Secrets to nice canvas seams?

[NMMarauder]

I just spent an hour searching and I give up. How are builders creating nice seams? Are they only using the manufactured edge? What happens when you have to cut the canvas (how do you keep that edge straight and clean)? When you overlap, how do you keep a constant width overlap? I found a few pics but I still don't understand. Is this information that is reserved for only those that know the secret foamie handshake?

-Ron

[desertmoose]

Don't know the handshake myself, but here's what I did....
take a look at my build thread.

viewtopic.php?f=50&t=45718


Sam

[NMMarauder]

Your pictures look great! From that post you said:

>Trimming the overlap evenly proved a challenge. We tried scissors guided along a spacer block, and using an x-acto knife along a block. Marking the overlap with a pencil and following the line with scissors proved to be the most accurate.

Did you use the pencil with the block to mark the canvas? I'm worried my edges will look like I was drunk AND having a stroke while I did them.

[desertmoose]

Did you use the pencil with the block to mark the canvas? I'm worried my edges will look like I was drunk AND having a stroke while I did them.

That's exactly what worked the best. Slide a block in place, mark along it with the pencil, repeat. Please note we let the glue on the side dry before marking and trimming for the overlap. That way, pulling and cutting, etc couldn't pull the overlap out of position.

Sam

[atahoekid]

I kinda cheated on my seams since I used fiberglass but I still wanted there to be no visible seams. I just made sure the seams were hidden at the corners (notice the corner caps), hidden under the bottom skirt or tucked under the floor.

[mezmo]

I think I recall reading somewhere, on the topic, that to
prevent edges fraying, they were either starched or a thinner
glue mixture was painted along the edge and let dry enough so
that when the edge was trimmed there were no stray or
uneven threads at the cut. Perhaps doing the same along the
spot/area, you want to make the seam at, would allow you to
cut along some kind of straightedge smoothly enough to ensure
the straight seam-line you desire?

Does anyone else recall such being mentioned ? I think it was
GPW who mentioned it, but I can't be sure.

Cheers,
Norm/mazmo

[atahoekid]

I recall the same conversation but don't recall who said it...

[GPW]

That was a while back ... I forgot who originally said it , but in essence , it involves painting a very thinned glue over the line to be cut ... when dry the canvas cuts easily , straight and doesn’t fray ... If you use thinned regular non-waterproof Elmer’s glue for the seam cuts , when you glue the canvas to the foam , the white glue will melt into the TB2 ... making a very secure and neat bond...
Covering should be an unhurried job ... All about taking your time and doing a neat job ...

[tac422]

I applied thinned TB2 where I was going to cut. Let it dry and then marked and cut.
That worked pretty good, but I only did that to the canvas that was on top where it overlapped . I didn't do that on the bottom layer where it overlapped, so the imperfections in the bottom layer shows through more than I like. If doing it again, I'd do the bottom layer like I did the top ...

[Jst83]

OK so glueing the edges are you glueing and cutting on a flat surface like the floor first or glueing the whole top but the edges then gluing and cutting it in place, but that might be hard to not glue the edges to the camper. If done off the camper does it shrinck and throw off your measurements ?

[GPW]

OK, remember when gluing canvas down , you DO WANT a significant overlap of each piece at the edges . That acts as a “reinforcing strip” doubling the material thickness and multiplying it’s strength by 8 times ... and since there is a bit of pulling and stretching involved over curved transitions from wall to top , most of the time that cutting /trimming will be done after the canvas is glued on , and before the glue dries ... That can get a bit tricky , but it can always be trimmed/fitted/refined more , and even little V’s cut into the outer skin edge to make a sharp turn or curve... since you overlapped the top piece over the bottom piece anyway (you did didn’t you ? ) then it will only show as one layer/seam , if done carefully ....
Part of a Foamie is All about having Seams ... It’s just the “ nature of the beast “ ... as much as ROT is associated with wooden trailers (and especially famous commercial RV’s ) ... seams or rot , take your pick ... Much easier to use the seams as part of the design ... like Mel did !!!

[tac422]

I brushed thinned glue along where I was going to cut, and sprayed the rest of the canvas with water (while draped over the TD)
So the canvas was preshrunk. I have about a 2" overlap, but the bottom layer detail shows through more than I thought it would.

Heres a link to my thread where I did it ....

viewtopic.php?f=55&t=56441&start=75

[GPW]

Tac, as we recall , you did a particularly NICE covering job !!!

[kudzu]

Tac, as we recall , you did a particularly NICE covering job !!!

Very nice indeed. I can only hope mine will be nearly as nice.

[wagondude]

I think it might have been Desert Mouse that gave us the "glue the cut line" trick. A really nice canvas over ply trailer.