Anyone have any experience with this stuff?  I'm trying to replace the 
old scuttle panel for access to my attic with a contraption that I am 
trying to make out of some 2" (thickest I could find) foam board and 
Masonite.  Reason for doing this is that my bedroom closet gets very 
cold in the winter, I ASSume because the ceiling is well insulated but 
the panel is just very thin plywood.  2 questions:

1) It appears that in an effort to make a tight fit, I cut the foam 
board just a little big.  Is there an easy way to shave it down a 
little?  It doesn't "shave" well with a knife.  Am thinking Surform 
file?  Or will that just make a mess?

2) What do you use to glue it?  I'm trying to laminate three pieces 
together for better insulation (the bottom most piece will be hanging; I 
cut it slightly smaller so it'll fit in the "jamb" area of the scuttle 
hole.  That one will be faced with Masonite for a finished appearance.) 
construction adhesive isn't doing it (I put 8-10 dots on there.)  Should 
I just use more construction adhesive, or is there something better?

thanks

nate

-- 
replace "roosters" with "cox" to reply.
http://members.cox.net/njnagel

On 01/01/10 05:21 pm, Nate Nagel wrote:

> Anyone have any experience with this stuff?  I'm trying to replace the
> old scuttle panel for access to my attic with a contraption that I am
> trying to make out of some 2" (thickest I could find) foam board and
> Masonite. Reason for doing this is that my bedroom closet gets very cold
> in the winter, I ASSume because the ceiling is well insulated but the
> panel is just very thin plywood. 2 questions:
>
> 1) It appears that in an effort to make a tight fit, I cut the foam
> board just a little big. Is there an easy way to shave it down a little?
> It doesn't "shave" well with a knife.

Not even with a "Stanley knife" with a new blade?

> 2) What do you use to glue it? I'm trying to laminate three pieces
> together for better insulation (the bottom most piece will be hanging; I
> cut it slightly smaller so it'll fit in the "jamb" area of the scuttle
> hole. That one will be faced with Masonite for a finished appearance.)
> construction adhesive isn't doing it (I put 8-10 dots on there.) Should
> I just use more construction adhesive, or is there something better?

I've used "foamboard adhesive" in cartridges designed for a caulk gun. 
Don't recall the brand.

Perce

On Fri, 01 Jan 2010 17:21:09 -0500, Nate Nagel <n...@roosters.net>
wrote:

>Anyone have any experience with this stuff?  I'm trying to replace the 
>old scuttle panel for access to my attic with a contraption that I am 
>trying to make out of some 2" (thickest I could find) foam board and 
>Masonite.  Reason for doing this is that my bedroom closet gets very 
>cold in the winter, I ASSume because the ceiling is well insulated but 
>the panel is just very thin plywood.  2 questions:
>
>1) It appears that in an effort to make a tight fit, I cut the foam 
>board just a little big.  Is there an easy way to shave it down a 
>little?  It doesn't "shave" well with a knife.  Am thinking Surform 
>file?  Or will that just make a mess?
>
>2) What do you use to glue it?  I'm trying to laminate three pieces 
>together for better insulation (the bottom most piece will be hanging; I 
>cut it slightly smaller so it'll fit in the "jamb" area of the scuttle 
>hole.  That one will be faced with Masonite for a finished appearance.) 
>construction adhesive isn't doing it (I put 8-10 dots on there.)  Should 
>I just use more construction adhesive, or is there something better?
>
>thanks
>
>nate

A four inch batt of insulation on top of the scuttle would seem
easier, imo.

pic:

http://www.diyhomeinsulation.com/images/scuttle_hole_cover.gif

On 1/1/2010 17:21, Nate Nagel wrote:
> Anyone have any experience with this stuff?  I'm trying to replace the
> old scuttle panel for access to my attic with a contraption that I am
> trying to make out of some 2" (thickest I could find) foam board and
> Masonite. Reason for doing this is that my bedroom closet gets very cold
> in the winter, I ASSume because the ceiling is well insulated but the
> panel is just very thin plywood. 2 questions:
>
> 1) It appears that in an effort to make a tight fit, I cut the foam
> board just a little big. Is there an easy way to shave it down a little?
> It doesn't "shave" well with a knife. Am thinking Surform file? Or will
> that just make a mess?
>
> 2) What do you use to glue it? I'm trying to laminate three pieces
> together for better insulation (the bottom most piece will be hanging; I
> cut it slightly smaller so it'll fit in the "jamb" area of the scuttle
> hole. That one will be faced with Masonite for a finished appearance.)
> construction adhesive isn't doing it (I put 8-10 dots on there.) Should
> I just use more construction adhesive, or is there something better?
>
> thanks
>
> nate
>

It shaves if you use a good sharp blade. I built what is essentially a 
box with one side missing to insulate our pull down attic stairway and 
used good quality foil duct tape to assemble it.

George wrote:
> On 1/1/2010 17:21, Nate Nagel wrote:
>> Anyone have any experience with this stuff?  I'm trying to replace the
>> old scuttle panel for access to my attic with a contraption that I am
>> trying to make out of some 2" (thickest I could find) foam board and
>> Masonite. Reason for doing this is that my bedroom closet gets very cold
>> in the winter, I ASSume because the ceiling is well insulated but the
>> panel is just very thin plywood. 2 questions:
>>
>> 1) It appears that in an effort to make a tight fit, I cut the foam
>> board just a little big. Is there an easy way to shave it down a little?
>> It doesn't "shave" well with a knife. Am thinking Surform file? Or will
>> that just make a mess?
>>
>> 2) What do you use to glue it? I'm trying to laminate three pieces
>> together for better insulation (the bottom most piece will be hanging; I
>> cut it slightly smaller so it'll fit in the "jamb" area of the scuttle
>> hole. That one will be faced with Masonite for a finished appearance.)
>> construction adhesive isn't doing it (I put 8-10 dots on there.) Should
>> I just use more construction adhesive, or is there something better?
>>
>> thanks
>>
>> nate
>>
> 
> It shaves if you use a good sharp blade. I built what is essentially a 
> box with one side missing to insulate our pull down attic stairway and 
> used good quality foil duct tape to assemble it.

I just have a scuttle hole in the hall- after I had 8 inches of 
loose-fill insulation added to attic, I built a dam around the topside 
of scuttle hole out of 1x8 (including a place to park my butt as I climb 
off top step of ladder), so as to not get avalanches every time I opened 
the attic. I then cut 2 sheets of 3/4" foamboard and taped them 
together, to lay inside the dam I built, as I climb down. I also taped a 
sheet of foamboard to the top of the finished lid that sits in trim on 
hallway ceiling. This gives me about a 6" dead air space between the 
layers of foamboard. You want the bottom lid to be a tight fit in the 
hole, sort of like a cork in a bottle. I added a handle facing down into 
the hall, so I could pull the lid down tight. It is a bit of a juggling 
act getting it all closed up, but it works.  Not a real good job- this 
was just a quick and dirty with stuff I had laying around. But it does 
make a noticeable difference. One of these days I need to redo it with 
better foamboard, trimmed more carefully. Maybe, instead of a drop-in 
upper lid, one with 2 layers of 2" thick foamboard glued or bolted 
together with a rabbited edge that fits the wood dam tightly, and a 
handle on the bottom to pull it snug, like the lid below it. I raked the 
insulation up against the dam I built, but another layer of foamboard on 
the outside of dam, down to the buried attic floor, would probably help.

--
aem sends....

On Fri, 01 Jan 2010 17:21:09 -0500, Nate Nagel <n...@roosters.net>
wrote:

>Anyone have any experience with this stuff?  I'm trying to replace the 
>old scuttle panel for access to my attic with a contraption that I am 
>trying to make out of some 2" (thickest I could find) foam board and 
>Masonite.  Reason for doing this is that my bedroom closet gets very 
>cold in the winter, I ASSume because the ceiling is well insulated but 
>the panel is just very thin plywood.  2 questions:
>
>1) It appears that in an effort to make a tight fit, I cut the foam 
>board just a little big.  Is there an easy way to shave it down a 
>little?  It doesn't "shave" well with a knife.  Am thinking Surform 
>file?  Or will that just make a mess?
>
>2) What do you use to glue it?  I'm trying to laminate three pieces 
>together for better insulation (the bottom most piece will be hanging; I 
>cut it slightly smaller so it'll fit in the "jamb" area of the scuttle 
>hole.  That one will be faced with Masonite for a finished appearance.) 
>construction adhesive isn't doing it (I put 8-10 dots on there.)  Should 
>I just use more construction adhesive, or is there something better?
>
>thanks
>
>nate
 
Cut easily on a table saw if you have one, or even with portable
circular saw (although may take a pass from each side).  Surform will
work and will make a mess.

Use foam board adhesive.  Regular construction adhesive will often
dissolve the foam.

HTH,

Paul F.

Oren <O...@127.0.0.1> wrote in
news:e...@4ax.com: 

> On Fri, 01 Jan 2010 17:21:09 -0500, Nate Nagel <n...@roosters.net>
> wrote:
> 
>>Anyone have any experience with this stuff?  I'm trying to replace the
>>old scuttle panel for access to my attic with a contraption that I am 
>>trying to make out of some 2" (thickest I could find) foam board and 
>>Masonite.  Reason for doing this is that my bedroom closet gets very 
>>cold in the winter, I ASSume because the ceiling is well insulated but
>>the panel is just very thin plywood.  2 questions:
>>
>>1) It appears that in an effort to make a tight fit, I cut the foam 
>>board just a little big.  Is there an easy way to shave it down a 
>>little?  It doesn't "shave" well with a knife.  Am thinking Surform 
>>file?  Or will that just make a mess?
>>
>>2) What do you use to glue it?  I'm trying to laminate three pieces 
>>together for better insulation (the bottom most piece will be hanging;
>>I cut it slightly smaller so it'll fit in the "jamb" area of the
>>scuttle hole.  That one will be faced with Masonite for a finished
>>appearance.) construction adhesive isn't doing it (I put 8-10 dots on
>>there.)  Should I just use more construction adhesive, or is there
>>something better? 
>>
>>thanks
>>
>>nate
> 
> A four inch batt of insulation on top of the scuttle would seem
> easier, imo.
> 
> pic:
> 
> http://www.diyhomeinsulation.com/images/scuttle_hole_cover.gif
> 

And if you get paper faced it can be glued right to the scuttle.

Nate Nagel <n...@roosters.net> wrote in
news:h...@news3.newsguy.com: 

> Anyone have any experience with this stuff?  I'm trying to replace the
> old scuttle panel for access to my attic with a contraption that I am 
> trying to make out of some 2" (thickest I could find) foam board and 
> Masonite.  Reason for doing this is that my bedroom closet gets very 
> cold in the winter, I ASSume because the ceiling is well insulated but
> the panel is just very thin plywood.  2 questions:
> 
> 1) It appears that in an effort to make a tight fit, I cut the foam 
> board just a little big.  Is there an easy way to shave it down a 
> little?  It doesn't "shave" well with a knife.  Am thinking Surform 
> file?  Or will that just make a mess?

Get a couple of these. Just extend the blade to the thickness of the
foam. 

http://www.interiorone.com/admin/images/closeup_images/bk-1-l.jpg

> 
> 2) What do you use to glue it?  I'm trying to laminate three pieces 
> together for better insulation (the bottom most piece will be hanging;
> I cut it slightly smaller so it'll fit in the "jamb" area of the
> scuttle hole.  That one will be faced with Masonite for a finished
> appearance.) construction adhesive isn't doing it (I put 8-10 dots on
> there.)  Should I just use more construction adhesive, or is there
> something better? 
> 
> thanks
> 
> nate
> 

On Jan 1, 5:21=EF=BF=BDpm, Nate Nagel  wrote:
> Anyone have any experience with this stuff? =EF=BF=BDI'm trying to replac=
e the
> old scuttle panel for access to my attic with a contraption that I am
> trying to make out of some 2" (thickest I could find) foam board and
> Masonite. =EF=BF=BDReason for doing this is that my bedroom closet gets v=
ery
> cold in the winter, I ASSume because the ceiling is well insulated but
> the panel is just very thin plywood. =EF=BF=BD2 questions:
>
> 1) It appears that in an effort to make a tight fit, I cut the foam
> board just a little big. =EF=BF=BDIs there an easy way to shave it down a
> little? =EF=BF=BDIt doesn't "shave" well with a knife. =EF=BF=BDAm thinki=
ng Surform
> file? =EF=BF=BDOr will that just make a mess?
>
> 2) What do you use to glue it? =EF=BF=BDI'm trying to laminate three piec=
es
> together for better insulation (the bottom most piece will be hanging; I
> cut it slightly smaller so it'll fit in the "jamb" area of the scuttle
> hole. =EF=BF=BDThat one will be faced with Masonite for a finished appear=
ance.)
> construction adhesive isn't doing it (I put 8-10 dots on there.) =EF=BF=
=BDShould
> I just use more construction adhesive, or is there something better?
>
> thanks
>
> nate

To cut it go to a hobby store. They have a little tool that looks
similar to a coping saw except it has a wire (like a guitar string)
and it takes a couple D batteries. The wire heats up and glides thru
the foam. This little gizmo works great and is less than $10.

Believe it or not, elmers glue will work fine. Hobbyists use it for
such applications. You can try 3M's 777 (triple 7). Try a test piece
first. If it doesn't eat the foam, it would be better.

Hank

On Fri, 01 Jan 2010 17:21:09 -0500, Nate Nagel wrote:
> 1) It appears that in an effort to make a tight fit, I cut the foam 
> board just a little big.  Is there an easy way to shave it down a 
> little?  It doesn't "shave" well with a knife.  Am thinking Surform 
> file?  Or will that just make a mess?

I've cut it with a blade designed for metal cutting in the jigsaw before;
it doesn't generate a lot of mess. 

A bit of resistance wire and a junk PC power supply should work too.

> 2) What do you use to glue it? 

Hmm, never tried. Gorilla glue might work...

cheers

Jules