Lifting roof XPStream - making improvements

[dales133]

Yep lots n lots of thinking.
Especialy when it gets out of your comfort zone of materials and methods you like working with or are used to.

[OP827]

Pictures today after more glassing work on curved front roof panel, trimming all these roof parts to fit nicely, more glassing and reinforcements of all parts, masking all the surfaces that will get epoxy, but should not stick and then finally the glue-up of roof, a result of today's work. Some usual clamping, then screw and wood pieces clamping to make sure the surfaces are snug together. It was a good productive day today for me and it feels like a big milestone. I hope that there is no epoxy leaks to some unexpected places and roof will still be sliding up and liftable after the glue is cured.

Next is trimming the roof side panels to much the roof top panel and fixing it all together, cannot wait to try lifting mechanism thing after that is done.

[dales133]

Love your extreemly ambitious but well exicuted build bud.
I actualy did a few hours on mine today.... ive got a love hate relationship with it.
Love to get it finished...hating finding alot of money to finish when its this close!
What are you covering the body with?

[Atomic77]

Looking very cool OP! I've noticed several first builders here that are knocking it out of the park!

[OP827]

Love your extreemly ambitious but well exicuted build bud.
I actualy did a few hours on mine today.... ive got a love hate relationship with it.
Love to get it finished...hating finding alot of money to finish when its this close!
What are you covering the body with?

Thanks Dale. Often I have similar feelings too.
As for covering, it is 1-2 layers of 6oz e-glass cloth with east system epoxy, all the parts and panels were already glassed on flat or otherwise before assembly, except folding side walls are still waiting for it. Then microbaloons mix and/or 3M premium filler for fairing.
For painting I am not decided yet, lean towards polyurethane two component roll-on, but that may change.
BTW, is it possible to spray a gelcoat on top of epoxied glass?? I have no experience with gelcoat ...

[OP827]

Looking very cool OP! I've noticed several first builders here that are knocking it out of the park!

Thanks Michael, yes they are!

[OP827]

And the good news this morning is the big roof peace is not stuck after the epoxy has cured.
It is easy to move it up and down a little bit by hand, . Next - to the lifting mechanism setup.

[OP827]

Finished working on lifting mechanism today and from the first test it works as intended by design, no issues. Lifting the roof up "by press of a button" takes about 25 seconds, while going down is 5 seconds faster.

[Atomic77]

That is really cool!

[KCStudly]

That is really cool!

+1

She's looking like a club car! Nice.

[OP827]

Thanks guys!

[OP827]

A short clip of the roof lift by a small 12v sealed battery I had laying around.

https://youtu.be/IvmqcK5onk8

Did way too many, close to a hundred test runs by now and still counting, maybe it's time to stop and get back to whatever I was doing before this ...

[Treeview]

It's alive!

Very nice job. YOu're building what I've been imagining for a while.


Tom

[KCStudly]

WOW! That is so sweet.

I must admit I was clinching my teeth expecting it to drive right up into your garage door opener track, but I see you kept it below that. Will you be able to fully extend it inside of the garage once you are at final ride height and the rest of the roof panels are on?

[Funluvin001]

For painting I am not decided yet, lean towards polyurethane two component roll-on, but that may change.
BTW, is it possible to spray a gelcoat on top of epoxied glass?? I have no experience with gelcoat ...

My understanding is that Gelcoat only sticks well to polyester resin, and so just as polyester resin does not bond to epoxy, I don't think gelcoat will either.
It's essentially pigmented & slightly modified poly resin. You would probably have to lay down an epoxy based primer and even then it's iffy. Given the choice, if it's within the allowable budget, I would
opt for the 2-part poly-U, hands down.