Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

Topics regarding epoxy appear all over this forum. However I think I need a bit of "epoxy for dummies" level of guidance here.

I am a plumber and gasfitter by trade and a relatively competent shade tree auto mechanic by necessity and frugalness. One area I have limited experience with is wood working.

When it comes to sealing wood with epoxy I am a little lost with how one goes about it. When I search for epoxy on the websites of my local hardware stores (in Canada), Home Depot, Lowes, Rona, Home Hardware, Canadian Tire, I just find a whole lot of items that usually fall under the category of garage floor paint or small tubes of adhesives. What kinds of wood epoxy is available or recommended? Does it fall under some other name and that's why I don't see it?

I would like to make my walls waterproof. They will eventually be skinned with either fiberglass or that fiberglass reinforced plastic I've been reading about here. That will be a new line of questioning on it's own.

Most big box stores will not have the epoxy you are looking for. Look for marine boat building epoxy resin.

Here are a few links
http://www.raka.com/ I used this one I liked the 127 Thin resin and 350 non blush hardner
http://www.jamestowndistributors.com/
http://www.westmarine.com/

This thread has lots of links and user manuals etc. http://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=18512&start=15

Somewhere in my build journal I also describe how I used the Raka epoxy on my build with fiberglass cloth

Dan

I have been doing further research and have learned some more about marine epoxy. Interesting, many online retailers sell it, very hard to find in a store. I may call some places on the weekdays when business is open again.

I was thinking in the name of simplicity and cost, would something like Thompson's Water sealant for wood (such as decks), brick, concrete be adequate for the walls where they are covered by skin? A gallon of that can be had at my local Home Hardware for $15. The thinking being that those areas should theoretically stay dry so maybe them having the water repelling ability of a wooden sail boat may be over kill? The water sealant being there as a just in case kind of precaution. I am not sure this would be adequate protection for the curved luan roof however that may not see skin for a couple weeks after the fact depending on how things go.

Thoughts on the matter?

Supernaut,

I cannot help you with advice as I too am researching waterproofing plywood. I want something for shower walls. I do not want the store bought white shower panels. I want to be different. Also I want to paint the walls some color that will compliment the over all wall scheme of my CT.

One thought I had was to cut the walls, dry fit them, then take them down and apply some sort of epoxy before putting them back up for good.

My first teardrop was a commercially made camper that was constructed from plywood sheathed in aluminum. I had water problems.

I'm a big believer in using epoxy resin (the stuff you are calling marine) for sealing all exterior wood on a teardrop –and I sheath with aluminum.

I have not used Thompson WaterSeal for perhaps thirty years. Obviously my first experience didn't go well. Perhaps you've had better luck. I see on the Home Depot site, it's rated 1.5 out of 5 by users.

Take a look at the Raka products. I've used gallons of their stuff. The 3 qt kit will do teardrop. I'd recommend getting their pumps too, since mixing epoxy can be a chore. I find the pumps work fine for that.

Tony

Tony,
Your comments give me an idea. I say I want to be different, so assuming the aluminum material cost is not that bad, maybe I could seal the plywood and then have the aluminum sheets applied to the walls?

Sort of Like a SS kitchen, but in this case a metal shower. I am going to have to think about this idea.

Here is something that is actually available from a hardware store.

Does this seem to be the right stuff? $85 for 3L, it sure isn't cheap.

http://www.homehardware.ca/en/rec/index.htm/Paint-D%C3%A9cor/Paint/Floor-Deck-Porch/Coverings/Coatings/3L-2-Part-Epoxy-Clear-Coat-Sealer/_/N-2pqfZ67l/Ne-67n/Ntk-All_EN/R-I1817931?Ntt=wood+epoxy

West System epoxy is simply the best bar none. Their site has heaps of info and videos on it's use and application. I have been using West System for nearly 20 years and am extremely happy with the results on waterproofing plywood.
http://www.westsystem.com/ss/

I bought epoxy from duckworks. I used the economy resin-
http://www.duckworksbbs.com/supplies.htm
You may want to investigate a coating of titebond II (TB2) over exterior plywood, then painting with laytex before it dries. Many wood boat builders use this combination to waterproof plywood boats.

You can buy epoxy from Princess Auto. I have used this on a boat and will be using it with tape to cover the seams on my new camper build.

I used raka and was very pleased.

Gold5one wrote:I bought epoxy from duckworks. I used the economy resin-
http://www.duckworksbbs.com/supplies.htm
You may want to investigate a coating of titebond II (TB2) over exterior plywood, then painting with laytex before it dries. Many wood boat builders use this combination to waterproof plywood boats.

Gold5one,
Are you offering this tip for my shower walls idea or for Supernaut's original post?

You'll have a shower in your teardrop?
The titebond2 trick is for plywwod on exterior surfaces.

It sounded like I was talking about a TD but I wasn't. Sorry.
Thanks for the clarification on the titebond 2

I too have been using West Marine products for many years. I use it everyday in a Unlimited Hydroplane Race Shop. It's a consistently excellent product. At 200 mph we only use the best. It's the only thing I'll use on my build.