Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

WOW My 200th post!
I did not realize that I built my first TD in less than 200 posts!!!!!!!!!


I'm getting a couple of bubbles under the surface of my doors.
Any suggested fix?
I'm thinking of injecting some white glue!

If you are getting bubbles in between the layers of plywood, you have a water leak somewhere or a hole that needs to be filled.

I do not think you will be able to remove those bubbles, yo will probably have to cut those layers out and patch, sand, fill and paint

damnitman, we need pictures....or what Rick said....................................

This never would have happened if you had made more than 200 posts. Let this be a warning to others. The bubbles are no doubt gas bubbles from the inferior, bacteria laden glue used in foreign plywood. If you lay down in the trailer and be very quiet can you hear the plywood delaminating? Sounds just like Rice Crispies

Steve_Cox wrote: Let this be a warning to others. The bubbles are no doubt gas bubbles from the inferior, bacteria laden glue used in foreign plywood. If you lay down in the trailer and be very quiet can you hear the plywood delaminating? Sounds just like Rice Crispies

Really

Steve_Cox wrote:This never would have happened if you had made more than 200 posts. Let this be a warning to others.

That and the fact that he should have spent more than $12.95 for a sheet of ply.:yes:

Steve_Cox also wrote:The bubbles are no doubt gas bubbles from the inferior, bacteria laden glue used in foreign plywood. If you lay down in the trailer and be very quiet can you hear the plywood delaminating? Sounds just like Rice Crispies

How about that. I've learned something this week and the week has just started. Now I can take the rest of the week off and not worry about learning something new this week. Thanks Steve, you've saved my day.

OK, heres the inexperienced view. Poke a hole in the bubble and see what happens. You can use a dark paper towel to see if there is water.

Whats the worse that could happen. (oh if your tear deflates and goes flying through the air,,, well you didn't hear it from me.)

actually, that's not a bad idea ... but poke it with a needle on the end of a long stick ...

Yeah Yeah poke it with a stick!

asianflava wrote:Yeah Yeah poke it with a stick!

I don't know why but that just struck me as the funniest thing I've heard in a while.
I really need to get out more

Let me further explain. I did not use plywood, I used the 3/4" veneer with the slick mahogany finish. I can not remember the name. It is not ChiPly, it is SouthAmPly/Veneer.
It is also painted with Marine Epoxy, so I do not feel that water leaks are the issue.
This has not happened anywhere else.
And it was $24.00 per sheet thank you!
Worse case scenario is that I make new doors, no problem.

It is stored in an outbuilding at my shop.

Bandit....I'm trying to figure out your problem...you got 3/4" mohogany veneered ply for 24$ a sheet? That seems like a real bargain...is it for sure a ply substrate and not a composite? I can't get regular 3/4" ply exterior grade for that price, let alone with a mohogany veneer on it. Did you sand the epoxy between coats? Now that I reread your message I guess you used an epoxy paint only and not a epoxy as a sealer on the wood prior to painting. Epoxy does need a mechanical bond if it has cured too hard between coats. If it's not an "official" ply and is some sort of a composite board, all the top coat of epoxy in the world won't prevent water from getting in an unsealed edge, and it'll wick it up like a sponge...Just my thoughts on it. I hope you get it taken care of however, it's a drag to find a problem down the road like that. Good luck...Doug

Bandit
One of the Alaska guys, I think it was Dave, posted a picture of out gassing on a trim piece he had epoxied. Made bubbles.

All wood has moisture and if the conditions were just right it might bubble down the road.

You won't know if it is air or moisture until you---
Poking a hole in it. Will give you a better idea of why you have a bubble.

Bandit wrote:Let me further explain. I did not use plywood, I used the 3/4" veneer with the slick mahogany finish. I can not remember the name. It is not ChiPly, it is SouthAmPly/Veneer.
It is also painted with Marine Epoxy, so I do not feel that water leaks are the issue.
This has not happened anywhere else.
And it was $24.00 per sheet thank you!
Worse case scenario is that I make new doors, no problem.

It is stored in an outbuilding at my shop.

All joking aside. The blisters are probably small voids under the veneer. The reason they formed could have been from several sources during the manufacturing process. Not enough heat, pressure, or open time for the glues to set up. The void was always there, but before is wasn't too obvious because it had yet to absorb moisture from the atmosphere. If you could, without harming the paint, poke a hole in the blisters and place a hot iron, set at about 190 degrees, covered in cotton cloth, on them for a few minutes you could remelt the glue in between the plywood and the veneer. Follow up with a cold flat object like the bottom of a pan until the glue sets again.