Round nose hybrid build

[KCStudly]

A couple of things I do to avoid mixing mistakes;
1. Make a table (Excel) of resin, hardener, and finished batch weights and post it near my mixing station for reference.
2. Once I pick a batch size for a given task, I write the resin weight and batch weight on the paper plate that I use to protect my small gram scale from drips, place it on the scale and zero it out with an empty cup (since I cut my cups down from larger used coffee cups, I zero the scale for each cup).
3. Then I don't have to think or remember how many pump shots, or whether I am getting a full pump. Just add the correct amount of resin (can sit in the cup for as long as needed before adding hardener), then top it off with the correct amount of hardener to get the combined weight.
4. Keep a clock or watch hung near my mixing station so that I can make sure I stir long enough (for West System it is 2 min).

On putting jelled resin on glass; been there, done that. Won't ever happen again.

[Flatworm]

Thanks KC. Good ideas.
I was trying to avoid getting pumps. I'll go and get some this morning.
Lesson learnt.

[KCStudly]

I use the pumps only because they get the product out of the cans neatly and in a controlled manner; no over pouring and no mess on top of the can or waste to clean up. I use the small digital scale to weigh out all measurements. Simple little inexpensive scale like this one (not the same one I use, but same basic thing).

[Flatworm]

I have a professional fibreglasser and friend coming around to help glass the sides. Will be interesting to see how he does it.

He says one coat, peel ply, done over three evenings - one for each side and one for the roof.

Surely it can't be that easy?

[Flatworm]

Looking good. keep posting

Thanks Johnny. Love your pop top. Nice to hear from a fellow kiwi.

[Flatworm]

Update for today.

Big steps.

Finished glassing underside of floor.

Fitted trailer chassis


Rolled her over.


Floor is 360 mm from ground and there is about 35 kg on the tongue.

Beveled the edge of the roof. This is against all the advice that I received and I know that it will cause problems with the hatch.

On the other hand, I did frame it for this and think that it will look tidy. But it was hard to pick up that router.


Fibreglass guy wants tip come Monday night!

I'm rashly setting a goal to be camping by the end of the month.


Reckon I deserved this.

[Flatworm]

Panic today. Fibreglass guy wants to come tomorrow night and I have a small day tomorrow.

Spent today finishing bevel on corner. Was really pleased how it worked out. Made 45 degree bevel by using a 45 degree trim router bit, fully extended. I made a channel in the wall by running the router along the edge of the roof and one in the roof by running the router along the wall. Then I power planned the middle piece out. The router effectively marked nice parallel edges.

Spent rest of day bogging and sanding.

Also laminated last panels up.

Might have to put fibreglass guy off for a day I think.

[OP827]

Looks like you did a lot of work and deserved that beer

One thing I learned from working with epoxy fiberglass: it requires preparation and full attention. It does not like any rush.

[Flatworm]

Today's post is more about keeping me motivated than anything. Put fibreglass guy off and he now says that we will glass it in one go next Monday evening.

He has a look yesterday and now says that we don't need peel ply and that I should just go out every hour and roll another coat of epoxy on for the night. If I'm getting up every hour, I'm glad that we will be doing it all in one go.

Phew. It gives me time to get the finish right first. In saying that, I did a good afternoons work today and things are looking pretty smooth.

Also decided to rebuild curved side door. I should have just framed it and cut it out like I did with the other doors and the hatch.

With a reprieve on the glassing, I'm planning the kitchen and storage.

I need at least 24 litres of water plus the same amount of grey water storage. Have been playing with ideas and may put the tanks under the floor. Winter temperatures here are not cold enough to worry about freezing.

[Flatworm]

I'm sure that you are right OP. I'm usually in a rush though.

Just filled and sanded last few days. Lost a touch of enthusiasm but i know that this will only be temporary.

Funny think is, I didn't ever expect to have a nicely finished caravan. However, it is looking much better than my expectations and now I want to make it look great so an taking longer to prep than originally planned.

Fishing for the weekend then final tidy up and rolling a base coat of epoxy on Monday before the glassing marathon on Monday night.


Looking good though.

[Flatworm]

Intense evening tonight. Spent some time finishing prep today and tidying shed.

7pm fibreglass guy turns up. I get him a beer and by the time I'm back he has mixed up a kg of epoxy.

He rolls this straight on, cuts out some cloth and gets me to hold one end and we lay it on the roof over the wet epoxy. I haven't even opened the beers yet.

He rolls another layer of epoxy on and we squeegee it a bit. He tells me to stop doing little sweeps as he squeegees a swathe of cloth.

We cut a strip of cloth to finish the roof and then repeat the process on the walls.

Two hours later he has finished, drunk a decent number of my beers, left and I'm rolling on a final fill coat of epoxy.

I'm in bed by ten feeling slightly euphoric although that could be the solvent fumes or the beer.

Let's hope that it all looks good in the morning.

I did learn a huge amount tonight though although I'm not sure that I'll remember much.

[OP827]

Looks great!

[Flatworm]

Sanding, fairing and glassing edges.

Fibreglass guy talked me into buying a 1/2 sheet sander. Happy to say that I'm supporting the urbanisation of China with my recent tool purchases.

New sander
Brad nailer
Replacement router (new brushes took a while for old one but I now have two)
Used bench saw

Less than $500 for the lot.

Thanks China.

[Flatworm]

After two part days of glassing, sanding and fairing I'm moving forward again in obvious ways.

I've been trying to figure out easy ways to fit doors. In the end, I made a spacer out of 4mm ply on the inside and made a plate from 9mm just smaller than the doorway. This will allow for some draft stopper to seal the door.

Also did the same thing on the hatch.

Cut windows in doors just smaller than the inside frame. In the end, I cut a template that fitted inside the window and routed through the outer skin against this. Plan to fit Wiley windows but wanted the perspex just under the outer skin rather than on the inside of the door.

Everything send to fit ok.






Window inside with routing template inserted.

[Flatworm]

More filling and sanding.

In my current teardrop I scrape my shins as I get into bed. On this design I wanted more room in the cabin so there is a step up to cupboards.


Thinking about this, I thought that a good idea would be to install some drop down lockers like you stow your hand baggage on an aeroplane.

Pleased with the one I've done so far.

Bent ply by snatching it between two layers of left over 30 mm foam and a folded towel that I poured boiling water on. After an hour, the towel was still hot and nothing exploded when I bent it.