Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

Its taken a while (almost a year) but I finally have a plan that is coming together.

I have decided to build a 5’ x 11’ Modernistic TD that will be 54” tall so I can sit up on cushions and have a table.

I took the Modernistic profile drawings from the Design Library (Thanks Andrew) and scaled the locus of each of the four ellipses for the expanded profile. I set up an excel spreadsheet to give me the x-y coordinates then plotted them on a large sheet of grid paper and am satisfied with the profile.

I plan to build it with the insulated framed walls from Steve’s shop manual and wonder if anyone has had any experience with the Self Centering Dowelling Jigs from Woodcraft?

http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?familyid=782

Looks like they would make stronger joints than the biscuits and not get in the way like pocket screws might when you cut the frame for the headliner.

I’m starting to buy the 1” x 4” pine for the frame so as the sublject said (borrowed from an old SCIFI show) … And so it begins.

I've used that dowling jig for about 5 years, and it works very well for cabinet making, etc. But pocket screws (as in Kreg Jig) are just as strong, if not stronger... and a whole lot faster.

I'm not sure I understand: "...not get in the way like pocket screws might when you cut the frame for the headliner" ??

Gene, if you are building as per Steve's CD, the headliner lays on top of the side frame, then the spars, then the roof...you shouldn't be cutting into the side frame for them...
madjack

As I understand it from my reading of Steve's manual, his approach is to make the frame full size for the profile then cut the outside of the frame to the depth of the spars (1-1/2") plus the thickness of the headliner.

The part that is removed is then cut into spacers that go between the spars.

While I would really rather use the pocket screws I'm concerned that in the highly curved parts of the Modernistic profile, combined with the length of the screws it might result in that curved cut crossing through one of the screws.

Perhaps the best approach would be to cut the frame sections to length, lay them on the pattern, tape them down, mark the headliner position and see where the screws will go. If I can't clear the cut line in a part of the tight radius I could use the dowells at the frame joint/joints and the screws where there won't be a conflict.

Gene,
I built using Steve's CD also. I biscuited mine. It made for a really strong frame. Since you are gluing it to the sides anyway I think the dowels would be alot of extra work and overkill.