Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

For most of you you've seen my last post of the our tear sides after staining.


Reminder:




My question now is how do you keep the individual pieces together while our first coat of epoxy goes on? Steve Fredrick suggests using super glue then sand lightly to remove any extra from the wood, but this doesn't seem to work with us since we stained first, if we sand the super glue then we sand the stain and end up with a ruined face.

So what other methods are there? We will be starting the epoxy tonight as the sun is going down so we can stay away from the 90+ tempertures.

Thanks for you help.

Mike

Steve used fiberglass cloth on the back to hold his pieces together. Another way is glue the whole side on thin 1/8 ply for strength. Are you going to glass it?

As for waiting till the evening to epoxy....WARNING!!!! check out my S.O.S. thread...Don't know how much dew you have in Denver........

No, doug hodder thinks that I don't need to. Another question what are you using for the the application. Doug Hodder suggests using epoxy rollers because they wont fall apart as easy and the HD rollers. Well here in Colorado no one seems to know what epoxy rollers are even the specialty shops. So what are you using?

MIke

You might do a google search for epoxy supplies, or West System Epoxy Suppies , Denver, CO.

I like the West System epoxy rollers, cut in half and used on a mini roller. Here is one suppier in Englewood Denver Epoxy Supplier

You might do a google search for epoxy supplies, or West System Epoxy Suppies , Denver, CO.

I like the West System epoxy rollers, cut in half and used on a mini roller. Here is one suppier in Englewood Denver Epoxy Supplier

Thanks, look on thier website and they do have epoxy rollers, now the only problem is that they aren't open until Tuesday and we planned on starting the first coat of epoxy tonight. I guess we should just wait until Tuesday.

Thanks,


Mike

Mike...I used Steve's plans and had trouble holding my sides together with super glue too. I just put some blocks into the workbench on the edges of each piece of plywood to hold them tight together and let the epoxy just fill in the little gap in between when I put on the first coat (I had a much larger gap than you probably do)...but, after you put a few coats on with the fiberglass sheet, it will hold just fine. When I flipped it over, I added a coat of epoxy just to the seam on the back before I framed it out. Seemed to work ok for me...and if there is any flex in the two pieces, once it's framed and closed up on the other side, you won't even notice it.

I'm not an expert by any means, but, hope this helps some.

Mike...I used Steve's plans and had trouble holding my sides together with super glue too. I just put some blocks into the workbench on the edges of each piece of plywood to hold them tight together and let the epoxy just fill in the little gap in between when I put on the first coat (I had a much larger gap than you probably do)...but, after you put a few coats on with the fiberglass sheet, it will hold just fine. When I flipped it over, I added a coat of epoxy just to the seam on the back before I framed it out. Seemed to work ok for me...and if there is any flex in the two pieces, once it's framed and closed up on the other side, you won't even notice it.

Thanks Shelly, I'm not sure I'm going to do Fiberglass or not. Doug Hodder who is a regular on this website suggested not using glass, he says glass works well on boats becuase of the strain they take but on a teardrop it's probably not nesassary. He's built two woodys and never used fiberglass.

I'm doing a test piece now and going to see how it holds up.

Mike

benzu wrote:No, doug hodder thinks that I don't need to. Another question what are you using for the the application. Doug Hodder suggests using epoxy rollers because they wont fall apart as easy and the HD rollers. Well here in Colorado no one seems to know what epoxy rollers are even the specialty shops. So what are you using?

MIke

Here's what I'm using...got them from the epoxy guy. Found similar in big box stores.

Mike...are these pieces you cut on the router going to be laminated on a flat piece of material? like they are only the outer surface and it is going to be on a solid ply core? that's how I was thinking you were doing it. Doug

doug hodder wrote:Mike...are these pieces you cut on the router going to be laminated on a flat piece of material? like they are only the outer surface and it is going to be on a solid ply core? that's how I was thinking you were doing it. Doug

Mike...I think I understand where Doug and John are coming from. Maybe, as an alternative, you could go ahead and glue the panels directly to the frames you built before coating with epoxy...that should at least get them in the correct position and flat. I fear that unsupported joints between the panels is going to introduce a whole lot of room for boo-boos down the line.

I wish I better understood all of this!

Doug, No my intensions where not to laminate my pieces to another substrate other then the frame. It sounds like I'll have to buy the fiberglass after all for the added strength. Does that sound correct to you.

Mike

He's built two woodys and never used fiberglass.
Mike

Mike...mine are also solid 1 piece sides laminated to a ply core...in my case, I don't think I need the cloth on it. Doug

For sections, built up..Use 'Glass!

I sometimes have a rough time getting the sections to lay flat. I just weigh them down with some waxed paper under the weights, while I glue up with super glue or the first coat of epoxy. Waxed paper will come off easily, once the epoxy cures. Scrape smooth, add 'glass.

There's been a lot of discussion about needing 'glass. I have been using it for six T/D projects so far, with only one incident! That was in an area in the front of the 'Rondack where I accidentally sanded through the 'glass..said "some say the glass is unnecessary" I'll just seal it under a few coats of epoxy and varnish! Well, I got a very tiny crack when a joint moved, moisture wicked in, and I had a repair to do!!

If you're using solid ply for sides, just seal it in epoxy, then varnish..If you build with pieces, my money's on 'Glass! If you buy one from me, that's what I do..there's no choice!
Just my opinion!

Mike.. How thick are your sides? 1/8...1/4??? Are you insulating the tear? Do you have or going to have an interior frame work, plus insulation?
If you dont want to fiberglass, you can laminate it to a solid piece of ply.
But then again, I'm with Steve F. If your outer wall is made up of different sections... you should fiberglass to completely seal it. After all the work in building a beautiful tear, do you really want it to rot out in a couple of years????

benzu wrote::x I wish I better understood all of this!

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