Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

Hey guys another dumb question here. I bought some 1/2'" plywood and plan on using it as the wall that seperates the kitchen to where my bed goes. AS imm doing the cutting i noticed the plywood is curved, How do i straighten it out? i placed some heavy items on it hopfefully it helps. any suggestions.

If it's big box ply, the moisture content is probably still pretty high on it as they turn stuff fast and it's usually not completely down on the moisture content. Watch...now that it's home and there is air on it, it'll dry out pretty quickly. If you aren't going to work with it for a while, sticker it and weight it so that it's flat. Unless it's cupped really badly, you'll be able to get it to work for you.

As a side bar....if you cut your doors out of the sides and then don't get to them for a while, lay them flat, I clamp the 2 together with a sticker between the 2 and push them under the couch. If you leave them leaning against the wall in a garage, they will for sure bow....ask me how I know! Just my experience with it. Others experience may vary. Doug

pheww yeah ive only had it for about a week and had it leaning against the wall. NOW that its cut out its laying on the floor the other piece is on the wall again but ill lay it down. by tmrw i promise i will have pictures up of my prgress up to now. i layed the floor down and i am working on the kitchen. SHOULD I DO THE KITCHEN FIRST? or should i cut out the walls first?


ohhh by the way. I THOUGHT i was working on the project my uncle didnt get to due to his life being taken away by a drunk driver. i found out from one of his partners that he worked patrol with that he bought this teardrop in commerce california 8 years agao. the funny thing is he bought it so his dogs would have a dog house..... man he loved his dogs. well anyway they asked my about the trailer cuz they wanted to buy it, when i told them i was fixing it up they got excited and want to see pictures. man i cant wait to finish this. i hope this project comes out good.

TD_Dodger wrote:pheww yeah ive only had it for about a week and had it leaning against the wall. NOW that its cut out its laying on the floor the other piece is on the wall again but ill lay it down. by tmrw i promise i will have pictures up of my prgress up to now. i layed the floor down and i am working on the kitchen. SHOULD I DO THE KITCHEN FIRST? or should i cut out the walls first?


ohhh by the way. I THOUGHT i was working on the project my uncle didnt get to due to his life being taken away by a drunk driver. i found out from one of his partners that he worked patrol with that he bought this teardrop in commerce california 8 years agao. the funny thing is he bought it so his dogs would have a dog house..... man he loved his dogs. well anyway they asked my about the trailer cuz they wanted to buy it, when i told them i was fixing it up they got excited and want to see pictures. man i cant wait to finish this. i hope this project comes out good.

Sorry to hear about your uncle. Patience and it will be fine. Just take it nice and slow and ask plenty of questions and it will be something that you can be proud of for years to come.

BTW, you can do it either way and there have been folks that were successful with both approaches.

OK Doug you mentioned Stickering them twice in your answer. What do you mean by that, just curios as I've not heard the term before. I don't think.

Stickers are the thin strips of wood in between the boards or sheets...



Mike...

Also if you are laying them flat on the floor and that floor happens to be concrete, I would also sticker them between the floor and the concrete. You would be amazed how much moisture concrete can transfer to the wood.

I have tried several methods and have found the best solution to be is to buy high quality ply. Baltic birch if available in your area is the best ply I have ever used. But you have what you have so remember that breaking down the sheets into smaller parts will make the bows less severe and a little easier to work with. The first thing to do is arrange the bowed panels the right way. Try to arrange the bows so they oppose each other. If the bows face out (depending on “good” face of plywood), the clamps will pull the pieces flat. Try placing one sticker in the middle of the opposing pieces and clamp the ends. If the bows needs additional pull or is extreme it has taken ti much mosture on one side or it has sat leaning as Doug said. If pieces are cut from a full sheet as I mentioed they will be less severe and less noticeable once you begin to glue and screw clamp to pull them together. Another method and be careful with big pieces, is to places the cut pieces on a lawn in the sun. Now with that said practice with a scrap piece, place it on the lawn in the sun check it in say 1/2 hr. see which way is has curled place your cut pieces on the lawn using the exact time and postion noting the way the sample curled. I will absorb moisture from the lawn and curl quickly. Place the pieces together cups opposing and clamp together and place in your house in a dry location as was said under the sofa. Give them a few days and viola. Practice with the later method as it will happen and can pull the other direction fast.
Dave