Ultralight Stripper AKA "Less is More"

...ask your questions in the appropriate forums BUT document your build here...preferably in a single thread...dates for updates, are appreciated....

Re: Ultralight Stripper Update: second panel stripped

Postby Larry C » Sun Feb 12, 2012 4:29 pm

I stripped the other inside wall panel with my hodge podge of left over boat building strips. About 425 lin. ft. of Western Red Cedar strips per side. If I have enough left to do my bulkheads. I will have about 1/5 mile of strips on the inside of my build
:o

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Larry
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Re: Ultralight Stripper Update: second panel stripped

Postby parnold » Sun Feb 12, 2012 10:27 pm

I sure hope I get to see this in person someday. It's gonna be beautiful!

:applause:
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Re: Ultralight Stripper Update: second panel stripped

Postby aggie79 » Mon Feb 13, 2012 9:10 am

Larry,

Again, everything looks fantastic!

Could you explain a little more about your technique please? From the poly sheeting and binder clips, I'm assuming that you are edge gluing/epoxying the strips only and not attaching them to your framing at this point in time. Is this correct?

Take care,
Tom
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Re: Ultralight Stripper Update: second panel stripped

Postby Larry C » Mon Feb 13, 2012 12:24 pm

aggie79 wrote:Larry,

Again, everything looks fantastic!

Could you explain a little more about your technique please? From the poly sheeting and binder clips, I'm assuming that you are edge gluing/epoxying the strips only and not attaching them to your framing at this point in time. Is this correct?

Take care,
Tom


Tom,
The technique is one that I use in building strip-built kayaks. The internal framing you see is temporary, and is NOT part of the wall. The plastic sheet is so the glue won't stick to the perimeter profile or the temporary framing. As you suspected, the strips are edge glued with Titebond 2.

You will notice the staples are not tight to the strips, but stand proud. This is deliberate by using Ceiltile 9/16" staples. The reason is any marks left by the staple would have to be sanded out. The staples hold the strips edges tightly together, but between the staples the binder clips are used as clamps.

The binder clips serve 2 purposes. I have a strip of stick-on sandpaper adhered to each face of the clips so they will not slip on the smooth wood. Each clip is installed at an angle to force hold one strip to the next, and align the edges at the same time. I hope this make sense..

Next the staples are pulled, The surface is scraped to remove excess glue, and level high spots. Then I will fill any cracks or voids with Durhams, and then board sand to level everything before going at it with the Random Orbit sander. I will then glass this side, and flip it over to clean up the other side. I hope to just epoxy on the second side and not glass it as it will be glued to the wall framing and foam, and shouldn't need the glass.

The strip process is standard practice in boat building. This type of stripping on a flat surface with square cut edges is fairly easy to do, but stripping on a boat with the same square cut edge strips is much more difficult because the curves of the boat require the edges to be beveled, and this bevel changes as the strip continues down the length of the boat. This ever changing rolling bevel is done with a block plane to each and every strip. And when it's all stripped the flat surface of each strip creates a facet that must be made smooth and rounded or "fair" the boat builder term.

Sorry for being so long winded, it's probably a lot more info than you were asking for, but it's the easiest way I can explain it. If you want to get much deeper into techniques, and methods of using strips, please PM me with more questions.

Larry C
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Ultralight Stripper Update: second panel stripped

Postby aggie79 » Tue Feb 14, 2012 6:56 am

Thanks Larry. That's the information I was looking for - great explanation.
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Re: Ultralight Stripper AKA "Less is More" suggestions neede

Postby Larry C » Sat Mar 03, 2012 9:55 am

I am about to install my inner wall framing. I am using cedar to save weight. My question is should I plan for my bulkheads to be inserted into the walls using 2 narrow verticle inner wall strips with a gap between, or just screwed to the wall to a single inner verticle? I want to use the least amount of interior wood in my sandwich panels.
Also, I really don't know exactly where my TD will sit on the chassis, so I don't know exactly where to put inner wall blocking for the fenders. Do you think I can mount my fenders (aluminum) directly on the chassis if I make a half circle backing plate for the fender to attach to the angle iron on my chassis? The fenders would be independent from the TD.

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Re: Ultralight Stripper AKA "Less is More" suggestions neede

Postby Substear » Thu Apr 05, 2012 7:11 pm

Great design. That's what I have in mind except I was thinking on using a 4 x 10 foot platform and a harbor freight trailor. How much epoxy are you using in your build? I'm trying to keep the weight low so it can be pulled with a car with a 1000 lb tow max loaded. What are the teardrops weight with a Harbor Freight trailor? :thinking:
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Re: Ultralight Stripper AKA "Less is More" suggestions neede

Postby rowerwet » Sat Apr 07, 2012 8:35 am

if you subscribe to epoxyworks http://www.epoxyworks.com/ issue 34 has a stunning strip built, wasp tailed TD, it really looks like an upside down boat.
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Re: Ultralight Stripper AKA "Less is More" update 5/13

Postby Larry C » Sat Apr 07, 2012 9:22 am

The Inner sandwich wall framing is done. I used cedar in keeping with my desire for light weigh. I did not use any fasteners, just thickened Epoxy. The frames are now glued to the inside wall wood strip panels, and everything is coated with Epoxy. Again, no fasteners used.
:beer:


Both sides stacked to keep inner framing in the same place on both sides.
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Long board sander to level everything.
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Skeleton soaked with unthickened epoxy, ready for thickened epoxy and final gluing to inner panel
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Scrap foam insulation from cutting all the pieces needed to fill the panel voids
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Skeleton glued to inner wall panel, and all framing coated with Epoxy
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Re: Ultralight Stripper AKA "Less is More"

Postby Larry C » Mon May 14, 2012 9:57 am

Any suggestions on best glue for foam. Epoxy works great, but the amount needed will be costly. Pl Premium doesn't stick to the foam very well. What have you had success with?

Larry
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Re: Ultralight Stripper AKA "Less is More"

Postby KCStudly » Mon May 14, 2012 3:41 pm

Linuxmanxxx has championed 3M 30NF Fastbond Green contact adhesive and it is what I have purchased for adhereing my foam to inner wall skins; not cheap though. Probably in the same range as epoxy, but water clean-up, long working time, no ratios to mix, and made by first quality manufacturer specifically intended for foam to wood, and other applications.

Others have said they used it with good results, too. I have not used it yet, but I do not see where you can go wrong using 3M products as they were intended; they get it right.
Last edited by KCStudly on Mon May 14, 2012 4:38 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Ultralight Stripper AKA "Less is More"

Postby aggie79 » Mon May 14, 2012 3:55 pm

Larry,

Your teardrop and woodworking and epoxy skills are works of art! As far as what adhesive to use for the foam, I don't think you need to be that concerned with the foam contributing to the structure. Your sandwich construction alone will be plenty stout enough. On my teardrop, I just used some dabs of PL Premium to hold the insulation in place.

Take care,
Tom
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Re: Ultralight Stripper AKA "Less is More" long boarding foa

Postby Larry C » Sun May 27, 2012 9:57 am

Got both my inside walls epoxied to my framing and filled the spaces with foam.
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Foam in door installed with thickened epoxy, the rest of the areas I used Locktite 3000 foam adhesive.
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I highly recommend using a long board throughout your build. :thumbsup: I have found it to be one of the single most useful tools so far. Here I am using it to level the foam with the fame. All the different power sanders I own, just create a wavy surface that is not truly flat. The long board makes everything dead even and flat. It also helps reveal low spots. Let me know if you would like the details on making your own long board sander.
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Everything flat and level, ready for filling cracks with Durhams putty which is another thing I highly recommend. It fills the small voids around the insulation and any dents in the foam or holes in the wood. It hardens solid and sands as easy as soft wood. I do 3 rounds of fill. The first fills the voids, the second levels what has sunken during cure, and the third is just a loose slurry to fill tiny cracks. Everything gets a another board sanding to create a void free level surface. I want it void free to reduce the chance of condensation inside the walls.
The groove at the bottom of the frame is a wiring raceway for trailer lights. I cut it with a router with a dovetail bit to create a wider bottom to stuff the wires.

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Voids filled with Durhams and sanded smooth.
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A little distraction from my work. A Doe with Fawn came to visit my inner city home. The Doe decided to hide the Fawn on my patio and just hang around browsing on my and my neighbors shrubs for the next day and a half. :applause:
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Larry :beer:
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Re: Ultralight Stripper AKA "Less is More" long boarding foa

Postby S. Heisley » Sun May 27, 2012 11:46 pm

Larry,
Your work is so artisticly perfect that I was hoping you'd leave it open. It would have been beautiful that way. But, insulation is important, especially in the northern states.

Lovely deer...thanks for sharing.
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Re: Ultralight Stripper AKA "Less is More" long boarding foa

Postby Larry C » Mon May 28, 2012 6:52 am

S. Heisley wrote:Larry,
Your work is so artisticly perfect that I was hoping you'd leave it open. It would have been beautiful that way. But, insulation is important, especially in the northern states.

Lovely deer...thanks for sharing.


Sharon,
Thanks for the artistic comment, but I don't feel I have done anything artistic. I haven't been very clear on my intended design. I started with Mikes Ultralight profile, but I had not intended to leave the walls open like Mikes's design.The closest I can find to my desired look is these photos. My exterior walls are Mahogany (Okoume) marine plywood and will be left smooth the same as in these photos. The cedar strip walls are on the inside, hidden from view. The sandwich walls are part of the overall structural strength because my chassis is so minimal, the "box" has to be self supporting.

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