CapeBuild Build Journal

[Capebuild]

Well John, you nailed it, nice roll pan structure's.

Thank you, Danny. I appreciate your comment, especially coming from you.

I put that peal and stick rino liner over that area and it gives a nice offset look.

I had to look up the liner you mentioned.... wasn't familiar with it. Is the image kind of what you're referring to?

Thanks again.

John

[halfdome, Danny]

Yes John that’s the peel and stick Rhino liner.
Danny

[Bama5150]

Really enjoying your build. Similar in a lot of way to my plans (hope to start real soon). Very interested in seeing how you tackle the big window. Great stuff. thanks for sharing!

[mnswamp]

Definitely enjoying your build. I love the shape! Meticulous craftsmanship is showing in every step.
One question - especially for CNC builders - why not cut the wall at full height and notch for the stringers in CAD instead of blocking (or maybe in addition to blocking? Just curious, before I make a lethal mistake and try to do just that.
Also, jealous that your CNC guy has a 5x12. I've only access to a 4x8... (definitely first world problems)

Look forward to seeing the rest of it come together.

marsh

[Capebuild]

Very interested in seeing how you tackle the big window.

Bama5150, building the large window is the one part of my build I'm approaching with a bit of trepidation. I "think" I have a plan and how I'm going to go about it. I've been thinking and planning about it for quite a while so I better have it right by this point. I'll be using 1/4 inch polycarbonate (Tuffak AR is the PC which has an abrasion resistant coating and UV protection). I would have rather used glass but that's not going to happen it being such a defined shape which is not something readily found on the shelf. I found a local powder coating vendor who has a large oven. I'll heat up the PC and drape it over a form I'll build which matches the outside radius of the trailer. I'll create a lip using the outer roof sheathing with the aluminum skin on top and use a locking gasket to hold the window in place. I've attached an image of the locking gasket. At least this is my "plan of action".... I'll keep you posted as I get to doing it.

why not cut the wall at full height and notch for the stringers in CAD instead of blocking (or maybe in addition to blocking? Just curious,

mnswamp, I suppose it could be done that way but in thinking about your comment there's probably 2 reasons I can think of to not do it that way. One is if you cut notches in the CAD and CNC them in your parts you're kind of locked in where the spars go. I wound up moving my spars a bit from the original CAD when I got to installing them. The other thing is a lip is needed (kind of a little shelf) so you have a surface to lay the headliner and some meat to nail the headliner in place. If you cut in the notches as you suggest, I'd think you start to loose a lot of meat in the middle panel. I actually wish I had left more of rabbet to lay the headliner. So doing the construction as most do it, and adding the blocking, just helps to lock it all in place. Keep in mind I've not done this before. This is the way I did it and I just followed what I've researched how others have done it before me.

Thank you both for your comments and interest.
John

[noseoil]

John, looking really nice & I can see where you're a bit concerned about that sheet of plastic & the forming. I think your idea is sound, but the heating part will be critical to forming, so you may want to use a piece of scrap first, to make sure it's at the right temperature for molding the shape. Just find the hardest part of the shape to form, heat a scrap piece & drop it onto the form to see if it bends properly. Hopefully, you have a good target temperature with enough "window" (sorry, couldn't resist) for error & enough control of the oven to dial in the correct temperature, soak time, plus just a bit more for handling to make it right the first time.

What is the target temperature needed for the forming of the sheet & how much "leeway" is there for handling, to go from the oven onto the form?

[JasenC]

If you haven't read up on heat forming poly already, please do.
It's been years since I have read it but as I recall it's a 2 step process. A low temp pre heat with a cooling time to drive out moisture before you do the forming.
Temperature is a bit critical as well for a panel this size.

Digging your build

[tony.latham]

...building the large window is the one part of my build I'm approaching with a bit of trepidation.

John:

Okay, how much time have you put into thinking about this phase? Don't minimize your answer. Include the midnight time staring at the blackened ceiling while doubting voices call out from your inner self. (The writer in me just HAD to throw that last sentence down.)



Veritas liberabit vos, the truth will set you free...

Tony

[Capebuild]

Thank you for the tips. When I was first planning this project and came to the conclusion I was not going to find glass for the front window I spent a bit of time researching what plastic material would be best, although I kind of knew polycarbonate was probably going to be the one. So I did spend time researching how to bend it. Watch a lot of youtube videos, etc. I have to go back and review it all. This powder coating vendor with the large oven has evidently bent PC for windows before for people building boats.... so tapping his experience will, hopefully, be a help. Will keep you all posted on the progress as I get to actually doing it, but thanks again for the thoughts. Tony, I'm familiar with the "truth will set you free".... however with this I think a successful and flawless installation will be what sets me free



Attached are couple of images of the front end bump out I've been working on. When I installed the inner ceiling panel there was a bit of bow so as I laid in the spars I wanted to kind of push that bow in while the adhesive set, thus the help of the bike rack for something to angle some pushing supports.

[swoody126]

John, looking at your rigging braces to hold your parts in place reminds me of old traditional boatbuilding shops

the walls and roofing structures are heavily framed so the builders have studs n joists and rafters to anchor to when holding components in the desired shapes during construction

many of the shops are dirt floored butt most have heavy wooden floors for screwing the hull down in the process

me likey

sw

[Capebuild]

John, looking at your rigging braces to hold your parts in place reminds me of old traditional boatbuilding shops
the walls and roofing structures are heavily framed so the builders have studs n joists and rafters to anchor to when holding components in the desired shapes during construction
many of the shops are dirt floored butt most have heavy wooden floors for screwing the hull down in the process
me likey
sw

Thanks. I have a friend up in Maine near the Bath Iron Works. There's a boat building museum there we visited last time we were up there. They did have the heavy timber floors you referred to. Really cool museum if you're ever in the area... as is seeing the Iron Works. They build many ships for the Navy. Huge builds.

Well today got the interior moldings and sliding doors in place for the front bump out storage area (image attached). I do realize the bed will cover up a lot of the lower moldings but I figure when the bed transforms to the couch position, it will be visible. Tomorrow think I'll tackle the exterior bump out insulation and try wrestling the exterior ply in place for the bump out.
John

[swoody126]

John, we were there in the early 1990's

really nice museum and we got treated like royalty when we drove in

they had never had a wooden boat at the museum with Texas registration numbers on the bow

i think the whole place emptied out to see my little wooden skiff that afternoon

i love that part of the country

sw

[Tom&Shelly]

I have a friend up in Maine near the Bath Iron Works. There's a boat building museum there we visited last time we were up there. They did have the heavy timber floors you referred to. Really cool museum if you're ever in the area...

Sounds familiar!



Very educational, and a delight to all woodworkers to learn how the wooden ships were built!

Tom

[Capebuild]

Very educational, and a delight to all woodworkers to learn how the wooden ships were built!

yes.... that's the place!

[eLink]

...building the large window is the one part of my build I'm approaching with a bit of trepidation. I "think" I have a plan and how I'm going to go about it. I've been thinking and planning about it for quite a while so I better have it right by this point. I'll be using 1/4 inch polycarbonate (Tuffak AR is the PC which has an abrasion resistant coating and UV protection). I would have rather used glass but that's not going to happen it being such a defined shape which is not something readily found on the shelf. I found a local powder coating vendor who has a large oven. I'll heat up the PC and drape it over a form I'll build which matches the outside radius of the trailer. I'll create a lip using the outer roof sheathing with the aluminum skin on top and use a locking gasket to hold the window in place. I've attached an image of the locking gasket. At least this is my "plan of action".... I'll keep you posted as I get to doing it.

Very resourceful finding the large oven! You may recall my skylight detail will be similar, but I made my panels small enough to fit in my kitchen oven. Can't wait to see how yours turns out!