Another look at FRP

[El Duderino]

I also am curious about the idea of doing FRP to FRP joints with fiberglass and epoxy resin. It would seem like a roof to wall edge would be much more resistant to the elements if joined with the fiberglass and epoxy resin.

Any general thoughts about this?

[KennethW]

Just brain storming a ideal.Building a teardrop without any wood(wood drys out or rots) or aluminum. Using just 1" polystyrene and fiber reinforced plastic. Making stress skin panels with the polystyrene and the FRP by Gluing and vacuum bagging. Need to find a good glue that is roll-able(or spreadable) and waterproof. Thinking pl S40 polyurethane sealant spread thin for the panels and to be used on the joints. The step in construction might be
1# Glue and bag the floor and side panels
2# Cut the inside profile on the inside or the wall panels leaving the outside FRP run wild. Making a step for the floor and the roof to set in. Floor step could be formed in step 1#.
3# Glue the walls on to the floor.
4# lay plastic sheet over the walls to make the inside of roof vacuum bag.
5# Lay the ceiling FRP over the walls in the step in the walls, glue, put in the sloted (to bend) polystyrene,glue, FRP. Lay the plastic sheet over the top. tape and vacuum with ratchet straps holding it to the walls.
6# Remove the bag and glue down the roof with the polyurethane chalk.
7# Cut the doors and hatch off.
8# Glue FRP strips to the cut edges.
9# Mount the door and hatch with glue and bolt that go thru. The inside would be drill bigger for a spacer tube with a fender washer on the inside.
Will this work?
What glue would be best? Any thoughts? Am I crazy or is this a cool ideal.
Like I said at the top of the post Just brain storming.

[Glenn Butcher]

I'm thinking through a "dis-assembleable" teardrop (store flat in the garage for winter), and I considered using a total frp/foam sandwich for the sides, but since the roof won't be glued to the profile, I'm worried about structural integrity, so I'll probably use 3/4 ply profiles and wide spars...

[David S]

I used to work for a company building restraunts and we used a lot of FRP in the kitchens and rest rooms.
We sometimes used a spreadable type of adhesive that came in a pail and other times just used construction adhesive.
You will need a glue compatible with structural foam as most construction adhesive will melt it.

[El Duderino]

Just brain storming a ideal.Building a teardrop without any wood(wood drys out or rots) or aluminum. Using just 1" polystyrene and fiber reinforced plastic. Making stress skin panels with the polystyrene and the FRP by Gluing and vacuum bagging. Need to find a good glue that is roll-able(or spreadable) and waterproof. Thinking pl S40 polyurethane sealant spread thin for the panels and to be used on the joints. The step in construction might be
1# Glue and bag the floor and side panels
2# Cut the inside profile on the inside or the wall panels leaving the outside FRP run wild. Making a step for the floor and the roof to set in. Floor step could be formed in step 1#.
3# Glue the walls on to the floor.
4# lay plastic sheet over the walls to make the inside of roof vacuum bag.
5# Lay the ceiling FRP over the walls in the step in the walls, glue, put in the sloted (to bend) polystyrene,glue, FRP. Lay the plastic sheet over the top. tape and vacuum with ratchet straps holding it to the walls.
6# Remove the bag and glue down the roof with the polyurethane chalk.
7# Cut the doors and hatch off.
8# Glue FRP strips to the cut edges.
9# Mount the door and hatch with glue and bolt that go thru. The inside would be drill bigger for a spacer tube with a fender washer on the inside.
Will this work?
What glue would be best? Any thoughts? Am I crazy or is this a cool ideal.
Like I said at the top of the post Just brain storming.

I too have been thinking along the lines of a three layer sandwich FRP- polystyrene foam - 1/8" or 1/4" plywood or hardboard. I'm really concerned about weight so the foam sounds like a good option. I was wondering if the 1" would be adequate or if stepping up to 2" might be better. However, I do hate to loose that extra two inches of interior room.

I'm also concerned about if the FRP will really remained glued to foam.

[bc toys]

Well I used FRP in my last cargo on ceiling and I put up blue 1'' AND white 1/2'' then 1/4'' ply strips then put liquid nail on wood strips and stuck FRP up and pulled it back down and then stuck it back up after adding and smoothing out a layer of liquid nail on the FRP then screwed it to the ply strips using wood stews with plastic rosits wish is about 3/4-1'' round flower looking got the at a trailer repair shop had to buy a bag of 100 but thats ok got lots left for this build when I get around to starting it hope this week to be the start date But the FRP will not come down with out breaking it because the liquid nail sticks so well to FRP

[El Duderino]

I've spent a lot of time poking around for adhesives information today. For the FRP to FRP gluing the only thing I could find that definetly says it will bond FRP to FRP is the Titebond Advanced Polymer Adhesive http://www.titebond.com/Libraries/LiteraturePDFs/FF821_FRPInstallation.sflb.ashx . I'm wondering anyone has any experience with using it?

For Foam to Foam the Glidden Gripper sounds pretty good. I do have two concerns. One is that I think I might have some difficulty tracking it down. Two is that while it look like it will bond two sides of Foam together, I wonder how well it will work where you are butting two ends of a Foam panel together. http://www.glidden.com/products/gripper-primer-white.do

For the Foam to Plywood, the Titebond II seems to be the most popular and highly regarded.

Best Regards,
The Dude

[rowerwet]

Thank you! I've been back and forth with should I or not use FRP on my build. They do have NRP, same thing but only plastic sheets. Well, I guess you made a difference when I start the interior walls, which is where I'm at this point. Now another question... I want to use FRP on the exterior of my roof and then use aluminum sheets over that. At least 6" to 8" apart for the spars that are 1.75" square out of ripped 2x4's. Will it bend good? Just asking.

Thank you

Carlos

FRP is super flexible, unlike plywood it will actually tend to sag between spars. If you are going to the expense of al skin, FRP would just be an extra uneeded bunch of weight, IMO. Unless you aren't going to have plywood or foam walls. Even then FRP would be a poor material to use, it has no insulation value, it would make for a hot,cold, noisy trailer.

[El Duderino]

I'm really stuck on how would be best to finish off the edge joint where the roof panel would meet the wall panel. I'm sure that some aluminum trim would look nice but unless I put some wood along the edges to put screws into, I'm not sure how I would fasten on the aluminum trim. I'd really like to minimize the wood if possible.

Also, I initially was thinking of using the 2" foam for the FRP-Foam-Plywood sandwich, but now I'm wondering if I could get away with using the 1" foam?

[KennethW]

I used PL S40 polyurethane sealant on my woody on the corners. so far so good. 2 years. But it is hard to work smooth.