Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

Well I am a month into my rebuild of my '46 or '47 Kitt! I am about to start building the walls and attaching them to the floor.

My question is:

"What is the consensus on nails versus screws for the rebuild?"

On the demo I realized that the parts of the Kitt that were nailed were alot harder to demo than the parts that were screwed down. Most of the screws had already broken loose from the wood, but the nails held fast! I suspect nails were used in the original and it looks like the screws were added later to stabilize things.

Any suggestions?

Thanks,

I would say Screws, but with what your finding, conventional wisdom is out the door,

Mike

They don't make nails like they used to.

Use fasteners to hold work pieces in place while modern adhesives cure, and if you want screws that will last, use silicon bronze boat screws.

SA
George at Teardrop parts has aluminum drive screws that replace the ones I found on my 47. They have a spiral shank and look like rivets when tapped in. But.... be sure to pre-drill each hole first if you use them. They can go in at an angle if not pre-drilled and break thru the ply on the inside. I love the look, and they seem to hold well. Just like all spiral shank nails, they resist coming loose.
Here is a link
http://teardropparts.com/sub-pages/teardrop-moldings.htm

Steve_Cox wrote:) Use fasteners to hold work pieces in place while modern adhesives cure...

On most things I build with wood, glue does the main work of holding things together, with nails and brads or staples mainly hold things in place while the glue dries.

I do like using screws where I need to pull two surfaces together for a tight glue joint.

CD

I believe using both is a good strategy.

Screws have great holding power, but are brittle and can break.
Nails have the ability to bend under stress, continuing to hold the pieces when a screw fails.

Rob

48Rob wrote:I believe using both is a good strategy.

Screws have great holding power, but are brittle and can break.
Nails have the ability to bend under stress, continuing to hold the pieces when a screw fails.

Rob

I'll beg to differ -when Most screw failures happen , it's usually pulled out of the wood with the wood suffering most of the damage. True - there are some screw failures that are the result from shear loads applied to them for which they were not designed for. Drywall screws are a prefect example - they even say that on the box. However, the nail joint failures that I've seen happen with the full nail being pulled out of the second board intact! remember that nails hold by friction, screws hold by mechanical force. I'd use a screw over a nail when needed, but tend to reserve the nail for paneling and the such.

It sure is appreciated! What I'm getting is that there is a place for both screws and nails.

I will be using Gorilla Glue on the wood surfaces and then pulling together with some screws and using some aluminum drive screws. They worked pretty good from 1947

Thanks,

(more questions to come.......)

P.S. Does anyone know how to move an album pic to my avatar???

I use screws for long lasting strength, like holding walls to floor. I use nails/brads to hold things in place while the glue dries..... it isn't one or the other... be selective.

Glues have come a long way in 60 years. Glue and screw, but the screws shouldn’t take any load as the adhesive should be taking all of it. If there is no glue, screws can, over time, work loose, which is also your observation. I will say I’m a bit surprised that the nails don’t also work loose, because I’ve seen that as well. Glue rocks!

SATEAR wrote:Well I am a month into my rebuild of my '46 or '47 Kitt! I am about to start building the walls and attaching them to the floor.

My question is:

"What is the consensus on nails versus screws for the rebuild?"

On the demo I realized that the parts of the Kitt that were nailed were alot harder to demo than the parts that were screwed down. Most of the screws had already broken loose from the wood, but the nails held fast! I suspect nails were used in the original and it looks like the screws were added later to stabilize things.
Any suggestions?

Thanks,

If this is true then the screws could have been put in wood that was already failing.

I used deck screws to put the sides on and stainless for the 1/8" top. Small brads held the trim until the epoxy dried.

Not to be a trouble maker....but I use screws and epoxy...when the epoxy cures, back out the screw and use them on another portion or project. Sometimes I will leave a couple in place, but for the most part, they all come out. The glue does the work. Epoxy with the correct additives can be tapped if needed.

I've also used brads to hold a piece in place while it cures, but also have gotten away with just masking tape...GASP!!!....but it's worked for me. Only in situations when I can't at least get a clamp on it.

My 49 Kit had lots of spiral nails in it, and while they did loosen over time...it was like 30 years when I got it, so they worked. For the final trim...I'd still do the screws if'n it were me. Just my experience and opinion. Doug

I know this is supposed to be about screws/nails, but I have to comment on Gorilla glue. Everything objective/scientific I've read suggests that Gorilla glue is not the way to go. I think Fine Woodworking may have an in-depth article on assorted glues. Maybe it was Consumer Reports? Either way, the report railed on Gorilla Glue.

If I had the time, money, and inclination, I'd go with epoxy, otherwise, it seems like Titebond III is a perpetual favorite...with screws, of course.

-Brian

I agree with what Doug said about epoxy. The roof of both my tear drop and the gypsy trailer were put on without screws, nails or staples, just thickened epoxy. Every rotten plywood decked boat I had the task of repairing had always failed at the screw holes or end grain of the plywood. So I preferred to have no holes in my trailer roof except for the ones that hold the RV vent fan in place. Those holes are bored to a size larger than the screws, filled with thickened epoxy then pilot holes for the screws are drilled into the cured epoxy, not the wood.