Silver Beatle - She's now with an old friend!

[aggie79]

That tile job looks awesome and I am going to use the PL premium idea for my road foamie. What are you grouting with? Standard stuff?

Thanks Mel.

I plan on using an epoxy grout. Although I've never used the stuff before, and have heard it is a little tough for a novice, I think the epoxy grout will be better for all of the bouncing around and should help the white color I'm using to keep from getting stains.

Take care,
Tom

[bobhenry]

I used the bathrom tub and tile caulk and it has held up for 3 years. No pops no cracks no seperations. Being "rubberized" it has some impact give. I have sat hot skillets on it and routinely have the propane cook top setting over it. I would suggest a halo of wood around the edge to minimize accidential damage. I laid mine out to work with full tiles and traced each one in the grid so the substrata looks like a checkerboard. I then placed a heavy bead forming a letter X corner to corner of each box to adhere each tile and then ran a heavy bead on each line. I started setting in the corner and squished each one into position. I grouted with the back of a small spoon so the "grout" was about an 1/8 " below the face of the tile. I then took a little soapy water to run the joints and clean the excess off of the face of the tiles. Still looks great after 30 - 40 outings.

[jss06]

Great choice on the tile It really does pull the tear together.

[aggie79]

I used the bathrom tub and tile caulk and it has held up for 3 years. No pops no cracks no seperations. Being "rubberized" it has some impact give. I have sat hot skillets on it and routinely have the propane cook top setting over it. I would suggest a halo of wood around the edge to minimize accidential damage. I laid mine out to work with full tiles and traced each one in the grid so the substrata looks like a checkerboard. I then placed a heavy bead forming a letter X corner to corner of each box to adhere each tile and then ran a heavy bead on each line. I started setting in the corner and squished each one into position. I grouted with the back of a small spoon so the "grout" was about an 1/8 " below the face of the tile. I then took a little soapy water to run the joints and clean the excess off of the face of the tiles. Still looks great after 30 - 40 outings.

Bob,

Tub and tile caulk was my first preference, and I think it will work better than the epoxy grout. But...the tile I'm using is 1" square with 1/8" joints, and I don't have the patience to deal with the tub and tile caulk on all of those little grout joints. I have done grouting before - on 12" floor ceramic tile - and have a rubber float and margin trowel. I'm thinking - but could be wrong - that the epoxy grout on the mosaic tile may be less work.

Take care,
Tom

[bobhenry]

and 4" tile is 16 times less work !

Seriously the tub and tile stuff can become a pretty sticky mess if you can't get right at it , so maybe your path is the right one for the tiny tiles. I did our kitchen 12" tile floor with cementitious grout and clean up was ez but it doesn't take kindly to flex and I had a few loose tiles I have had to repair with adhesive type grouts. I hope your substrata is fairly substantial to eliminate the flex and absorb most of the road shock.

However you do it tile is a great choice !

[atahoekid]

That tile job looks awesome and I am going to use the PL premium idea for my road foamie. What are you grouting with? Standard stuff?

Thanks Mel.

I plan on using an epoxy grout. Although I've never used the stuff before, and have heard it is a little tough for a novice, I think the epoxy grout will be better for all of the bouncing around and should help the white color I'm using to keep from getting stains.

Take care,
Tom

I think I will look into epoxy grout. I think as long as the "grout" gives a bit and as Bob Henry recommends I have a fairly stiff substrate I should be OK. I was a bit worried about using tiles on the counter but empirical evidence proves it can be done.

[aggie79]

I've been working on my interior cabinets on and off the past few days.

The plan was for the TV to "fold down" and fit into a drawer. After a lot of head scratching, I fabricated the drawer for the TV and cut down parts of the TV stand to use for the folding mechanism. Here's the finished TV drawer awaiting paint:



That was the last component of the footboard cabinet. Before I installed the cabinet in the teardrop I test fit everything on the bench. This is a picture of the bottom showing the speaker openings:



This is how it looks with the two face frames attached:



After everything was fitted together, I took the pieces apart. The main shelf sits on a cleat that I had previously installed:



Next I installed the shelf. (It had a slight bow, so I used the jack stand to take the bow out.)



Then, I installed the center console (for car radio and DVD player) and the two face frames:



Next up is to paint the parts of the cleat that will be exposed and to pre-wire everything. Then I can install the cabinet bottom panel, and doors and drawer.

Thanks for looking,
Tom

[Breezy13]

All I can say is wow, you've got a killer TD! After this is done you're going to have a lot of extra time on your hands.

Breezy

[DMcCam]

Beautiful Tom!!! It looks like your cabinets will give you plenty of valuable storage. I'm lovin' the contrast! It looks like your TV drawer pulls out then the TV swings up? Nice and neat design my friend. You're doing such a great job...hall of fame here we come!!!

All the best,

Dave

[campmaster-k]

Great job Tom I always look forward to your updates.

[Fishingtomatoseed]

I like the detail. How does the foam square tiles for the floor feel. Lookin good.

[kinto]

looking great tom!

and that foam floor is a really nice idea... i might hafta return the vinyl flooring i bought and look into that...

kent

[S. Heisley]

...Impressive. This is gonna be a WOWser of a teardrop!

[Danny]

Most impressive!!! Outstanding Tom..

[Oldragbaggers]

I just finished reading your entire build thread, and the word "impressive" doesn't begin to express it.
You are a true craftsman, and have great creativity. What a beautiful teardrop. I hope I get a chance to see it for real sometime.
Thanks for taking the time to do all this documentation so that we can all learn and be inspired by it.
Becky