Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

I was inspired by the fabric/glue methods being used here, and decided
to test it out. I posted this way back in the Big Thread, reposting it here
hoping someone might find it useful. I am a big fan of creating multi-
purpose elements to save weight, and I think things like this could be
incorporated nicely into a foamie design...

I chose plywood for my table because I had a scrap of the perfect size,
and because I did not expect foam to provide a surface that was sturdy
enough for food prep and a big knife. Now I wish I had tried foam,
because the finished surface is solid, durable, waterproof, chop-proof, etc.

Materials I used were Titebond 3 and a old flannel sheet. I chose T3
because after reading the specs I was convinced it would best handle a
spill of boiling liquid. I did not want to paint it, since the T3 is
supposedly suitable for contact with food, but it was so ugly that I
brushed on a coat of exterior paint. The table held up well to grease
drips, blazing sunshine, hot tea cups, and even a pot of beans that
boiled over on it.

The table remained attached to the side of the trailer when camped,
and even in extreme winds, I just weighted it with rocks and/or jugs of
water. If it were made of foam I think wind would be tricky, but that
would be the only drawback.

My table attaches vertically to the front of the cabinet for travel, and it
slides into supports under the cabinet for use on a rainy day as a laptop
shelf for watching movies.

That's very COOL , dual purpose ...

Very nice!

I used the same hinge for a polyurethaned piece of board that sits on top of my wheel well.



The wood is slightly bowed. Has nothing to do with the weight on it. Very sturdy! I just toss the table inside the TD while traveling.

Hugs,
Ratkity

Thanks again GPW :-)

Ratkity, your table is certainly more stylish than mine. Why is it bowed?
My table is a piece of old ratty plywood, but it has not bowed at all being
outdoors, and I credit the glue, fabric &paint.

The hinge I pillaged from a very old RV in the salvage yard. Great place
to look for project parts.

Conestoga wrote:Thanks again GPW :-)

Ratkity, your table is certainly more stylish than mine. Why is it bowed?
My table is a piece of old ratty plywood, but it has not bowed at all being
outdoors, and I credit the glue, fabric &paint.

The hinge I pillaged from a very old RV in the salvage yard. Great place
to look for project parts.

It was leftover scrap wood in my basement wood pile. It had a slight bow to it, but not enough to deter me from using it.

Interestingly, I put my hinge on opposite sides of the table vs the TD because of what I read at the manufacturer:

http://www.dyersonline.com/patrick-table-support.html

Hugs,
Ratkity

PS I was avoiding table legs because the golden retrievers love to wrap their leashes around any and all table legs. They have it down to an art form.

Ratkity, thanks for the link. That stuff is cheap, 5 bucks for 30".
Apparently i saved less than minimum wage on the pillaging, lol.

It looks like you mounted your hinge properly.
I was paranoid about the screw holes so i used gray butyl tape
behind it, and the hinge squishes into it and gives under the
weight of the table, unfortunately, and the table sags without the legs.
Maybe because I have the hinge halves reversed?
I don't know if it would make a difference. I suppose i should
switch things around and see what happens.

I think any table needs support underneath it, even with the hinge (no matter how it's mounted). I wouldn't want anyone to sit on mine, but the wood does sit directly on the fender, giving it extra sturdiness. I would hazard a guess that it could hold 50 lbs easily.

BTW, my table is about 33 inches long and 18" wide. Perfect for holding the stove and the electric kettle. All I did was cut one edge straighter and that was all I had to do to size it. I happened to have a rattle can of polyurethane that was nearly full and used it all on the table, or probably would have painted it with something I had on hand. All in all, the table cost me the $5 I spent on the hinge.

I used GOOP sealant and adhesive on the hinge (TD side) and made sure the screw holes and edges were covered very well. I doubt that hinge is going anywhere.

The scrap of wood probably had the bow and I didn't notice it when I bought it and used the other end for some other project. The camera angle sorta accentuates the bow, but it's really not that bad. Just don't set an egg on the edge!

Hugs,
Ratkity

Thanks for the tips Ratkity. I'm going to remount mine.
I used butyl tape on my first attempt, because i wasn't sure what would
happen. I think i'll get better results with an adhesive like you used that
is more permanent. I have the removable legs because of how the
table gets stored on front of the cabinet. With a rock or two under the
feet, the table is always level :-)

My table is 20 x 31"

nice, I'm sure this will be helpful when I get to my build

thanks

I may even try finding that flaming chili pepper fabric for a permanent table cloth LOL

swampjeep wrote:I may even try finding that flaming chili pepper fabric for a permanent table cloth LOL

that sounds perfect. as is mentioned in other threads, go with
something dark, because the glue will give it a very unappetizing shade.

next time instead of painting, i might try to dye the glue,
however that too would need to be a darkish color.

Tips from the Titebond website:

http://www.titebond.com/ApplicatorTipTB.asp

"How to properly add dye to Titebond Wood Glues.
It is possible to change the color of aliphatic resin glues by using
aniline-based dyes. Using a drop or two of water, work the powdered
dye into a paste before adding to the glue. This helps to prevent lumps
in the glue. Start by adding a small amount of the dye because a small
amount can significantly alter the color. Before making your final color
decision, be sure to let a sample of the dyed glue dry. When the mixtures
dry they may look different from the wet state"

Conestoga wrote:Tips from the Titebond website:

http://www.titebond.com/ApplicatorTipTB.asp

"How to properly add dye to Titebond Wood Glues.
It is possible to change the color of aliphatic resin glues by using
aniline-based dyes. Using a drop or two of water, work the powdered
dye into a paste before adding to the glue. This helps to prevent lumps
in the glue. Start by adding a small amount of the dye because a small
amount can significantly alter the color. Before making your final color
decision, be sure to let a sample of the dyed glue dry. When the mixtures
dry they may look different from the wet state"

I think somewhere in the depths of the Thrifty thread, GPW tried to add dye to the glue. I think it might cause more problems than it solves unless you don't want to paint white canvas and want the dye in the glue to be the color. It would be interesting to see how that works though!

Hugs,
Ratkity