Outer skins

[Gizzmo]

[quote="GPW"]“Inner reinforcing strips “ ... What inner reinforcing strips ?

Hey GPW tHats funny my point exactly mayBe I'm slow but how does one bend a curve without the reinforcing strips ??????

[Mary C]

Jim, I bent my with using lots of weight and glue and using push boards and clamps and tie downs.

Mary C.

[KCStudly]

I'm not aware of anyone ever trying to preform and skin a curved foamie roof prior to installation, and I've been around here and read all of the foamie posts since before there was a foamie section. My memory is not as good as it could be, tho.

Bending the foam and attaching it, then sealing it with canvas or the chip board, yes; but forming it and covering it first, no.

I don't think it would be worth the risk of having the unit warp due to shrinkage while drying. There are plenty of examples of people building traditional hatches where things didn't work out when it was time to fit it back on the camper.

Not saying it can't be done, just that it might be more effort and material needed than to use one of the other methods that I have mentioned above.

[GPW]

What KC said ^ !!! Just consider this , the outer skin is probably the most important part of the foamie’ trailer , save the foam itself .... the skin forms the ‘sock’ that holds everything together and protects the foam structure from the elements ... Otherwise you’d just have a big bare foam cooler on wheels ...
This protective skin is all carefully fitted to the finished foam structure , to allow Maximum strength and protection of the edges, overlapped skin seams plus an added reinforcing strip layer , gives Three layers of canvas protection on all the edges .. all very Strong , very secure... Very well tested...

For all the things foamlings' haven’t done yet .... there is so much More that we have done , and all quite successfully too ...

[Gizzmo]

Hey just got done running a couple experiments with Styrofoam and cardboard i found using a wire brush to rough it up really made the glue stick can't rip it off without delaminating the cardboard. Worked much better than sanding, or perferateing with a million little nail holes. Easy to do and fast you need to tilt the brush to the side a bit. I ran it in both directions with a little practice very fast

[Gizzmo]

GPW I sent you a PM

[GPW]

Gizz, didn’t get it ... Maybe try again ..

[Mary C]

When coated (painted ) with Gripper and just after the first coat dries. You will notice it is thick and will fill in the holes in the canvas. with a little work sanding and another coat you can fill in the rest of the holes and areas will begin to look solid with a final coat of paint you can get the exterior semi-gloss and put on a couple of coats and you have a finish similar to auto paint. But it will take a lot of sanding between coats. One of the things I did was to check the canvas and make sure that all the little marks and divots and rough places were filled with vinyl spackling and sanded even. What I didn't realize was how thick the Gripper was and how it filled in so much. I was surprised and Happy!!

Mary C.

[Gizzmo]

Hey Mary
So if I have this right you got
Foam
Tb2
Canvas
Gripper x3 with sanding and spackle in between
In that order
Is that correct

Did you rough up the foam?


GPW
what thickness was that chipboard that you used? ( I looked up the .120 but the actual thickness was only .040 ) is that the stuff you used on FS? The actual 1/8 chipboard only looks to come in packs of ten for around 70 $ hope that is not to confusing.

I intend to start my TD in the spring as soon as it warms up (right now it is -20 with wind ) it is a good thing that I started now as I have a whole note book full of notes

[Mary C]

I had 2" walls and laid the roof foam on top of the two inch foam The walls were curved and I pulled a strap along the wall edge after I glued one layer of 1/2 inch foam on the walls it was a lot of fun I had no one to help and I used wood Skewers to hold them barely on the side till I got the strap on and down tight. Then I applied glue TBII all over and the roof and added another piece of 1/2 inch foam. with 100% moisture in the air it took forever to dry. then I used some vinyl spackling to fill any holes I also used some great stuff to fill some gaps that were just there. where the glue didn't stick so well. Then I put canvas on the walls with lots of TBII. then I painted it with the Glidden Gripper and sanded filled any areas that were different in height around the canvas seams and paint with gripper again. Sand, I use a palm sander with 120 sand paper and used 6 sheets of paper to get it really smooth. this is again up to you how much you want to sand and how much you want it to be smooth. the final coat is your finish coat and use exterior grade paint with a simi gloss. Exterior simigloss will harden really well and it is a house paint and becomes very durable remember a house is subjected to weather and usually needs repainting every 10 to 15 years and sometimes 20 years depends on the severity of weather and the type of paint used. If you want it really shinny you can top it off with a marine grade $$$$$$$$$expensive outdoor poly varnish. You could also use it on top of the gripper to get shine and eliminate the exterior paint. I just know that I was very worried after I put on the canvas and it didn't look all that great but one coat of gripper and my whole view changed after it really dried and I started sanding WOW! what a difference it made.

on the thinner foam there is a plastic sheet on the foam I took it off and just glued I didn't rough it up.

Mary C.

[GPW]

Gizz, whatever they said , the chipboard delivered was actually ~1/8” thick (~.120” ) ... Plenty strong enough for my needs... The other was the thin (poster board thickness) chipboard for the inside , which worked out well too ... 10 sheets for $70.00 sounds about right ...the local Art store wanted to charge me $12.00 a sheet for the thick stuff ..

[Gizzmo]

Mary
2 things
I did not think that you could sandwich two pieces of foam together with tb2 because the water could not evaporate apparently that is not the case?

What is gripper ? I know that I read it somewhere before but can't think of it right now

GPW
I noticed that you put the cardboard on the inside I intend to put it on the outside to make it more impervious to bears LOL : and road rash

[GPW]

Gizz, Maybe a little chipboard in strategic places , but you don’t need to cover the whole thing ... It is Heavy (not that heavy but still )

[Mary C]

yes you can glue two pieces of foam together, It just takes longer to dry my advice is two weeks if the weather is dry (humidity below 50%) otherwise 4 weeks. BUT.....the edges will dry and the foam will set into the curve I tried two 1/2 pieces together glued them together and bent them when they dried they held the curve. So it can be done just takes longer to dry.

Glidden Gripper is a base paint made by Glidden . You may have to look around for it I got my two gallons at Home Depot. Use the first coat to work into the fibers and fill the "squares of the canvas". It is very thick. I did use a roller to paint with. I rolled two gallons on my first coat. Don't get in a hurry to sand, let it get very dry. I would let it dry for at least two weeks, so the paint will cure. Otherwise the sandpaper will just goo up and clog.

You mentioned putting cardboard on the outside. I am not sure how that would work. the Canvas glued on top of the foam really hardens. the cardboard though you think it will make it impervious to bears and road rash Maybe, but canvas on top of foam has some unique self repairing qualities, with heat and to cover marks use paint. I am thinking that if you put a layer of cardboard you would loose the Self repairing qualities and heat repair. I am not sure that with the hardness of the glued canvas, cardboard would offer any more bear proofing, I think it would just be more work. I would also be concerned that if the cardboard got wet it will swell and it wont go back into its original shape. Just saying.

Mary C.

[DJT]

Does anyone know where to get Gripper in Canada? HD here carries Glidden, just not the Gripper?