Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

I HAVE BEEN THINKING ABOUT SOMETHING FOR A BIT TODAY.

HARDWOOD PLYWOOD OAK ,BALTIC BIRCH ,CHERRY, NATURAL AND WHITE BIRCH IS ALL CONSTRUCTED WITH INTERIOR GLUE!!!!!!!!!!!

NOW FIR,YELLOW PINE, ARAUCA PLY,LUAN, AND OKUMI ARE EXTERIOR GLUE PLYWOOD. OK HERES WHERE I AM GOING. NO WAIT THERES ALSO MARINE PLY USUALLY FIR. IT MAKE SENSE TO ME THAT YOU SHOULD ONLY USE EXTERIOR GLUE PLYWOOD FOR ANYTHING THAT HAS A CHANCE TO EVEN SNIFF ANY WEATHER IE: SIDEWALLS, ROOF ETC....
AND THE DIFFERENCE OTHER THAN PRICE OF MARINE PLYWOOD AND AC FIR PLY IS A SOLID CORE. SO SHOULD YOU USE INTERIOR GLUE PLY FOR A WOODY I THINK NOT!!!!!!!! AT LEAST NOT FOR ME I AM GOING MARINE AB 3/4" FIR FOR SIDE WALLS MARINE AB 1/2" FIR FOR THE FLOOR AND 1/8"LUAN FOR THE ROOF NOW I DONT KNOW IF I AM RIGHT BUT THATS THE WAY I AM GOING.

JUST FOOD FOR THOUGHT YALL

Hey Chris,

After having some delam problems with Baltic Birch, I too am thinking about using Okume plywood for the sides on the next teardrop.

However you'll find that lots of people here think you don't need a plywood with a waterproof glue, if you finish your project right. And they'll point to teardrops built with mdf roofs back in the 1940 that are in perfect condition.

Use what you are comfortable with.



Mike...

P.S. No need to type in all caps. Besides being hard to read, it's considered shouting.

I understand the 40s trailers thing and we must also remember that the quality of materials ie lumber plywood was much better due to the fact that it was all old growth lumber and such. I am just puttin in my 2 cents like everybody else. I live in a 135 year old house the 2x4 s are clear douglas fir that would cost about 3.00 a lnft today it was rough lumber back then.

Chris, another option...I took 6mil Okume and laminated it to 1/2" ext. grade fir ply and on the interior, laminated up 1/8" birch. I wanted vertical grain light colored wood on the interior and horizontal grain dyed colonial red on the exterior. The Okume really finishes up nice for a woody but regardless of what ply you use, all the exposed edges will need to be sealed up completely. It was more time/labor intensive, but I saved some money and got the look I wanted.

The marine grade stuff can be hard to get out here, in fact last weekend, I went looking for some Okume...came back empty handed. I think they don't move a lot of it and with the economy what it is, don't want to be sitting on a load of high dollar ply. I was sort of surprised at what they didn't have. No Philippine mahogany boards either.

What you are planning on is workable. No problem, build what you are comfortable with and you'll be happiest. Doug

Doug,
I can get tons of the Okume from a place in Lancaster ,Pa They are Amish
and the price is 1/2" 26.00 4x8 and 3/4" 32.50 I think it is in millimeters though but you get the Idea.. I like your option of lams how did you do it?

I just laid it down on the garage floor, drizzled epoxy over it and flopped the Okume on top and weighted it. Turned it over, set it on a piece of styrofoam to protect the okume and did the same with the 1/8 interior material. Coated out the exterior with my dye and epoxy, finished the interior with dye and urethane. Cut the door, attached the sides. Something to remember...when you cut a door in this method...make sure you set them flat during the time it takes for you to get to finishing them up. If you leave them standing on an edge, leaning, they can cup on you...ask me how I know...lots of fun to straighten.

On the last woodie, it was 10' long, so I splined the 2 pieces of the ply core first, then laminated the exterior ply over the joint, leaving the matching joint in the Okume to be over the door, to help minimize the visible butt joint. That was the plan, but it's still pretty visible. I stink at scarfing ply, so didn't go that route. I also did the bulk of the epoxy finish while it was laying flat and only had to do like 1 final coat vertical.

I can't believe the prices you can get on the Okume...is it registered marine stuff? Doug

I am not sure about the regestered thing I will find out an let you know. I do however know it exterior grade.
Chris

If it's official...it will have a blue stamp on the back reading "Lloyds Registered type approved" in a bottom corner. Regardless of that, if it's an exterior grade, it'll be fine for your needs. Looking forward to seeing what you build. Don't forget....pics are required! Doug

doug hodder wrote:.when you cut a door in this method...make sure you set them flat during the time it takes for you to get to finishing them up. If you leave them standing on an edge, leaning, they can cup on you...ask me how I know...lots of fun to straighten.

I'll try not to sidetrack this thread too bad. Doug, does adding fiberglass on the outside keep a door from cupping? (Assuming that it dries in the flat condition.)

Mike...

Sorry Mike, can't answer that, I don't put cloth on the exterior on mine. Just the epoxy resin. I think my situation was that the ply on the core wasn't completely cured, higher moisture content and when left standing, leaning, it tended to cup as it dried out. That HD stuff that they turn so quickly sometimes isn't completely dry. Things get really dry in my shop as I heat with wood.

How I got it out was since I hadn't installed the interior birch yet, I cut the window, then ripped a bunch of kerfs across the door about 1/2" apart approx 3/8" deep. Supported the door and mixed up a big batch of thickened epoxy and worked it into all the kerfs, then when still wet, laminated the interior material and weighted it flat, let it cure really well. I had good luck with it, Grants door hinge pulled the rest of it out. Since then, when I cut the doors, I bring them into the house, set them on a couple of sticker boards, weight them and push them under the couch till I'm ready to finish them up. Just what I experienced, others may not have had this problem. Doug

My door frames made from wood purchased at Home Depot warped and shrank a little. Ron Dickey, who works at HD, told me they use swamp coolers to cool their stores. Newly purchased wood may have a high moisture content. To get the moisture content stabilized it might be a good idea to stack or sticker lumber from there on a flat surface for at least a few days in your shop.

doug hodder wrote: How I got it out was since I hadn't installed the interior birch yet, I cut the window, then ripped a bunch of kerfs across the door about 1/2" apart approx 3/8" deep. Supported the door and mixed up a big batch of thickened epoxy and worked it into all the kerfs, then when still wet, laminated the interior material and weighted it flat, let it cure really well.

Got ya. Thanks.

Mike...

Here in the Land of Ply - I used our very own High Quality Marine Grade Finnish Birch and no problems with it.

Classic Finn
Country of Finland

Classic Finn wrote:Here in the Land of Ply - I used our very own High Quality Marine Grade Finnish Birch and no problems with it.

Classic Finn
Country of Finland

Yea but...we got those good U.S.A logs that we send to "God Knows Where" where it is manufactured into "stuff" that is shipped back and we sell in orange colored stores!!!! Surely the Finnish home grown can't compete in quality or price with a global product such as our own!!!

Juneaudave wrote:

Classic Finn wrote:Here in the Land of Ply - I used our very own High Quality Marine Grade Finnish Birch and no problems with it.

Classic Finn
Country of Finland

Yea but...we got those good U.S.A logs that we send to "God Knows Where" where it is manufactured into "stuff" that is shipped back and we sell in orange colored stores!!!! Surely the Finnish home grown can't compete in quality or price with a global product such as our own!!!

Yeah and the Logs I see you have there are bigger than ever too.

I know for a fact that there has been a couple of Finnish Companies there in the USA that at least have made Plywood there. I dont know if there still is but my father serviced many of the machines many years ago.

But youve got a lot of other nice products for building teardrops and such that we dont have here

Dave and others that may be interested here is a link to the Ply I use. Go into the different sections to see. Wood Products in English.

http://w3.upm-kymmene.com/upm/internet/ ... menu,4,0,0

Dave when are ya going to open up the Bering Straits International Highway, I,ll deliver some high quality Finnish Ply myself.


Classic Finn