Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

I plunge cut my roof ledges today... A technique I picked up from Steve Frederick. They will allow me to install my interior ceiling skin from the exterior and use the cutoff piece for filler material between the roof spars.


Made a template that is anchored to the two layers of 3/4" framing, which is clamped to the master template.


After one pass with the router, I checked to maker sure that I was going to end up with 1 1/2" on the cutoff piece.


Each wall will require six passes with the router, taking an 1/8" at a time...
Kinda makes you feel like a human CNC machine.


Four passes down, two more to go and the first wall will have the roof ledge.


"Houston, We have lift-off... Lift-off of the roof ledge spar filler."


Now that the roof ledges are cut for both walls, there's just one more tricky opperation prior to cutting in the studs...
I gotta disassemble each plate, glue them and reassemble them back in the exact location... that's gonna be a challenge.

Pamplin or bust...

Steve,
No broken roto-zips... I vacuumed out the groove after each pass.

Dean,

Nice job on cutting the ledges. But I have just two questions...

1) What's that board with all the wheels? Did you make that special just for this project?

2) Are those sidewalls as heavy as I think they look?

Mike...

WOW, actual pictures of your build. Looks good Dean. I better get goin' before you pass me. Now if I could just get these two houses remodeled and sold before I buy the next I might get something done.

Looks like the build table is more complicated and expensive than the teardrop will be!!!

Looking good there, Dean!!

Looks like the table is a modified car rotisserie. Nice build pics, looking good.

mikeschn wrote:1) What's that board with all the wheels? Did you make that special just for this project?

2) Are those sidewalls as heavy as I think they look?

1 I'll bet that table of casters is for the glass work.

2 Of course they are, that's why the frame is so beefy.

asianflava wrote:

mikeschn wrote:1) What's that board with all the wheels? Did you make that special just for this project?

2) Are those sidewalls as heavy as I think they look?

1 I'll bet that table of casters is for the glass work.

2 Of course they are, that's why the frame is so beefy.

Of course those casters are for his glass work. And naturally, that's why he's building the teardrop like a tank. He doesn't want the body to flex and break his windows. Either that, or he's been reading the widow maker thread too much!

Mike...

Since Dean is in the glass business, it probably was a natural, comfortable surface for him. Then again, he may be practicing his snowboard technique.

WOW! Very impressive, Dean. Looks great.

...way to go Dean...this proves you can follow directions .......................................

Very nice Dean. I really like the pics...keep 'em coming.

I don't think my walls are going to be heavy. They will be comprised of 1/8" skins on each side of the 1 1/2" framing. There will also be 1/4" of bead and cove stripping applied to the exterior skin.
I wanted to go with 1 1/2" insulation, not so much for the insulation, but to give me a thicker wall. I don't want protruding door stops, so the door will probably only have 3/4" insulation, but that should still give me the depth I need on the door to build the sash I have in mind.
If it ends up being heavy by other peoples standards... That's fine by me.
That profile you're seeing in the pics is just the master template.
Yes, the table was built just for this project...
I'm kidding... The table is used for fabrication of resin poured specialty laminated glass.
Stuff like this....


A pigment was added to the resin, to make it translucent
Copper grids were captured in between both layers of glass.
The piece is border lit with blue LED light.
(I'm toying with the idea of doing some edge lit sand carved glass on the interior of the cabin)

Dean in Eureka, CA wrote:I plunge cut my roof ledges today... A technique I picked up from Steve Frederick. They will allow me to install my interior ceiling skin from the exterior and use the cutoff piece for filler material between the roof spars.


Made a template that is anchored to the two layers of 3/4" framing, which is clamped to the master template.


After one pass with the router, I checked to maker sure that I was going to end up with 1 1/2" on the cutoff piece.


Each wall will require six passes with the router, taking an 1/8" at a time...
Kinda makes you feel like a human CNC machine.


Four passes down, two more to go and the first wall will have the roof ledge.


"Houston, We have lift-off... Lift-off of the roof ledge spar filler."


Now that the roof ledges are cut for both walls, there's just one more tricky opperation prior to cutting in the studs...
I gotta disassemble each plate, glue them and reassemble them back in the exact location... that's gonna be a challenge.

Pamplin or bust...

Steve,
No broken roto-zips... I vacuumed out the groove after each pass.

Look's like the phone call worked!!..Exactly like I explained it!! Ya done good!

Hey! How about a drawing of that tilting bench??? Please!!

Dean, that looks fantastic! I am really looking forward to getting to that stage myself, and with Steve's book in hand, I am hoping it will go as smooth as you make it look!

Amy

Steve,
Didn't build the tilt table from plans or a drawing, just built it...
Figured out the tilting/locking part at the hardware store, looking at different parts and what not...
I can take a few shots of it... It's a pretty simple deal.
There is a spring loaded foot bar that you step on to disengage the lock postion. There's several different positions it can be locked at.
My batteries went dead yesterday, next time I go to the store... I'll pick up some more batteries and get you some pics.

Amy,
It is easy... It's scrounging the free time to work on it that's difficult.