Don Y wrote:
All this talk about (expanding) foam...

I've been looking for some PARTICULAR (pre-expanded) foam
to line some
"equipment cases". I have several such cases designed for
specific
bits of equipment that utilize this foam. So, you'd
*think* it should
be available SOMEWHERE???!

The foam is *black*. No, not grey. Also, it's not the
sort of foam
you encounter at craft stores (regardless of color). It's
more like
styrofoam in its makeup -- less "homogenous" than that
craft store
foam.

If you think about styrofoam, it's sort of like little
chunks that
are stuck together; you can pull off these little chunks
"intact".
By contrast, the craft store foams are almost uniform in
texture.

A photo of some "grey" craft store-ish foam alongside the
stuff that
I seek:

http://www.mediafire.com/view/xhphf7483wad7mb/Compare_%28Small%29.JPG
Note the differences in texture and color.
To illustrate the differences in "stiffness", a photo of
an isolation
transformer (maybe 5 pounds of iron?) on each of these two
foams:

http://www.mediafire.com/view/i7qtlbnpdq5tfom/Soft_%28Small%29.JPG
http://www.mediafire.com/view/jfnmr71ivjc4fa7/Hard_%28Small%29.JPG
Note that the craft foam deflects under the load but the
"good stuff"
retains its shape.

The black stuff also feels more "rubbery" -- almost as if
it was
styrofoam *made* from rubber. But, it's much heavier than
styrofoam!
It is also much more flexible than styrofoam (styrofoam
*snaps* when
you bend it; this stuff just bends, reluctantly)

The problem I'm having is coming up with search criteria
to help
me locate it. "black foam" invariably yields this craft
store
stuff -- in different shades of grey/black. But, never
the same
texture/consistency of the stuff I seek. "black
styrofoam" ends
up yielding stuff that appears to be black styrofoam (not
the
same)

I am aware of equipment cases with "craft store foam" cut
in various
shapes to accommodate a variety of "gizmos" to be stuffed
in the case.
Again, this is not that same sort of homogenous foam.

I'm also very familiar with "antistatic foam" (used for
electronic
*components*). That's not the same -- far too homogenous.

I've spoken to local places that sell foam but they seem
to be
more interested in foam used in furniture, etc. That's
more like
the craft store foam -- though it comes in varying
"stiffnesses".

I know the stuff I'm looking for has to be fairly common
as I have
several equipment cases that are lined/filled with the
stuff, from
different equipment manufacturers.

Look for a foam *packaging* company