Repairing Targets w/ Spray Foam?

[Deadbolt]

Ok so Ive been trying to refill these 2 targets and it just isn't working...I was told to cover the deer in tape/plastic wrap and fill the cavity.

So thats what i did and it didn't expand nearly as much as the can says it does...actually didn't expand at all the the core stays gooyey and never sets.

I have been trying to great stuff spray foam...this is getting to be a pain in the a$$!  

What am I doing wrong b/c if I try this again I'm liable to burn these things to the ground if it doesn't come out right!

[jcar315]

Deadbolt, Can't speak to what you're doing wrong. I fixed a target of mine a few months ago.

Wrapped it nice and tight with saran wrap, cut a small hole, and filled with one entire can of great stuff. I used the great stuff in the red can (the regular type.) There are other types that are low expansion etc.

Mine expanded great and kept expanding. Next morning we un-wrapped and cut off some of the excess and I am shooting at that target today!

Not sure if there are specific temperature and humidity instructions on the can but here in MD it has been cool and damp. Might be a factor.

Sorry I could not help more.

[Deadbolt]

yea i dont know what the deal is but its driving me crazy!  i hear people with them stories how it worked great then i come along and do the exact same stuff and of course it doesn't work!

[Gatekeeper]

I have a target that I shot completely in half and instead of trying to fill the big void (vital area) with foam, I stuffed it with plastic bags. Then I used the expandable foam to fill in any small holes. After the foam setup, I trimmed the excess foam away and wrapped the target body with burlap. Construction grade Liquid Nail was used to hold the burlap in place. The target is as good as new and the arrows come out easy. When the burlap wears out I will wrap it again.

[Zach Mikita]

I've had issues with the center not hardening and having the foam leave a residue on my arrows....I live in humid iowa and think that has some to do with it...the amount of time you let it set is crucial

[DannyBows]

If the filled hole is large it will take at least a few days to completely dry inside so you don't get that sticky stuff on the arrows. It may take longer if it's damp/humid or cold out. I have used it with good results on block and 3d targets. I never wrapped the target, didn't know I was supposed to.

[pine nut]

I have repaired several targets with Great Stuff, and I found that it requires contact with air to fully harden.  I think that press-N-Seal type of saran wrap worked the best, because it will stick to itself and the target a little.  Poked a small hole and shot it in.  Sometimes it worked better to do it in several steps, ie. squirt some and let it harden then do some more.  I had to trim off the excess too.  I then used a latex or waterbased paint to finish.  try the press-and-seal. Better and cheaper than pallet wrap.

[Hot Hap]

Eric Krewson had a very good thread on this. Try search for it. Hap

[T Folts]

Temperature and air contact are two things that will prevent the foam from not setting up good. Make sure the cans are room temp and shaken up real good before you start. The low expansion stuff will tend to be more tacky I think it is formulated to not cure all the way and get full expansion. The high expansion stuff has more isocyinate and will cure much better but be a lower density.

[Eric Krewson]

I searched for the thread where I gave step by step instructions for target patching. It aparently no longert exists.

[Deadbolt]

Originally posted by Eric Krewson:
I searched for the thread where I gave step by step instructions for target patching. It aparently no longert exists.

thats a shame i remember that a while back but couldnt find it

[broketooth]

send batman an email... im sure he still has pics of the repair-a-long that he did awhile back

[J. Cook]

I do this twice a year and it works for me...
1. Clean ott the void for good adhesion of the foam.
2. Cut burlap "covers" about 3 inches larger than the void.
3. Use contact cement to bond the burlap to the target (now you have your form)
4. Fill with Great Stuff (it took 2 cans for me).
5. it will expand and slightly ooze through the burlap, use a putty knife or straight edge to spread around the oozing foam to coat the burlap.
6. Once set, you will have a foam layer, burlap, then the foam.
7. Shave, sand, and re-paint and you're good to go
...and broadheads pull back through just fine.

Hope this helps.

Cook

[NewtoTrad2008]

I used it to fill up a turkey decoy and it worked pretty well. I was having some of the same issues that it was not expanding fully and the inside was sticky. I solved this by taking and old arrow and poking some air holes into the soft spots and let them sit for a couple of days and that did the trick. Like TFolts said it needs air to cure. I have shot my target with both field points and broadheads and it is working fine. Stick with it I know it can be a pain, but it is much chaeper than a new target!

[Deadsmple]

Hey Tom, you gonna be hunting that property near me anytime soon? If you are just bring your targets up and drop them off at my place. I'm getting ready to do a few of mine. I can do yours too if you want. You won't be disappointed. Just ask Pat how well mine come out. One of my deer targets has been stopping broadheads and field points for more than 20 years!

[Deadbolt]

I checked on it today with it sitting at room temp and they never cured  :(   Some spots petruded out of the tape and they are perfect (SOB!!) but the everything is still soft under the tape.  

I cranked the heat up some int he barn and was thinking of poking some holes but that would ruin it like i did the others.

im going away for a few days and if when i come back they aren't set I guess I'll have to start all over!

Vaughn...I'll see if these things cure if not next time I hunt that property I'll bring them over!

[dragon rider]

Deadbolt,

There are at least two kinds of expanding foam, one that swells up a lot and one that doesn't.  Make sure you've got the expanding one - if yours says it's good for around windows and doors, go get the other kind.  

They make two because of the number of DIY types who've made their windows, and the occasional door, completely inoperable by using the high expansion stuff.  It swells so much it pushes the frame in against the window/door.  It can get so bad you have to tear the whole damn thing out and start over.  (That one I didn't quite learn the hard way.  My best friend owns a hardware store and made sure I knew what I was doing/using before I left his store.)

[reddogge]

I repaired a styrofoam target by cutting out the shot out center and laying it on a board in a heated mud room and I used two expanding foam cans.  I put one in at a time and let it dry completely and then the other.  It was a success.

[Shakes.602]

I used a "Made Special For LARGE Gaps" Good Stuff Foam to fill a Turkey decoy to shoot at!! Worked Like a Charm!!

[Eric Krewson]

I use the Great Stuff in the red and yellow can, don't remember which particular kind it is.

I have all the pictures from my last target repair tutorial on Photo Bucket. I will put it back up in the future.

This picture shows the kind of Great Stuff I use.