I figured I should start the harder, curved roof portions, by building the nose section of the teardrop, this way, I would be able to somewhat nail down the technique, when it came time to do the hatch. My rounded portions are not extreme but I still expected I would need to use wet towels and ratchet straps to pre-bend the thin plywood. It ended up being a non-issue. One reason, I think is the relatively high humidity we are experiencing due to the plentiful amounts of recent rain in the southwest.
Started with my bottom piece - a 2X4 cut at an angle to form a strong base:
![Image](https://www.tnttt.com/gallery/image.php?album_id=3703&image_id=124675)
![Image](https://www.tnttt.com/gallery/image.php?album_id=3703&image_id=124676)
Then, cut the big arc, that will form the door jam to the front storage compartment :
![Image](https://www.tnttt.com/gallery/image.php?album_id=3703&image_id=124677)
I thought that smaller sections of the rounded, cut plywood, would be more manageable and I also liked the idea of having a solid crossmember about half way up so this is what I did:
Cut and belt-sanded the pieces to form
![Image](https://www.tnttt.com/gallery/image.php?album_id=3703&image_id=124678)
Installed the lower arcs:
![Image](https://www.tnttt.com/gallery/image.php?album_id=3703&image_id=124679)
Lower cross members:
![Image](https://www.tnttt.com/gallery/image.php?album_id=3703&image_id=124680)
repeated with the top:
![Image](https://www.tnttt.com/gallery/image.php?album_id=3703&image_id=124681)
I'm liking how this looks
![Smile :)](./images/smilies/econ_smile.gif)
![Image](https://www.tnttt.com/gallery/image.php?album_id=3703&image_id=124682)
Then aligned the large 5 mm 4X8 sheet as best as I could and glued/stapled the bottom. I let it sit clamped in this position overnight and the next day it remained nice and curved. Then I marked the cross member and vertical pieces with lines so I could work the stapler quickly before the glue set.
Glue was dripping all over the place but besides a couple of nailer jams I had to clear, it went pretty smoothly. The plywood flexed quite easily and I didn't hear a hint of splintering noises in the process.
I'm still not sure if it's recommended to skin this curved portion or if it's OK to leave as -is (without an additional skin for strength/protection) and just use varnishes and paints - a question I will ask on the forum at some point.
![Image](https://www.tnttt.com/gallery/image.php?album_id=3703&image_id=124683)
added the remaining strip:
![Image](https://www.tnttt.com/gallery/image.php?album_id=3703&image_id=124685)
all wrapped and over the roof:
![Image](https://www.tnttt.com/gallery/image.php?album_id=3703&image_id=124684)
![Image](https://www.tnttt.com/gallery/image.php?album_id=3703&image_id=124686)
Then measured the fancy fan and installed the adjacent roof panels:
![Image](https://www.tnttt.com/gallery/image.php?album_id=3703&image_id=124689)
![Image](https://www.tnttt.com/gallery/image.php?album_id=3703&image_id=124687)
So this is where I am now, more or less:
![Image](https://www.tnttt.com/gallery/image.php?album_id=3703&image_id=124688)
I'm starting to work on the hatch and have been thinking about issues like hinges, and planning for weatherstripping thicknesses, etc.
I think I have spent more time sitting on a stool, staring at this thing, trying to figure out what to do next and how, than actual build time.
I'm loving it!
Barak