Build of a Teardop in Glasgow, Scotland.

[BigAl]

Please forgive the threadjack with the talk of my own build plans... :-)~

Chris we have such similar designs that I think anybody interested in this thread will get some benefit from challenges you face and design decisions that you make also. ;)

Please feel free.

[teardrop_focus]

You are too kind...

What methodology, if you will, are you to follow once you begin work on the teardrop 'cabin'?

Although I intend to use baltic/finnish birch ply exclusively in my tear's cabin construction*, several of us in various threads have tossed around the idea of fabric-and-dope construction as a covering for our spar framework... aircraft so constructed have withstood the elements for years in use and while parked on the tarmac. It's difficult to take seriously, however, if one intends to spend much time occupying the tear's sleeping cabin in the rain. I would imagine it would be like trying to sleep inside of a snare drum and in your particular corner of the world I believe you are no stranger to rain...



Strictly from a design and lightweight build standpoint, though, the idea is most intriguing...

*...and "adding lightness" wherever possible, a la Colin Chapman of Lotus cars fame...

[matt987106]

interesting thread, thanks for the link dave

i am planning to build a TD to tow behind my VW splitscreen campervan, its slow enough at the best of times, thus my aim is to keep it LIGHT

so the A-fram design looked ideal, i have now decided on a Square frame, its only 1 short length ( 1.2 M ) extra in metal work, i it will give the frame that squareness if you get what i mean

its then going to be the TD shape without the gallery ( but with cupboard space inside ) as we cook in the campervan, its only going to be a extra sleeping place for 1 adult and 1 child

lightness is the big key for me, so the lightweight frame, 12 mm floor , 12 ( or 9 ) mm sides with the roof out of the really thin stuff ( is it 3.4 mm ) , i fancy a ali roof aswell ( i know this is going against the lightweight idea, but i fancy the look on it )

500kg suspension with 10" wheels, i would have liked to have fitted 14" VW wheels, but i dont know how easy that would be

i am putting together a metal cutting list right now, will get it ordered ( i think i might try 1 of the ebay metal sellers, unless any1 knows of any cheap online UK sellers )

[mwallace61]

Looks good. Look forward to reading the progress reports!

Mike

[BigAl]

@Chris, I was intending to 'dumb' frame the wall with the layout shown in the picture below.



The materials will be (from the inside out):

0.8mm Aluminium
9.0mm WBP Ply, Outer skin
24.0mm Dumb framing of a material as yet to be decided upon
6.0mm WBP Ply, Inner Skin

Rain proofing is *essential* here, in fact I might as well fit buoyancy tanks and a snorkel ;)

I would imagine that the noise of rain on doped fabric would drive me mad.

I have contemplated some ultra lightweight notions, including simply 0.8mm Aluminium sheet directly onto 24mm high density urethane foam sheet with an inner wall of 6mm ply. I rejected this due to the lack of a good fixing to the base and around the roof, and also damage to the body from road debris.

[BigAl]

thanks, Mike!!! :D

[jackdaw]

@Chris, I was intending to 'dumb' frame the wall with the layout shown in the picture below.



The materials will be (from the inside out):

0.8mm Aluminium
9.0mm WBP Ply, Outer skin
24.0mm Dumb framing of a material as yet to be decided upon
6.0mm WBP Ply, Inner Skin

Rain proofing is *essential* here, in fact I might as well fit buoyancy tanks and a snorkel

I would imagine that the noise of rain on doped fabric would drive me mad.

I have contemplated some ultra lightweight notions, including simply 0.8mm Aluminium sheet directly onto 24mm high density urethane foam sheet with an inner wall of 6mm ply. I rejected this due to the lack of a good fixing to the base and around the roof, and also damage to the body from road debris.

If your going for a sandwitch wall construction, why not go for 6mm inside and out ? It will save you some weight, and still be plenty strong enough.

Dave

[BigAl]

Hiya Dave, Would glue and screws make an adequate fixing through the 6mm external sheet to the floor? Or, should I fix the wall to the floor by also glueing and screwing down through the frame to the floor in addition to the fixing through the external sheet?

[jackdaw]

Hi Al.
have a look here

http://tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?t=19442

[teardrop_focus]

BigAl

Rain proofing is *essential* here, in fact I might as well fit buoyancy tanks and a snorkel

^ Author unknown... but he did Private Message me this rendering. Bless his heart...

I would imagine that the noise of rain on doped fabric would drive me mad.

Yes. That was a poor suggestion.





I plan on 1/8 birch (if I can find it) over my interior's exposed spars... and I may "panel" a portion, but not all, of each section of ceiling w/ wool carpet or upholstered foam panels as sound deadening. I will experiment, as it has to be pleasing in appearance. We'll be sleeping in there...

[BigAl]

@Chris. I love it!!! lol The teardrop pontoon! Looks like it has a 500HP Mercury installed! :)

If you can get the birch ply it would be nice to look at. I am also thinking of carpeting my interior. I'll use a light colour to make the best use of reflected light. I agree that aesthetics are important. The last thing you want is to feel like you are overnighting in a packing crate. I enquired in another thread and marine carpet seems to be the recommendation.

@Dave, I think you are right 6mm outside should be adequate with a good fixing. Those diagrams are very informative, thanks.

[matt987106]

alot of the VW campervan and DIY motorhome lot just use the cheap cord carpet ( 2 quid a M for carpet right type of stuff )

its light and sticks easy enough for spray contact glue

[BigAl]

Hi Matt, I think that would be fine provided that the carpet and the backing were made of synthetic materials like the carpet you describe. I'll buy an off cut from a discount carpet warehouse that is only a couple of miles away. I figure, if it becomes a damp trap I will remove it and replace it with vinyl.

[BigAl]

After reading the Wiki Book on Teardrop Construction, I noticed that the author recommends that the minimum radius that ply will bend around is 20 inches (500mm) and they recommend 30 inches (762mm). I therefore had a rethink about the profile and have changed the bottom right radius of the profile from 300mm to 770mm. You can see the difference by comparing this image to the image of the frame I posted previously.

[angib]

I noticed that the author recommends that the minimum radius that ply will bend around is 20 inches (500mm) and they recommend 30 inches (762mm)

However that is for the builder's choice of 5.2mm luan ply - pretty much 1/4". So that will need a fairly big radius to bend around.

I think you're planning to use 1/8" ply, in which case you don't need such large radiuses - though they would do no harm.

Andrew