How I successfully torched my ForPlay footbumps
1. Take the stock minicell foot blocks and duct-tape some more minicell on top of them (I added about 1/4" at a time above my toes and ball of foot). I used blocks 1 and 2 to get a larger area raised up more gradually.
2. Find something thin and heat-resistant (I used part of a cereal box). Tape that over the foam so's the foam doesn't weld to the inside top of the boat. Not sure if it would be a problem, but not gonna take the chance and find out.
3. Make sure you have a fan-shaped attachment nozzle on the end of the propane torch - it will spread the heat a lot and make it much less likely to melt a hole. These probably cost less than $10 at a hardware store.
4. Shove the enhanced foot blocks in the boat.
5. Heat the area above the blocks with the torch, keeping it moving quickly.
6. Frequently check the temperature of the plastic by holding the torch away from the area with one hand and touching the plastic with the other hand. I also noticed that when the plastic gets really hot really fast, the tops of the little texture bumps get shiny (not melted, but they lose their matte finish).
7. Let the boat cool. I accelerated the process by putting my hand against the plastic until my hand heated up, then switching hands. Cold water is a very very bad idea - if you cool the plastic quickly, it will become brittle (that's how tempering steel works - it becomes stiffer, which is good, but more brittle, which is bad).
8. Check the fit. Add more foam if necessary and repeat the process.
9. When satisfied with the fit, glue the foam to the top of the foam foot blocks and re-install them (assuming you have room in your boat for the foam foot blocks).
My ForPlay has much more foot room now. My big toes still get slightly pinched, so I'm gonna bump up the foot area even more. And you can't tell the ForPlay was modified unless you compare it to a stock boat - there's a *huge* difference.
Scott Mckenzie
The Handheld Propane Torch
A close up of the modified Minicell bulkhead.
A top view of the modified boat.
The end result is an almost-factory look
with a smooth contour. Sweet!