Roof's

[TerryB89]

I know there are 1000 different ways to do it, but here is another newbie question. Looking at all the photo's of Teardrops, what kind of material do most use on the top ? I don't see ply bending...

[tony.latham]

I know there are 1000 different ways to do it, but here is another newbie question. Looking at all the photo's of Teardrops, what kind of material do most use on the top ? I don't see ply bending...

I use 1/8" Baltic birch plywood. Bends nicely. I have my local-yocal lumberyard order it. 5'x5' sheets. About $15.

Tony

[TomMaj]

1/8" baltic birch here too, two layers. No pre-bending necessary. Glue up the spars or ply surface, crank down on the ratchet straps, and let it dry till the morning. On bottom picture,you can see a 1x2 and shims clamped on top to hold the plywood edge tight.

[TerryB89]

Sweet Thank you both ! So it's just glued down no screws or nails ?

[tlsallada]

On the teardrops I've built I used FRP (Fiberglass Reinforced Plastic) which has worked out great. I just completed a retro looking Shasta-like unit and used the same material for the full exterior giving a nice look.

[tony.latham]

Sweet Thank you both ! So it's just glued down no screws or nails ?

My ceilings are somewhat of a SIP––structural integrated panel. Is an 1/8" ply on the ceiling, spars about every 10" with blocked in foam, and then another 1/8" layer of ply. Both layers of plywood are glued and attached with 1/4" (pneumatic) crown staples to the spars. And the foam is also glued to both the ceiling and the "roof." I use Steve Fredrick's inside-out build method. It's strong, warm, and quiet.









Tony

[TomMaj]

Sweet Thank you both ! So it's just glued down no screws or nails ?

I used screws on the end at the very bottom spar. Also drove in 2 screws at top to keep the wood from migrating during the clamping glue dry period, and I removed them afterward. Lots of Loctite Pl3X on the spars and edges, and paint on Titebond 2 between the 2 ply sheets.

[booyah]

Sweet Thank you both ! So it's just glued down no screws or nails ?

My ceilings are somewhat of a SIP––structural integrated panel. Is an 1/8" ply on the ceiling, spars about every 10" with blocked in foam, and then another 1/8" layer of ply. Both layers of plywood are glued and attached with 1/4" (pneumatic) crown staples to the spars. And the foam is also glued to both the ceiling and the "roof." I use Steve Fredrick's inside-out build method. It's strong, warm, and quiet.

This is what I did as well, once the glue dried, I actually removed the staples. Then I coated the entire thing in epoxy, (fiberglass tape on the edges and seams) and painted it.

[noseoil]

I used 1/8" X 5' X 5' baltic birch for my roof, same as Tony's build basically. The 1/8" ply will bend very easily around an 18" or 24" radius without any trouble and make a nice, smooth curve when it does. You will need to do this across the grain, as trying to bend on the long bias would be a problem with this material.

I wouldn't try the same thing with any 1/4" plywood, as it just wouldn't work too well. The side panels have a "shelf" routed into them to provide a lip to rest the ceiling material on when it gets dropped into place. It's just a rabbet joint cut to hold 2 layers of 1/8" ply & the 1X2's which make up the framing. Simple, light, strong & easy.

[Talia62]

On the teardrops I've built I used FRP (Fiberglass Reinforced Plastic) which has worked out great. I just completed a retro looking Shasta-like unit and used the same material for the full exterior giving a nice look.

How do you fasten that to the wood?