to cut / shape the foam?

Where to get it?

[brokesailor]

Best way to cut: use an electric carving knife. Boogy woogy.

[inprin]

I just did mine yesterday. Actually the Admiral and I did until I was banished to the boat for offering too many helpful suggestions. I purchased the foam locally in 4x36x72 slabs. I purchased another piece 4x34x24 to add a foot to either piece to get a full 78" piece. I cut with a fully extended utility knife so blade shows about 3". Glued together pieces with 3M super 77. Admiral did the sewing in. No zippers to rust out. Don't know the density of the foam but it was only $70 worth so I became less worried about density. That was a bargain! I can say that what feels really soft out in the open, will harden up once encapsulated by the fabric cover.

[CatMan22]

Actually did this very project last spring, after extensive search both online and at various retail establishments I ended up buying 4 inch foam at the local JoAnn Fabrics. I made templates from cardboard for patterns to trace design on and used razor knife. Lady who lives three houses from me does upholstery work added bunting and did sewing after I bought material and laid out how I wanted pattern to run.

I had looked online at Catalina Direct for cushions and thought $1500.00 no way. Well, $500.00 for foam, $200.00 for material and $500.00 for sewing later I had my cushions. I had her install velcro to eliminate rust and the dreaded snagged or busted zipper when she sewed them for me.

Would I do it again the same way if I had to do it all over again, you bet I would. The day I got them back I put them in my boat at it was exactly what I had envisioned, the cushions fit perfect, the patterns lined up exact and everyone that saw them loved it.

Here's a look at them.

[Jgbrown]

I used a local foam place that sells good quality foam cheap. I did get zippers and poly-cotton covers. Cost about 1400$ including a big roll of closed celled foam(Volara) for insulating the entire hull. I got 2 V berth cushions(he figured out how to cut them both from a queen with no waste except the bevel on the edge for the hull)
two settee cushions(cut out of a single, with a 2" piece from another project added on the bottom) and 4 tapered backrest cushions. Settee cushions are firmer than the V-berth.
I discovered by accident that turning a V-berth cushion upside down gives a much more user friendly space, the taper sloping down to the hull creates an easier edge for tucking in sheets, anything dropped on the bed will naturally collect there to be picked up, and the bottom edge pressing firmly on the hull keeps the middle seam together.

While the covers won't look as fancy or last as long, they are hard to beat for 25$ each including materials and sewing.(50$ if they need shape added like V-berth cushions).
Sadly he won't use other materials, but apparently it's an insurance thing, as a foam seller who is only working with new materials from the shop, vs an upholsterer, his insurance alone is 1/10th as much per year, and his primary market is beds.

I priced out many places, including an upholsterer we have wholesale pricing with for OPBs who offered me a bit more of a break over his usual price, and still the foam place came in substantially cheaper. The upholsterer wanted the same price as I paid for everything, just for the foam.

Whatever you go with, I strongly recommend adding hypervent underneath, and insulating the tops of any lockers, or at least encapsulating the foam in plastic(I like the painters mask material) inside the covers.

Lifting brand new cushions after a month to find mold all over is no fun!

[deltaten]

When I close up and sell off the house this Spring, I won't get squat for my master bdr mattress.. SO I'm gonna re-purpose the 4" memory foam top and make covers for the settee berths or perhaps the entire Vee in one go...no seams ta slide into
Just gotta figger out where/how to stow 'em !

[Minnewaska]

Originally Posted by Adele-H

What is the best foam to use for berth cushions?

What is the best way to cut / shape the foam?

Where to get it?

Best foam is closed cell. In other words, it does not work like a sponge. Even if not outdoors, moisture and dampness won't absorb as much. Some cut this corner down below. Don't. The next question is what density to buy and I'm not a pro there. Too soft or too hard is uncomfortable. Get some advice there.

Electric carving knife work great. They also make hot wire knives, if you want to spring for one.

Fabric stores all sell it or can get it, or google up the stuff online.

Good luck.

[timtim]

have you found fabric

[timtim]

have you found foam

[timtim]

w.foamdistributing.com/ for foam

w.loomcraft.com/ for fabric