L'Escargot

[Steven.Cox]

After lurking here for about a year, I finally started my build. Not knowing quite where I was going, I had to decide on a few parameters.

1. I wanted to keep it on a 4x8.
2. I wanted the walls to be a single 4x8.
3. I wanted to be able to use a standard HF trailer.

I wish I could give you CAD drawings, or explain how I determined the best profile mathematically through a combination of calculus and physics. Instead, I am going to tell you the truth...

I cut two flexible 96x1x 1/8 pieces of ply, stuck them together and put them on edge. I moved them around until the profile felt right, stood around with my neighbor and my dog Abbie, stared at it for awhile and had a beer.

Abbie checking the positioning

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Laying out template

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When I was satisfied with the shape, I spray painted it to leave a line that I am going to cut in the morning. I did this all on 1/4 masonite, which I am going to use as a template. I wanted to cut it tonight, but it is late and I don't want my other neighbors showing up with pitchforks and torches.

Template ready to be cut out

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[bonnie]

Welcome. Nice profile. Abbie is a cutie. Let the sawdust fly!

[Junkboy999]

Yep

Three head are better then one, and a few bears never hurt any one.

Welcome

Terry
Junkboy999

[campmaster-k]

Welcome Steve. Keep the pics coming. The activity in here from west coast my be a little shy for the next few days due to IRG fever. Build on.

[campmaster-k]

By the way you are infected now and there is no cure. You will forever be a tear dropper. The people on this forum are the only people that will understand.

[droid_ca]

Can't wait to see more of this at first I thought it was going to be the small boat called the Escargot. Welcome to the forum your four legged assistant is cute

[CHUNKYMONKEY]

I love the way you did your profile! It looks great. I took a similar (make the most out of the material) approach.

Don't finish yours before I do, I started back in March.

[Forrest747]

It is very important to have good quailty inspectors on any project.

[S. Heisley]

You can do all the calculations you want to; but, if it doesn't look good, you won't be happy. It looks like you figured out a nice profile.

Abby has a nice smile. She must have been enjoying that beer with you and your neighbor. Just one beer between the three of you?

[Steve_Cox]

Hi Steven,

For some reason I was strangely drawn to this thread. Looking forward to more photos and details of your build.

[2bits]

Hi Steven,

For some reason I was strangely drawn to this thread. Looking forward to more photos and details of your build.

Yes, I think it was a Steve thing!!!

I love the way you did your profile, There is nothing wrong with calculating things out and doing measurements, and graphs and stuff if you are into geometry and you enjoy that sort of thing, but I am going to do something similar, I want a pointy rear with enough space to put my AC in the wall halfway back, those two criteria will determine the profile, and will be accomplish in similar fashion, i.e. of my own creation

Keep it up and we'll be watching the progress!!!

[Steven.Cox]

Already, building a teardrop is more like a journey than it is a project. Last night, after I finished my profile, I had second thoughts. I started looking at other profiles and started thinking something was wrong. I was wondering if I had made all the right decisions. What was I going to regret? Then it clicked, the problem was not the profile...

So, this morning when I looked again at my profile, it just fit. No more looking back, I am cutting wood.

I like clean lines, clean cuts, sharp tools and things that fit. Having said that, using a jigsaw really was not the best choice. Right now I am questioning why I even own a jigsaw as I really do despise them. For all of my efforts with a jigsaw this was my reward.

Cut made with jigsaw.

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I tried to smooth things out using rasps, block sanders and electric sanders. It became clear that I was on the wrong path. So, at the risk of sounding compulsive, I found a little more elaborate solution for my profile template.

I cut a 3/16" x 3/4" strip of oak that was about 12' long. I glued it edgewise on the template, leaving a little of the edge of the masonite hanging out. I then used a formica bit in my router to do a quick flush cut.

Setup for router cut.

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And here is what the edge looks like now.

Finished edge cut with router and formica bit.

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I did not let the glue dry completely so when I was finished, I pulled the oak strip off leaving only the masonite for my final template.

This, I can live with.

[Steven.Cox]

So, now I have moved on and am beginning to work on the actual walls. I am going to use 1/8" ply with 1/2" foam in between. I started by tracing the profile onto one piece of ply.

Trace profile onto 1/8" skin.

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Next I am working on the support that will be inside of the walls. I was not able to finish the outer frame yet because the neighbors are already interested in what I am doing and they came by one at a time to talk to me about it.

Wall interior.

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My goal is to have the walls finished by Friday. My wife is gone until Friday and I am on vacation right now, so I want to get as much completed as I can. For tonight, this was all I was able to complete. The picture is not that great because it got dark. PE and DE stands for Passenger-side External skin and Driver-side External skin. They are laid out in a mirror pattern on the ground to help me work faster and reduce error.

Interior view of both walls.

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When I am finished with the walls, I will use the template and my router to cut the final shape of the profile on each of them.

[Steven.Cox]

I love the way you did your profile! It looks great. I took a similar (make the most out of the material) approach.

Don't finish yours before I do, I started back in March.

I am going to try to get this framed up as fast as I can right now because I will slow down quite a bit when vacation is over.

[Steven.Cox]

It is very important to have good quailty inspectors on any project.

You look like you have specialists working with you. I really like the frame inspector.