Troy's Tiki Hut

[Lonnie Mac]

This is looking great!! I am close to this stage on my build. Well, right after I buy a welder, and some steel! LOL

Welding a few brewery frames myself, yes, you can keep it as square as you can. But even dead perfect square to start, will not be perfect square when you are done. Heat moves metal in funny ways.

Say, I notice you have some Jalousie windows in your shop. I'll be needing those for my build! Thanks!

Yea, my biggest challenge to date is finding my windows.

[spbiknut]

This is looking great!! I am close to this stage on my build. Well, right after I buy a welder, and some steel! LOL

Welding a few brewery frames myself, yes, you can keep it as square as you can. But even dead perfect square to start, will not be perfect square when you are done. Heat moves metal in funny ways.

Say, I notice you have some Jalousie windows in your shop. I'll be needing those for my build! Thanks!

Yea, my biggest challenge to date is finding my windows.

Lonnie, thanks for the kind words. I've read your build thread and from one home brewer to another I got to say I'm jealous of your cad skills! That's the real foundation. I'm looking forward to seeing you "break ground". BTW the window is a little deceiving...its a slider...but there are plenty of jalousie windows here in FL...I can help you find some if you like?

Take care,

-Troy

[spbiknut]

Just a small update...doing some finish welding and putting the other finishing touches on the frame. I didn't really like the side mount axle brackets from Dexter so I made my own...I've got more weld area to hold everything in place than the ones from Dexter. Was sick over the weekend so I didn't get much done. Did make it to the junkyard and snagged a tire hoist for the spare tire going under the rear part of the trailer. Total hours so far is 21 and with tires and everything needed to finish the frame to a full roller I'm up to $1144 (rounding up to the dollar).

-Troy

[spbiknut]

Its been a while since I updated...busy with work and school. I'm about 95% done with the frame. I had the axle mounted and ran it around the block...seemed like it pulled fine...need to fine tune things a bit on the axle mount and I'm waiting for a hitch mount to come in for a side table mount that needs to be welded to one side of the frame. I sanded and clean the whole frame and put down a coat of Rustoleum Hammered...I really like this stuff for frames. I've painted another frame with it and it really holds up a lot better than the rattle can stuff. I buy it in pint cans and use a roller to apply a thick coat. I also started on the floor and bought all the wood for it as well as getting started on the side walls. After weeks of searching my area for 4x10 3/4" plywood I'm giving in to splicing two sheets together. The cheapest I found was a white maple for $285 per sheet, plus shipping made it around $300 per sheet. I got 3 sheets of good quality 4x8 3/4"birch for $150. I'll use a 1/4" slot cutter and use a spline with some PL adhesive to bring the two sheets together...should hold well. I should have the floor done this week if my order of CPES comes in. I'm planning on use truck bedliner for the undercoating instead of the black goo.




This stuff reminds me of peanut butter






More to follow this week.

-Troy

[spbiknut]

I got one half of the floor done.




I might be using too many staples?


As you can see my math was off on my estimate on how much insulation i would need. I wasn't made for doing math..."But I'm pretty good at drinking beer..." I'll pick up some tomorrow and finish the floor tomorrow night.


I also got a my cooler in...I did a lot of research on this and found that the Coleman Xtreme was worth a try. I also figured that it would be kind of neat to do a real life review of it as part of my build thread. So I put 20lbs of ice in the cooler to see how well it holds. The test variables are as follows: The cooler started at room temp 78 degress, I put five drinks in the ice all of which were room temp as well, the ice took 10 minutes to get home and put in the cooler, the cooler will be stored outside, out of sunlight and covered by a tarp to simulate being in the teardrop. I'll check the ice twice a day...morning and night.



-Troy

[KCStudly]

Floor looks good, maybe could use less staples, but as long as you aren't driving them too hard and weakening the ply the only harm is more fill and sanding work to do. With proper clamping and/or weight, my opinion is that the glue will do the work and the staples are just there to hold alignment while the glue sets.

I'm pretty good at drinking beer..." I'll pick up some tomorrow...

Woo Hoo! While your out getting more beer you may want to pick up some more insulation, too.

Keep up the good work!

[spbiknut]

Floor looks good, maybe could use less staples, but as long as you aren't driving them too hard and weakening the ply the only harm is more fill and sanding work to do. With proper clamping and/or weight, my opinion is that the glue will do the work and the staples are just there to hold alignment while the glue sets.

Well that makes sense. I would not have thought that the staples would weaken the wood. This is why I post things and I appreciate the input. I also hadn't planed on filling and sanding the staples, but I am now!

Thanks for the info KC! I'm not a very good wood worker (more of a metal head) so this kind of info is much needed.

-Troy

[spbiknut]

I got the floor sealed with CPES and the bottom is coated with Duplicolor Bed Armor. I'm convinced that truck bedliner is completely over kill and a waste of time and money. I believe someone (maybe Tom?) here recommended a coat of CPES and then an oil based exterior paint of some kind. The waste of time comes with the amount of time it took to put down two coats of this stuff...about 2 hours to get the coat even...the waste of money would come in the form of the fact that its much cheaper to use paint.




On a different note my test of the Coleman Xtreme cooler went about as expected. The cooler held ice for three days. I'm happy with that result give the facts that the cooler was not "seasoned", I only used 20lbs of ice (about 1/3 full), it was left outside with a temperature mean of 74 degrees with a low of 69 and high of 92. I think that with a bit more ice and a little "seasoning" the cooler will hold ice for up to 5 days...good enough and for $60 delivered compared to the Yeti's, Engel's, icy teks...etc I'll take the Coleman Xtreme any day! I will say that there is a difference in the ones from Wallmarty and the ones directly from Coleman. The one from Wallmarty is a thinner wall construction...go figure.


24 hours


48 hours


72 hours....I got thursty...BTW it was still cold...just no ice


-Troy

[spbiknut]

I made two ten foot sheets of plywood by using Doug's method...I'm very happy with the results...very strong joint and easy to do...I highly recommend this method, especially if I can do it! I'm the most green-back wood worker you'll ever see.



I also cut our my profile and did a little electrical wiring for the trailer lights and brakes...will be mounting the floor and the axle this week...hopefully get the walls up next weekend and start laying out the insulation reliefs in the walls during the week.





-Troy

[rmef27]

youre making some good progress cant wait to see some more

[spbiknut]

Been a while since I updated...life got in the way. I've gotten the floor down and roughed in some wiring for the battery and a hose from front to back for propane. I'm getting ready to put the walls up and move forward with getting things closed in. Will upload more pictures later this week. A picture of my profile.




-Troy

[KCStudly]

Nice work. Looks good!

[spbiknut]

Thanks KC!

Well I got the Walls up and started putting in the spars. Should have the interior skin started by the weekend and get the wire runs put in as well.



Comments and Suggestions are welcome

-Troy

[Mbasaraba]

Hope you dont mind me asking you a couple of questions, I am about to start my build, got my trailer and the shape I am aiming for so far.

I have read through a lot of builds like suggested by others but there seems to be some things that are not stated that I cant seem to find answers for.

Looking at your walls, you used a solid piece on the inside (3/4), just cut the shape for the door. Next is another piece (3/4) with the cut outs for the insulation and lightening it. Are you using the same thickness for the outer skin? Its hard for me to see from the pictures, do you have the 2nd layer, insulation layer, lined up with the outer edge of the floor or do you set the whole wall back so that the outer wall lines up with the outer edge of the floor?

On the inside tops of the walls there is a curved strip, was that cut to shape or bent? Inner skin will be on the bottom of that and the outer on top of it? I take it you will attach another cross piece at the top like at the bottom of the front then rib it across that section for the shape?

Was curious to the purchase of the axle and steel for the trailer, $1144 for the rolling trailer, do you feel this was a better idea than just buying a 5 x 10 trailer? I seen could get a 5x10 trailer complete for $699 rated for 2000 lbs, but know it doesnt have brakes and I bet the trailer itself weighs more than yours which would be a draw back also but could always start chopping unneeded sections out. LoL

Thanks!

Looks great!

[spbiknut]

Thanks for the comments. I tried to answer your questions below. Let me know if you need to elaborate on anything. Good luck on the start of your build!

Hope you dont mind me asking you a couple of questions, I am about to start my build, got my trailer and the shape I am aiming for so far.

I have read through a lot of builds like suggested by others but there seems to be some things that are not stated that I cant seem to find answers for.

Looking at your walls, you used a solid piece on the inside (3/4), just cut the shape for the door. Next is another piece (3/4) with the cut outs for the insulation and lightening it. Are you using the same thickness for the outer skin? Its hard for me to see from the pictures, do you have the 2nd layer, insulation layer, lined up with the outer edge of the floor or do you set the whole wall back so that the outer wall lines up with the outer edge of the floor?

The walls are going to be skinned on the outside with 1/4 plywood then layered with fiberglass and painted. The primary support wall is 3/4 plywood and the inner skin is 5mm finished plywood. The piece of 3/4 plywood is the one with the lighting holes cut in it and those holes are filled in with insulation board cut to the shape of each lighting hole. So my walls are from outside to inside...1/4 plywood, 3/4 plywood with lighting holes and then 5mm plywood. The walls are lined up with the out edge of the floor. The outside skin isn't on yet and it will cover that over and over the frame a well...kind of like a skirt.

On the inside tops of the walls there is a curved strip, was that cut to shape or bent? Inner skin will be on the bottom of that and the outer on top of it? I take it you will attach another cross piece at the top like at the bottom of the front then rib it across that section for the shape?

The strips were cut and routed to match the profile of the walls. I did that so that I can build the roof then take it out to skin the inside of it...then place it back and secure it with screws and glue...I'm a one man show and it will be easier this way. The inner ceiling skin will be attached to that...there are more spars that I need to build in...they will be spaced every 10"

Was curious to the purchase of the axle and steel for the trailer, $1144 for the rolling trailer, do you feel this was a better idea than just buying a 5 x 10 trailer? I seen could get a 5x10 trailer complete for $699 rated for 2000 lbs, but know it doesnt have brakes and I bet the trailer itself weighs more than yours which would be a draw back also but could always start chopping unneeded sections out. LoL

I'm a creator of over building things and I prefer the Dexter axle over the spring axles. The Dexter axles trail better and handle bumps better than a spring axle. I also prefer square tubing over "U" channel. As for the cost its more piece of mind than anything. I've been around enough trailers in my life to know that anything like that which is "bolted" together makes me nervous. But everyone will have different opinions. Nothing wrong with the Northern tool 5x8 trailer...just not what I wanted.
Thanks!

Looks great!