What wood for blocking between the spars?

[tony.latham]

I'm almost ready to start cutting out the blocking that will go between the roof spars.

I'm toying with picking up a sheet of 3/4" CDX plywood but am worried the stuff is too junky and perhaps split. The exterior roof skin will be 1/8" baltic birch attached to the spars and blocking using an air stapler and PL Premium. Perhaps I should just pick up some clear pine?

Any thoughts?

Thanks,

TL

[Gage]

What do you mean BLOCKING? Are you building a house or something?

[tony.latham]

What do you mean BLOCKING? Are you building a house or something?

Yeah, a little Teardrop of a house...

[Fyddler]

Most roof designs have spars going width wise along the length of the trailer, and no "blocks/spars/anything" running the length along the curve, if that's what I am hearing you saying. My trailer is 7.5' wide and my 1x2 (and some 2x2) spars are plenty strong.

[les45]

If you are talking about the edge blocks that help hold up the ceiling skin, I used the same 1X2 that my spars were made of. They are screwed into the top of the sidewalls between the spars. The ceiling panels fasten/glue to them along the edges at the walls. However, I didn't have to worry about curves on my weekender. I would think that a good grade of 3/4" plywood would be adequate for fastening your ceiling panels with glue and staples, especially if you will have some sort of interior trim piece to cover the joint. Most of the weight of the ceiling panel will be held up by the spars. You are not re-inventing the wheel here so I'm sure someone will come back with a good answer.

[tony.latham]

What wood did you use for your spar? I'm using poplar but the nearest box store with any of that is three hours away.

[les45]

What wood did you use for your spar? I'm using poplar but the nearest box store with any of that is three hours away.

I used #2 pine and it seems to be holding up well. My inner panels are 1/8" luan and the outer skin is 1/4" plywood.

[halfdome, Danny]

I use the same Popular that I use for spars for my, to the wall blocking, between spars.
All that is needed is enough wood to screw the trim on, which in my case is the aluminum RV insert molding.
Tightbond ll will work along with your fasteners.
I finish it off with a straight top bearing router bit to flush them to the exterior walls.
Danny

[tony.latham]

The more I think about it, pine will work fine. It's not structural.

Thanks for the help,

TL

[Irmo Atomics]

I used (3) 1/4" strips of pine glued and clamped to make a curved lamination along the side edges.

[planovet]

I used pine for my blocking, it works fine what what you need it for.

[tony.latham]

Pine it is.

Are those spars fir?

[aggie79]

In the "there is more than one way to skin a cat category" - pardon the cliche - I framed my roof like a galley using 1x2 poplar spars and 1-1/2" deep 3/4" plywood "ribs". The ribs fasten to the inner sidewall.

This is shows the ribs being fitted to the sidewalls:



Here the spars are being fitted to the ribs:



The roof framing is removed and on the workbench to get the interior 1/8" plywood and hull-liner installed.



Lastly, the roof assembly is reinstalled and glued and screwed in place.



Take care,
Tom

[planovet]

Pine it is.

Are those spars fir?

If you are asking about my spars, they are pine 2x4s that were ripped down to size.