Applying canvas without wrinkles ....

[Lancie49]

Louella, what about some clear plastic tablecloth material from the fabric places over there ?
It's similar to the product used in the Rr windows on convertible ragtops.

Yep, still off topic, sorry, can Admin split this off to a new thread ?

Now, back to our regular scheduled program,

Applying canvas without wrinkles ....

[loaderman]

W2 , I also considered a sewn “sock” for over the foam ... You’d have to be Exact and still maybe just leave one end loose to allow for material stretch (unless you were really GOOD !!! ) ... like a big toaster cozy ... sorta’ ... Fitted properly , it would give the advantage of perfect seams , and would be very attractive/ pleasing to the eye ... appearing somewhere between tent and trailer ... all in the details ... No reason a foamie can’t look Cool ... I’m investigating some chrome trim from the auto parts store ... comes on a roll ,pretty inexpensive , just a little looks “trick” ... could protect the sides from careless car doors too ... “decorations”

More on this ... for a really lightweight Foamie , think about a tent attached to the foam , using tent-like window openings and screens, flaps etc. ... like Velcro on windows , waterproof flap above sewn into the “sock” ... things like that ... Bare minimum ... could even have a snap on , or Velcro interior sock ... with padding in all the right places, little pockets to hold your stuff ... you could even take it in and out later to wash it ... The foam merely giving the ”tent” it’s shape and providing insulation ... Simple but challenging ....

What about making the tent shape you want then lining it with Foam Paint it and it would be a perfect fit with straight seems. Or does the fabric stretch change as you paint it?

[GPW]

Lo, maybe ??? Just thinking it would be easy to apply a sewn unit over a rigid foam structure... then glue/paint it up solid ... Just an idea ...

Eagle ... Lexan , thin , light , bullet proof (not sure about frozen turkeys ) , a little pricy , but not that much for a window ... HD had it last time I looked ...

AARGH !!! ...OT again .. and the Capn’ yelled “prepare to come about !!!”

[josephhanson]

OK, after much reading, here's my plan. My trailer is 7' wide and 14' long. It is 5 1/2' tall. The trailer has a drop floor, so it is a "standy, hybrid", 1/8' plywood inside, 2" foam and framed with 2 x 2's. All will be covered with canvas. All except the canvas is done. I found a source for the canvas so I can apply the top with one continuous piece. I plan to roll the canvas, two ends toward the middle, then start at he the middle. I'll paint a section of trailer, unroll a section of canvas, paint the canvas, and repeat. I'm planning on stretching and temporarily nailing the canvas at the edges as I go. There is a good amount of experience and knowledge in this "foamy" group and I think I have read a lot of what has been written, so what kind of problem does this group see whith what I have planned ? Thanks for your time and information.

[GPW]

Joe , all sounds Good to me ..... you may want to cover the sides first so the roof seam will overlap in a nice way ... If you dampen the canvas slightly , it’ll stretch/smooth out better ...

... and please take some pictures for us ... we love the

[josephhanson]

GPW, I have pictures, but can't figure out how to send them. I looked in the FAQ's and couldn't find answers. Any hints?
Thanks

[GPW]

check this out ... viewtopic.php?p=914374#p914374

[josephhanson]

Thanks, I finally figured it out this past weekend. My BeeLine is in "picture" mode.

[starleen2]

If someone has upholstery experience, I wonder how much you would gain structural strength by 'tailoring' the canvas over the foam rather than bonding and shrinking it ?
Actually stitch the side-to-roof seams before applying whatever paint, glue, lagging, etc you're using....more work for sure, but worth it in the finished product ?
One could leave the stitches bare and varnish them to get the IXI pattern of the old doped wood-and-canvas wings.

The "sock" idea has its merits and can easily be done without having to be exact. However, it does take some planning. The advantage of the foamie structure is that allows the builder to "pin" the canvas to the structure to create a pattern, seam overlap and alignment notches. Many years in the upholstery business has taught me that fabric will stretch and can be shrunk - canvas included. A good example is a spare tire cover made of vinyl - if left on the tire for a length of time, it will mold itself to the shape of the tire and most wrinkles will disappear. Same thing with convertible tops.

The advantage of the "sock" is that the outer coating (TB II, Paint, Varnish, Resin,etc)is what waterproofs the canvass. For instance, take a sock that is on your foot. How does it holds it's shape? Is it glued - every square inch of your foot? Of course not - it is only the elastic collar. The shape is achieved by the sewing of "sock" pulled taught and secured around the bottom edges - rather than trying to glue the entire piece down. To get the wrinkles to disappear, spriz some water on the wrinkle, let it sit out in the sun, and the wrinkle will disappear - then apply your outer coating. If you used canvass that has been preshrunk - spritz the entire area and let it shrink to the shape of the teardrop.

one more edit - you can double stitch the seams to reinforce them. Back in the day before the used heat to seal a seam in vinyl - this was how it was done on convertible and vinyl tops. It can still be seen today in most automobile upholstery. makes for good strong seam

[GPW]

Those sewn seams sure would look Nice ... just like on a car top ...