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Thoughts on skinning roof

PostPosted: Fri May 02, 2008 3:54 pm
by Toytaco2
My Fantastic Fan arrives next week and my doors are almost complete. I'm getting close to skinning the roof with two layers of 1/8" panels and would like opinions:

I will have accumulated quite a bit of 1/8" Luan scraps while skinning the interior. Does anyone see any problems with "patching" in with the scraps for the first layer on the roof and then over-skinning that 1st layer with good quality 1/8" birch plywood. It would be nice to save a few dollars at this point plus put some of the scrap that is piling up to good use.

PostPosted: Fri May 02, 2008 4:18 pm
by Airspeed
You may not get the scraps to follow the curve, a small scrap wouldnt bend the same as a larger piece, I would use full sheets, at least on the curved areas. Aaron

PostPosted: Fri May 02, 2008 8:44 pm
by Dean_A
I used three pieces of 1/8" birch for my roof and didn't have any problems. Just keep the seams over the spars (mine were over double spars to make it easier), be smart about where you seam it in regards to the curves, and have a REALLY good clamping system worked out. I held mine down with screws with washers until the glue dried. I'll be covering the whole thing with aluminum, so it didn't have to be perfect.

PostPosted: Fri May 02, 2008 11:49 pm
by halfdome, Danny
I would do like Airspeed suggested and use full sheets. It's best to do the first layer from one end and the second layer from the other end so you cover your seams with continuous plywood. You'll need to take in account how much you have on the roof vs how many layers you have on the hatch when it comes to the 3/8" cut on the galley walls. I only use one layer on the hatch and two on the roof so I can crawl up there to wash it and install the fan or whatever. :D Danny

PostPosted: Sat May 03, 2008 8:14 am
by Miriam C.
:thinking: It isn't that you can't use pieces. You can plan where those seams are going to be and make sure you are covering the bottom seams. :thumbsup:

PostPosted: Sun May 04, 2008 5:43 pm
by Toytaco2
Thanks for all the good insight. I think I'll just go with full sheets and the method Danny suggested. That was the original plan anyway. No need to start trying to cut corners now.