Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

I cut some 2x4s to make a frame that will under the floor for reinforcement.
It will not be going on a trailer but will be a slide one or drop in unit.
The Lap joints that I made I cut on a old over head saw that had an unevern cutting board. So my joints now glued are rought gappy and uneven.
My question is this will not be seen normally what should I fill these joint in with? Galking, polyglue that foams, wood putty, plasic rap??
My conserns are more water getting in the joints or insects. I have heard some folks stalk about coating the total bottom with a substance too.

Ron D.

...MinWax(and others) make a 2 part epoxy wood putty/filler...kinda like bondo for wood. As far a coating the bottom, I have been using another MinWax product called "Clear Sheild" for years, on outside adirondak type furniture, it is a heavy duty UV protected polyurethane that I think is a wonderful product for any outside sealing applications, I am also using it on the underside of my tear.
madjack

Liquid nails...Just a suggestion..Allthough not a hi tech one...Was told once, if you have a large gap,do it in a couple of layers...letting it dry inbetween layers...and do your best to force it into the gaps as best you can..It's sandable,so you can paint,or use your coating...or whatever...Take care...vinoscooter..

madjack wrote:...MinWax(and others) make a 2 part epoxy wood putty/filler...kinda like bondo for wood. As far a coating the bottom, I have been using another MinWax product called "Clear Sheild" for years, on outside adirondak type furniture, it is a heavy duty UV protected polyurethane that I think is a wonderful product for any outside sealing applications, I am also using it on the underside of my tear.
madjack

Madjack
which one of these
http://www.minwax.com/products/woodmaint/index.cfm

Vinoscooter Ihave some liqid nail was putting it in cracks in my fasha board on my roof unfortunatly it rained before it dryed and washed away! I have not given up on it yet. sounds like the stuff Madjack drys faster. But thanks for the info I will use know more about it now.

...Ron, the one on the lower right...the high performance wood filler, I have used it a goodly bit over the years and find it to be an excellent product
madjack

madjack wrote:...Ron, the one on the lower right...the high performance wood filler

Madjack, a genuine (and polite) question for you: do you know this is epoxy-based? The Minwax web site doesn't say, but if it's sandable in 30 minutes, I would expect an epoxy to have a working time of less than about 1 minute.

We have several 'high performance wood fillers' on sale here and they are definitely polyester filler with some pigment in - coloured Bondo, in other words. I find around my house that regular Bondo is a good, durable wood filler, and maybe a quarter the price of the 'wood' product.

If it smells of solvents when you open the tin and the hardener is a small volume compared to the resin/filler, I'd be thinking it's polyester.

Andrew

I had mentioned this filler before and just took for granted that it was epoxy, but after thinking about it, you may be right that it's polyester. It does only have a working time of about 3-5 minutes depending on how hot you mix it.

If you're just going to paint over the gap, then you could use regular bondo. The Minwax stuff is good because it is a little softer when fully cured so it's easier to work and it cures much quicker. But Bondo has a window of time where you can shape it pretty easily. But remember that neither of these products are structural. Both are made to use in small gaps or as a skim coat.

...Angib, my appoligies to you (and others), my use of the word epoxy came from a late nite posting after a hard day and the crossed wires in my brain that mistakenly equated "2 part" and "epoxy" at the same time that I was typing.
madjack

Something that can be used is wood flour and epoxy. Very solid and can be structural. Can be a tad heavy if you're concerned about weight.

Since the gaps in question will not be seen and are not really a structual concern, a good gap filler can be made by mixing yellow wood glue with sawdust. Mix the two to get a nice paste-like consistancy and force this mixture into your gaps with a putty knife. After it dries, it can be sanded smooth. Cheap and easy.