My Giant Teardrop (updated 04/21/10)

[Ivar the Red]

Posted: Mon May 26, 2008 2:17 pm

ok ok ok...I was just out there, playing with old "rusty bucket" and wishing that media basting wasn't out of the budget. Then I thought "Is this really needed?". The rust is not really thick and not pitted or anything, so I was wondering, could I just lay on a good coat of rustoleum and roll with it? Thoughts?


'

My experience with rust is you have to get rid of it completely, or it returns quickly. Wire brush attachment on your grinder (face shield recommended, or you may have new steel bristles adding themselves to your beard), may be a less expensive alternative. There are rust products that "kill" the rust, but I have never used them. Sorry my rust experience is limited living out here in the dessert.

del

[Ivar the Red]

Posted: Mon May 26, 2008 4:13 pm

If the rust is not Pitted or bubbled up I would just use some Ospho! It converts the surface rust and kills it Then you can paint right over it. I got a gallon for like 15 bucks..

here is a link on the stuff
http://www.ospho.com/

[Ivar the Red]

Posted: Tue May 27, 2008 5:21 am

The wifey did a little surfing and came up with this stuff. rust convertor Has anyone tried something like this?

[Ivar the Red]

Posted: Tue May 27, 2008 7:40 am

We use this product Rust Restore a lot offshore for rust repair..

[Ivar the Red]

Posted: Tue May 27, 2008 1:16 pm

remove the rust electricly...

http://www3.telus.net/public/aschoepp/e ... crust.html


Now I know what you must be thinkin'....BUT....COULD IT BE DONE!?



(Seriously...use this to remove rust from all the smaller parts, like the leaf springs and the wheels......)...the Frame...that's a whole nuther thing...(Maybe a big plastic sheet inside a 2X12 Frame to hold the Liquid; the frame would be soaked AFTER you chop it down to size and remove the axles and wheels...?)

[Ivar the Red]

Posted: Sun Jun 01, 2008 2:58 am

A little progress to report.
Point A:

Point A after a little sanding:

Point B:


The stuff in the can is from Kleen Strip, it's a rust convertor like advised here before, but late Saturday in small town Oklahoma, that's all I could find. It is in the automotive dept. at wally world, we'll see. I also used this as an excuse to buy a new tool, I got a new grinder to smooth out the really rough spots where there had been other stuff welded to the frame.

[Ivar the Red]

Posted: Mon Jun 02, 2008 11:10 pm

For those of you concerned about my weight...of the trailer...ahhh thank you...I've taken measures to try and remedy some of that.

I BOUGHT A NEW GRINDER!!!!

I'm gonna lose some of the middle braces, add ons, and a couple of cross braces that are really close to another. I've also came to the realization that there are no "miracle cure" for rust without a little elbow grease. So....classes for my daughter, in the art of drill use, begins this week end.

[Ivar the Red]

Posted: Tue Jun 17, 2008 5:43 am

Well more baby steps to report...last night I took the frame off of the axles. What a PITA! Can you say RUSTY BOLTS! Anyways the frame is now upside down and waiting for some grinding, sanding, and a little paint. The tandems have several grease zerks, so I'll check that out too, then do any other preventive maintenance on em. Replace those rusty bolts, put it all back together, then start working on the pretty side.

[Ivar the Red]

Posted: Mon Jun 16, 2008 12:21 pm

More doodles

Now that doesn't look too bad! What's with the little 'swoosh' tail??

I dunno...just random thoughts banging around while waiting on payday so I can go get some wood and get started. This prolly won't be final until I cut the first piece. Like I said on an earlier post with the front that way it starts to resemble a creature, and a creature needs a tail. I thought I'd try my hand at making a wing on the back like the old Porsche "whale tails" out of fiberglass. The trolley top on the back, the wifey had the idea of making it pop up with canvas sides.

[Ivar the Red]

Posted: Fri Jun 20, 2008 7:34 pm

:thinking: Ok, I've been thinking again...


Like maybe full lenght of the deck and just a couple feet wide on each side. It would have some kind of fold up adjustable legs for the outside edge. Thing is, I kind of wanted to have a rail around the deck, and with these "fold outs" I'm not sure how to work that out. I could have a removeable rail, but if I keep this up all my trips will have to be at least 3 days...a day to set up...camp...then another day to tear down.


well i'm tired of typing i'm gonna go do something to it.

[Ivar the Red]

Posted: Wed Jun 25, 2008 7:36 am

Johnny, you could do something like this for the deck in front. This is a front view with the blue being the deck surface, the red is the extensions, etc.



Of course you could scale it so that the extensions and the height of the railings match so that when it is folded, nothing sticks out!!!

[Ivar the Red]

Posted: Sat Jul 12, 2008 11:17 pm

More baby steps tonight. Frame(on the bottom) is ready for paint, and reassembly. Sparks before sawdust...I'll be glad when this is over, I'm more comfortable with wood.

Help has arrived

Morsund Teardrop Works,Inc Lead Foreman.

No, the flamingos are not dead, just trick photography

I guess the work is done for tonight.

[Ivar the Red]

Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2008 6:20 am

Johnny, where are the pics of the painted frame???? Inquiring minds want to know!!!

Ok, here they are...with yet another question to follow...



Now for the question. This frame already had 12 holes in each side for axle placement, if I move the axles I could only possibly use 2 of the holes on each side,clear as mud?

Any way here is the real question, can more holes be drilled into the frame without weakening it???

[Ivar the Red]

Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2008 6:27 am

Don't know where the existing holes are, but holes in the vertical plane are usually ok... too big a hole in the horizontal plane will weaken the member...

If you stick with the hole size they used (assuming they were factory done, not home drilled), you should be okay.

[Ivar the Red]

Posted: Wed Aug 06, 2008 6:00 pm

Ok...too #@&%* HOT for any real progress, but we were standing at the back of the frame the other day and thought..."This thing is kind of skinny.". So now the floor plan has changed, and I'm glad I decided to move the axles, I think a "bare bones" galley plan has flown out the window.('specially after Kim saw spinnernut's galley at a gathering a while back)

Drawing is not to proper scale or dimensions. I'm at work and don't have my slide rule with me.
Now instead of plywood directly to the frame, I'm gonna build a floor frame, out of 2X4s polly, and hang the side out even with the tires. Is this gonna be a problem???



Also redesigned the galley to be more like a grass hopper, dang, if this keeps up I'm gonna need a bigger truck.