Light weight building

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Light weight building

Postby Substear » Fri Mar 30, 2012 9:27 am

I am interested in building a light weight tear. I was thinking of using a laminated wooden bow structure for the sidewalls and would be reinforced with 1x3 select pine. The inside of the sidewall would be 1/8 ply, and was planning on using 3 layers of 6oz fiberglass cloth on the outside. Has anyone used this type of construction and would it be strong enough to hold up to road conditions? I was planning on using polyester resin instead of epoxy. Polyester resin is about 1/3 the cost of epoxy and I have used polyester before. I was wondering if fiberglass over 1/8 plywood would be lighter and stronger than the 3 layers of glass cloth? Any one have any experience on building with polyester resins? Thanks
Gary
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Re: Light weight building

Postby Larry C » Fri Mar 30, 2012 11:05 am

Substear wrote:I am interested in building a light weight tear. I was thinking of using a laminated wooden bow structure for the sidewalls and would be reinforced with 1x3 select pine. The inside of the sidewall would be 1/8 ply, and was planning on using 3 layers of 6oz fiberglass cloth on the outside. Has anyone used this type of construction and would it be strong enough to hold up to road conditions? I was planning on using polyester resin instead of epoxy. Polyester resin is about 1/3 the cost of epoxy and I have used polyester before. I was wondering if fiberglass over 1/8 plywood would be lighter and stronger than the 3 layers of glass cloth? Any one have any experience on building with polyester resins? Thanks
Gary


My build is similar to your plan. The glass only on the outside would depend on the weight of the glass. I am using 4mm marine plywood on the outside with a layer of 3oz glass. The profile is laminated Bass wood strips and the inner framing is cedar. The inner walls are cedar strips, glassed.
I know others have used polyester, but I don't like it, and epoxy is what I am using. If your using foam in your walls and intend to glass over the foam, I think Polyester resin will eat the foam, but I could be wrong. Your probably better off using the 1/8" ply and glass.

My build journal:

http://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?f=50&t=35852
"If its worth doing it's worth doing Light"

http://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?f=50&t=35852
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