Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

I have a small gap where the wall sets on the floor (we're not building a watch here) that I think needs to be filled in well so that water running down the side of the tear doesn't infiltrate that area. I am going to be coating with epoxy and then painting and I was wondering what would be a good caulk to use to seal the seam that the epoxy will still stick to (no silicon).

I am sure there is some kind of latex window caulk or something, but I haven't used anything like that. I just seem to let my house go to hell while I work on the camper. If I don't change my ways my family will be living in the teardrop full time.

Ed

Ed,

Rub some Titebond III into that gap with your finger..............if it's more like a crack. If it's larger, rub some Gorilla Glue into it. (both are waterproof) Rub back and forth across the crack and each time you do, a little more glue from your puddle, or source, will be forced into the crack. Keep "feeding" the crack until you can't get it to accept any more glue. That's how cracks in musical instruments are glued.

EZ
Take some of your epoxy and mix it with a bought filler or some sifted sawdust, (you should have some) and fill with that. You can put it in a baggy or cloth bag and cut off the corner. That way you are sure to get a good bond.

If you don't have enough epoxy try some gorilla glue with some sawdust, just make sure one of the boards is wet.
Miriam

Miriam,

I have some talc left over to mix with the epoxy. I know that would work but I was looking for something a little easier, like in a caulk tube that I could force into the gap in one swipe. I never tried the baggie idea, that might be a good way to go.

I could probably use Titebond also as Chris suggested and mix some talc with it and use a baggie. That might work too but I think Titebond shrinks a little when curing whereas epoxy doesn't.

I have some Liquid Nails left over that might work too but that stuff has a tendancy to not stick unless I pushed it in with my finger. But I could.

Thanks for the ideas!!!

Ed

Chris C wrote:Ed,

Rub some Titebond III into that gap with your finger..............if it's more like a crack. If it's larger, rub some Gorilla Glue into it. (both are waterproof) Rub back and forth across the crack and each time you do, a little more glue from your puddle, or source, will be forced into the crack. Keep "feeding" the crack until you can't get it to accept any more glue. That's how cracks in musical instruments are glued.

Might work.. but be aware that gorilla glue will stain your fingers!!!

Dee Bee

I just realized that I have not read in any post where someone recommended Hard As Nails. Is there a known problem with this product? I hope not because I have used it all over my build. I have used it to fill in holes. I haven't notice any shrinkage with the product in places where I have used on other home projects even as old as 3 years.

I used a bead of Hard As Nails to fill in gaps. If the gap was large, I filled it with an exterior caulking and then ran a bead of HAN over it for a hardened protective coat.

Just my 2 cents.

Todah

Dee Bee wrote:

Chris C wrote:Ed,

Rub some Titebond III into that gap with your finger..............if it's more like a crack. If it's larger, rub some Gorilla Glue into it. (both are waterproof) Rub back and forth across the crack and each time you do, a little more glue from your puddle, or source, will be forced into the crack. Keep "feeding" the crack until you can't get it to accept any more glue. That's how cracks in musical instruments are glued.

Might work.. but be aware that gorilla glue will stain your fingers!!!

Dee Bee

Believe me, I never even LOOK at a bottle of Gorilla Glue without wearing a pair of Nitrile gloves!

EZ,

I'd recommend using the thickened epoxy, make small batches and just work it into the crevasse with a small plastic putty knife, it is really EZ.

EZ,

Steve's idea is probably your best deal. It'll fill well and will be waterproof. And epoxy is the ONLY glue that will bond over a gap. Nothing else will even come close.

EZ
If you want to force it in, try making it a little thiner and get a plastic squeeze bottle. You can make more than one pass and it is stronger than a baggy ( you could also swipe the wife's icing bags if she has them but a squeeze bottle is cheaper and won't get you killed.
Miriam

I used thickened epoxy. I had a few gaps that were caused by my sandwich faces not being centered exactly. The core is firmly mounted with no gap but since the face didn't totally come down and meet it, I had up to 1/8in gaps to fill.

I used West Systems epoxy and their 407 low density filler. You can also use mircoballoons which hobby stores might have. You can add as much thickener as you want/need. The more thickener you add the easier it is to sand but it also makes the joint weaker.

How about Bondo

I've been using Bondo every day lately to fill nail holes and seams. It just doesn't seem like it would make the best filler for this. I want something I can squirt or squeeze in. I could try it but it has been 85 degrees for days and the Bondo goes bad in 10-15 minutes it seems.

Ed

bondo isnt waterproof. been in the autobody biz for a while now. dont use it if you want something waterproof. not only that, it absorbs moisture. if you want to use something like that, use 2 part glaze putty. its wateproof. use it on boats all the time. flexes pretty good too.

you might try some automotive seam sealer. 3m makes some thats water based and comes in either a squeez tube or one that goes in a caulking gun. works really good and easy to use. will wash off with water and fairly no toxic. once it dries, it seals good. we use it for sealing 1/4 panels, door skins etc. can also be painted after it dries. regards, j.d.

Ed, this might be overkill, but what about just using corner molding in reverse? Kind of like how MadJack uses aluminum angle to secure his sides to floor. That pine's not too expensive.

Trim is your FRIEND.