Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

I'm ready to put my secound layer of 1/8" ply on my top and I can't decide what would be the best glue. Cantact cement, Henrys, titebond, ?. Any tips or suggetions would be appreciated. Bob

I don't know if it was the best glue for the job but I used the polyurethane caulk.

Bob, are you using the 1/8" as the final top? I was going to use aluminum to top off mine but I've gotten so many comments about the wood sides that I want to use wood to finish it off.

My outside will be aluminum that I planned on using the exterior carpet glue to put on, but I talked to someone this weekend that builds RVs and he thought I should use polyurethane or even urethane for the aluminum, any thoughts on that. Bob

Bob--for the aluminum, the best praise I've heard sung here is for this brand of carpet adhesive. I think it's called Henry's. And I would go Titebond to laminate the two sheets of wood--and a LOT of it:

The last thing you want is for those pieces to start peeling apart after you've attached your aluminum.

I use titebond and apply it heavily as I can't get super contact between the sheets... I'm hoping heavier coats of ashesive will help fill the gaps...

But, I'm assuming a heavily applied tube construction adhesive might be even better because you can put it on in beads......

I'm going to experiment when I'm done by using that foam insulation to fill the voids, but first I'm going to see how much it pushes the pieces apart when it expands..... I'll put 2 pieces of ply on my bench with a 1/8th inch gap and appy the foam through a hole in the top piece and see if if just expands in the easiest direction, sideways, or if it pushes the pieces apart with a lot of force.

I ended up using Titebond II when I put the second layer of ply on the hatch. It works fine but, I think I like using the polyurethane caulk better. The Titebond kicks off fast, it skins over faster than the poly plus it takes a lot longer to cure. Since the poly is thicker, it fills gaps better.

I was able to run a a bead down one end of a curve. Then after sitting clamped up for a couple hours, I could remove the clamps and continue wit the rest of the sheet. I had to let the Titebond sit all night.

I still don't know if it is the best glue for the job but it worked for me. I also hate having to clean my hands after using the polyurethane.

I used 2 layers of 1/8" plywood glued together with West System epoxy and
covered with aluminum glued with silicone sealant only on the edges.
The theory being to use a glue between the plywood that didn't need air to
dry and because wood and aluminum expand and contract at different rates they should not be glued over the entire surface.
Only a theory on my part.

Anyone use contact cement? That would have the advantage of being quick and not need any clamps, just a J roller. Any down side? Bob

My woody has the first layer of 1/8" glued and nailed down to the cross members, and the 2nd layer of 1/8" was glued down to it, and both times I used tubes of panel adhesive and/or liquid nails. It bridges any gaps that aren't tight and you have to tear it apart with a chisel. Squirt it on in long strips, and only fasten the edges covered with molding. I used a couple of ropes pulled tight from front to rear to hold it down while the glue dried up. It worked for me, and is still in place after 3 years.

Roly ~~