FoamStream...

[GPW]

Dodge', after considering many possibilities , the CNC was the easiest for me to do, and luckily I have a good friend with a machine ... Had we chosen to buy the pre-bent “wagon ribs” , it would probably have been more expensive than renting the CNC ...and still not what we wanted ... The router and template method would work ... All what’s easiest for you to do ...
A Bowlus would be Nice !!! Not that difficult to do for someone with some fuselage experience ...

Norm, the nose will have an integral “shelf” built in to add some strength and “utility” to the nose ...
We’ll have to think some more about adding the extra ribs...the quarter sphere is still the only part that we’re still thinking about ... I could easily see a center rib , running from the roof peak to the nose center, establishing that shape .. and tying in the skeleton to the nose cage ... That sounds reasonable ...
Depending what kind and size of foam I can get , the nose (sphere) could be as much as 10” thick ... More likely half that ...

The nose floor support is working out just fine , everything fitting in place , and should be plenty strong enough with several attachment points along the front and inside too ...
OSB, that will be liberally treated with "the mix” (then painted ) on the inside and exposed edges , and of course all the bottom will get an application or two of the black nasty stuff... That should work OK.. The Foamie #1 after all this time is still in great shape ... no problems to report ...so I’m confident of this method ...
Having owned a commercial RV trailer , with an obviously untreated OSB floor on either top or bottom , we know for sure that won’t work ...

[GPW]

Here’s the floor piece fitted up and marked for cutting to shape ... supported by a block of black Limba , all attached to the HF clip and tongue .. with a secondary support (the 2X4) which will also be trimmed to size and treated ... again ...

[GPW]

Floor cut in the nose .... the 2X4 that sticks out on the side will be “blended" with the belt sander as to be less obtrusive ... now to glue , screw and bolt it all up ...

[GPW]

A little pre-trim with the handsaw helps with bulk wood removal ... the belt sander will smooth everything up ...

Getting HOT now ... Have to move inside ...

[GPW]

Not to be too OT , we’re working (still crude at this point ) on a PVC bending to heat bend PVC plumbing pipe to a specific shape (Hint: Archery) ... And it wouldn’t be unreasonable to be able to bend “Ribs” out of this stuff ... It’s pretty TOUGH , and really INEXPENSIVE ... a 10’ length of 3/4” PVC pipe is around 2 bucks ... certainly worth investigating as a rib material ... Many possibilities ... and with common fittings available , even more possibilities ...

[GPW]

Floor front screwed and glued ... Cage attached to that ...

And it’s now off to the store for more T2 ...

[kudzu]

It's all taking shape now. Great progress, GPW. And thanks for feeding the needs of the masses by supplying pics & explanations.

[GPW]

Not meaning to bore everyone with all this little detail stuff... just trying to show how easy it is ... using simple tools ... ( and a CNC machine )

Apologies for not going out and buying Another sheet of OSB , just so I could have a one piece front floor ... I’m just too Thrifty for that (read: cheap bas***d )

[Wobbly Wheels]

You'd better apologize for that, mister. It's not like you can build it the way you want to !!


In lieu of being able to make any real progress of my own at the moment, I'm enjoying watching your progress.

[wagondude]

Apologies for not going out and buying Another sheet of OSB , just so I could have a one piece front floor ... I’m just too Thrifty for that (read: cheap bas***d )

As one cheap bas***d to another, you better use all that wood. It aint like that stuff grows on trees. Oh, wait.....

[GPW]

Can’t burn the scraps anymore , that releases carbon ... Global Schwarming ‘ Have to bury the scraps ... or just use them eh ... Maybe make a nice OSB spice rack for the FS ... ?

[GPW]

Nothing going on today ... had to bring the wife to the airport for 08:00 , she flew into Philly (PHL) in the middle of all those Storms ... What an Idiot!!! All those many extra years of College did naught for common sense...
Then had to run (drive) from there to get the wife’s truck oil changed ... Now what normally takes 15 minutes at a “normal’ oil change place took 3 (THREE) hours at my friends place , sitting around listening him babble on about various subjects , swilling spring water , and listening to every Led Zeppelin song ever made ... in the HEAT ...
Then had to rush home to make sure I was here for the wife’s “cosmetic” deliveries (which have yet to come ... still waiting ) , meanwhile , I spotted a big black snake in the yard right next to my Studio door .. Checked it out ... round eyes , so not poisonous... but it’s still pretty BIG ... There go the toads ...
Went in for a little afternoon siesta ...get comfortable on the sofa with a cooking show on ... the phone rings ... it’s the wife telling me she made it ..

But nothings going on ....

Ps. Looking forward to getting back to trailer building .... just for the rest ...

[kudzu]

Sounds like you managed to keep yourself occupied while there was, "Nothing going on today ..." BF has a degree in physics yet he'll get on a plane anytime they'll let them take off. I'm the one who worries about it but I remind myself that statistically I'm in more danger driving him back & forth to the airport than he is on a plane in stormy weather. So we'll get more pictures tomorrow? ...asks the girl who hasn't even purchased foam yet...

[GPW]

Lets just say you’re still “shopping" for the foam ... and that can take "some time" ....

[GPW]

Today , the plan is More kerfing ... Those front panels ... The last of kerfing for a while ... we hope .. That’s after we run to the HD for more glue (T2) and Great Stuff... I managed to use up the 1/2 gallon of T2 left over from the first Foamie build ... Thrifty!!!

If my Math is correct (seldom is ) the 10’ panels will just fit the curve of the nose cage ... ( If? )

Discussing the “door" with the wife , I told her of my mistrust of anything labelled “RV” , as being made as cheap as they can (therefore , unreliable ), so It’s been decided (by you know who) that I will now make my own door and frame .... Screen door is out , a screened window on the door is acceptable ... for now ...

Bottom line , with a bit of Salvage , we’ve only spent around 400USD so far ... There’s still the skin , paint, tires , and some hardware to buy as yet .... but it looks like well be spending ~ $1K .. works out roughly to about a dollar a pound (can’t even buy Frozen Turkey for that anymore) or $13.80 per sq. ft. (very Thrifty) ...