Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

From the time I first started reading about building a teardrop I have heard.

#1 are Clamps and lost of them.

what type spring or screw or ...

#2 a router or medium to expensive jig saw. for large curves.

# 3 screws what type what lengths

3A or has any one used Air tools
#4 Glues for alumium sheets like liquid nail

#5 what kind of sander is best? Palm belt or hand block.

#6 string and 2 nails and pencil to draw curves.

What else? and one want to offer an unusual tool? Lasers?

Ron D.

Ron,

I'm shure others will have different techniques and tools, but so far I have used a band saw to cut the steel, welder, hand grinder, skill saw, jig saw, table saw, drill press, router, belt sander, orbital sander, 3/8" hand drill, liquid nails glue, titebond glue, 1 1/4" #6 screws, 3/4" #6 screws, 1/2" #6 screws, 2 1/2" sheetrock screws, 1 1/2" sheetrock screws, 3/8" elevator bolts, square, "T" square, and I'm shure I left out a few.

I plan to use a biscuit jointer to strenghten the joints of the side wall frames (I'm making sandwich type walls), cabinets, and doors.

Cordless drill for installing screws.

Belt sander for cleaning up rough edges on the walls, and palm sander for finish sanding flat panels, although you could do either by hand.

Tin snips for cutting aluminum sheet and trim.

Air stapler.

Clamps, I have mostly spring clamps. I will buy a variety pack when I'm at Harbor freight. I've bought 3 packs of them. I also have several bar clamps.

I am using treated exterior 2in deck screws. They have 2 kinds there, one for pressure treated wood and one for pine, I'm using the pine ones. I don't know the difference other than one is tan and the other is green.

I have air tools but I'm not using them for this project. I do use the blow gun on my compressor.

I am using Titebond II and West systems Epoxy.

A belt and orbital sander are different animals. The belt is for removing a lot of material fast. The orbital is to finesse the surface.

If you are stick building, I'd highly recommend a miter saw. I bought a laser because I doubted my ability but in the end I probably didn't need it. It is nice to have though.

JunkMan wrote:I plan to use a biscuit jointer to strenghten the joints of the side wall frames (I'm making sandwich type walls), cabinets, and doors.

I used biscuits for my frame but I had a problem getting the joints tight. I squeezed them as tight as I could then screwed them down to my pattern to dry. Later I discovered pocket holes, these could be used in conjunction with the biscuits to hold the joints tightly. I ended up removing the pocket screws after the frames were dry. That way I wouldn't try to drive another screw into them later.

Oh yeah, if you are sandwich building, see my comments about the miter saw.

[quote="asianflava]Oh yeah, if you are sandwich building, see my comments about the miter saw.[/quote]

I forgot about the miter saw. My son got orders to Japan (he's in the Air Force), so I got the task of "storing" his biscuit jointer, miter saw, and several other wood working tools that I didn't have, until he returns

in addition to the above I have used the planer to make a very thin shims out of lulan for the cabinet drawers (always use a sledge hammer to kill mosquitoes) and the jointer on all oak framing, (hatch and door framing), need a straight line here and there. Haven’t used the drill press or framing nailer and don’t own a pocket hole jig

I'm building my first tear, but have owned an original before. Use sheets of 1/8" masonite for patterns, cheap, especially if you are going to doctor up the curves. Also I've built several boats and West System is incredible. It's practically bullet proof, but you need to have gloves and acetone for clean up. You can thicken it using Colloidal silica and turn it into peanut butter so it won't flow so much. They also make a 207 hardener to use on natural unpainted woods and it will inhibit UVfor top coats. The West System is much stronger and weatherproof than titebond. Doug

doug hodder wrote:You can thicken it using Colloidal silica and turn it into peanut butter so it won't flow so much.

I was taught that the test of an epoxy-user was whether they mix their own blends of filler. Once you get used to the stuff, you can make a 'putty' with almost any properties you want:
Silica: stiffens mix, makes set product hard - sometimes too hard to sand!
Microfibres (usually cotton): stiffens mix a bit, gives good tensile strength - essential for making a good glue.
Microballoons (tiny glass spheres): stiffens mix, ultra-light, makes set product fairly soft - sands easily, so good for non-structural fairing.

Andrew

Here's what I used.

Joseph

For the simple guy (read low budget) who doesn't want to buy a bunch of tools (read wife won't let him), I have and plan on using the following:

1) Decent Jig Saw
2) Cheap belt sander from Harbor Freight ($25) for cloning side walls.
3) Power Drill
4) Cordless Drill/Screwdriver
5) Palm Sander
6) Gorilla Glue (or other poly)
7) Various wrenches
Spring clamps and bar clamps (~30 misc.)
9) Miter Saw
10) Skill saw
11) Brad Nailer (they make electric ones, which will work for luan to pine/poplar)
12) The trailer frame will require a prefab, used trailer, or welder.
13) Carpenter's square, 4' level, 18" level
14) Creativity and ability to adapt.
15) You'll need something no matter how well you prepare, so take it one step at a time and acquire/borrow as you go!

Andrew...you're correct. the colloidal silica is tough to sand, I use 80 grit, but if I have access to it, a surform rasp or any other rasp type device will cut it and you'll get good results. You can mill it if necessary and you can cut threads into it, based on Gougeon Bros. info.West Systems epoxy. It's not for hand sanding at all. You can either adapt the epoxy or your techniques to working it. doug

thanks guys this helps alot.

asianflava wrote:

JunkMan wrote:I plan to use a biscuit jointer to strenghten the joints of the side wall frames (I'm making sandwich type walls), cabinets, and doors.

I used biscuits for my frame but I had a problem getting the joints tight. I squeezed them as tight as I could then screwed them down to my pattern to dry. Later I discovered pocket holes, these could be used in conjunction with the biscuits to hold the joints tightly.

Hey I was just in a tool store looking through a router book and they say you can get a bit for making holes for Biscuits.
I also hear the machines that make Biscuits can be very dangerous.

A biscuit cutter is no more dangerous than the person operating it. It can eat you alive if you are careless. I've been injured more from a metal grinder, minor burns, than a biscuit cutter. which is never. biscuit cutters have a spring system that allows the blade to cut into the material, and retract. A biscuit cutter doesn't cut anything unless you are pressing it into the material, as soon as you back off it retracts. If you have put a carbide blade onto a grinder, a major no no, have the phone programed for 911. biscuit cutters and grinders have the same motor body, but aren't the same critter. you can also achieve the same results if you put a 3 wing slot cutter 1/8" on a router, just make sure you set up some jigs on your material so that it doesn't get away from you and cuts the length of slot correctly. This technique will not allow you to cut a biscuit 0,10 or #20, first shot. But set up a practice piece. Just my experience Doug