Poor Man's Fiberglass questions....

[TigerHawk]

I have settled on the pmf method of skinning my TD. I will order 10oz canvas from duckcanvas website.

My main question is regarding the openings in the camper. I will wrap the canvas inside the doorway and a/c doorway and glue/paint like the rest. Now this will take up some room, albeit minimal in that opening. So for example, if my a/c hatch is 16" wide, once I canvas and paint it, it may be 15.75" wide as it may add 1/8" to each side. So question - should I cut these a pinch bigger to accommodate the canvas/paint?

My next question is about the hatch - particularly the outer edges of the hatch. I'd like to know how this is handled? I'm sure canvas wrapped around the plywood skin. So again, the question above.

thanks for any help

[dales133]

I found the paint and canvas took up about what your reconing but i stopped mine at the back edge of my inside wall skin and made my door framing oversized.
Ive got some pics somewhere ill dig out friday on my day off.
As for the hatch youd need to be more specific on your hatch design but mine only has an external skin and i wraped the canvas around and cut it in against the outer ribs

[TigerHawk]

Another question - Did you (directed at anyone who used PMF) cut the side canvas piece to the profile shape of the side (with extra overhang)?

[pchast]

I actually cut a piece about 10 inches longer and left it rectangular. The canvas shrinks a
little and I could have gone a few inches longer. It worked, but I only had a couple of inches
front and back when done to wrap the corner. The rest I trimmed after the paint I used
to adhere the canvas dried. I used all the trimmed pieces to patch in the interior.

[TigerHawk]

One more PMF questions ---

My canvas is being delivered today from big duck canvas. Can I wash and dry it in a standard residential washer/dryer? I read some people washed it with a hose in the driveway and let air dry. What's the best method to get the shrink out?

[pchast]

I'm sure you will find it too large for that.

[TigerHawk]

OK - got all my canvas done this weekend. It came out great if I can say so.

I did cut it into sections first - so for a 8*4 sidewall I cut a 10' section. The entire roll of canvas is 6' wide, so that's 10*6 to cover 8*4.

I then washed it, dried it, and steam ironed it. Wow that was a chore. That stuff wrinkles. I've never ironed so much.

Then I applied Side 1, Side 2, Roof, then hatch.


OK Question - paint with thinned exterior latex paint. Is this thinned with paint thinner or water? I swore I read water somewhere, but isn't paint thinner called that for a reason?

Painting likely won't begin until Friday - our weather these next few days is rainy anyway.

[azgreg]

OK - got all my canvas done this weekend. It came out great if I can say so.

I did cut it into sections first - so for a 8*4 sidewall I cut a 10' section. The entire roll of canvas is 6' wide, so that's 10*6 to cover 8*4.

I then washed it, dried it, and steam ironed it. Wow that was a chore. That stuff wrinkles. I've never ironed so much.

Then I applied Side 1, Side 2, Roof, then hatch.


OK Question - paint with thinned exterior latex paint. Is this thinned with paint thinner or water? I swore I read water somewhere, but isn't paint thinner called that for a reason?

Painting likely won't begin until Friday - our weather these next few days is rainy anyway.

Got any pics?

[KCStudly]

If water based paint, then water as a thinner (but only a little, most OEM's don't recommend thinning their product much if at all).

If oil based paint, then paint thinner.

The two don't mix, just like oil and water don't mix.