Undercoating

[angib]

Reading this topic, I keep thinking I should ask the following question:

How is Bruce (bdosborn) supposed to get this roof coating out of his hair? #-o

He said he was embarassed to ask about the Gorilla Glue, so he's gotta be too shy to ask the same sort of question a second time, so I'm asking for him......

Andrew

[asianflava]

The way I like to stretch plywood kind of "requires" reinforcement.

You have a plywood stretcher? Wow! I've only heard about them but I've never seen one before. They usually tell the newbees to go get it when they cut the wood too short, they can't ever find it either.

[SteveH]

Back to the subject of undercoating, does anyone know if the popular roof tar coating actually soaks into the wood, or just coats it. The reason I ask is, I know the spray on automotive undercoating does not soak into the wood and will eventually just dry up, flake and peel off.

A procedure that I have used successfully on plywood used as decking in the bilges of boats is soaking the wood (several coats ) of a mixture of linseed oil and penta treating. It takes quite a while to dry, but when it does water will not soak into the wood at all. Sort of like Thompson's Water Seal, only much better.

Anyone done anything like this?

[Jiminsav]

Steve, truss me..the thin roof coating WILL soak in..in fact, you can see it if you coat to the edge and then look at the edge as it dries...you'll see it soak up into the ply.

[Eric Adams]

Woody,
Unless you REALY need the practice,:wink: I wouldn't waste the money on the bottom of the trailer. I used roof coating, as most do, for $5/$6 per gal. As long as you don't try sailing the tear,:wink: you shouldn't have any trouble. I use the epoxy/'glass for it's waterproofing AND structural benefits. The way I like to stretch plywood kind of "requires" reinforcement.

The only local roof type stuff I see states nothing about wood. Is that ok??

[bdosborn]

Reading this topic, I keep thinking I should ask the following question:

How is Bruce (bdosborn) supposed to get this roof coating out of his hair? #-o

Andrew

You know, its really weird, but I didn't spill a drop of roof coating. That probablly means I'll kick the whole can over the next time I open it.

Bruce

[Woody]

Steve,

I was planning on using the "practice" of sealing the bottom with epoxy, in order to do (not to mess up) the sides of my second "woodie teardrop" because I like the look. And them maybe launching a fleet of floating teardrops in order to conquer the world and establish a new world order of, well let's not go there . Kidding I need the practice, so I figured if I screwed it up only the ants will notice when they look up since I had never done it before

[angib]

Woody,

You'll just have to carry a mirror about with you to put on the ground, so as folks can admire the underside of your trailer, custom car stylee. :headbang:

Andrew

[Arne]

I would not expoxy the bottom. It has hard contact with the frame and is non-flexible, so will crack. Those cracks will allow moisture in, and it will deteriorate the wood, eventually. I figure the process will take approximately 40 years if the ply is pressure treated.

I have no graph to back up this theory.... but I'd still go with the black, gunky stuff which by nature has a bit of inherent flexiblity..

[SteveH]

I know they are not the same, but on the inside of our radio control model airplanes where fuel is likely to leak, we take epoxy glue thinned by about 30% with rubbing alcohol and paint it all over every part of the interior wood. Now keep in mind, our fuel is a mixture of methanol, oil, and nitro methane, and that stuff gets EVERYWHERE and soaks into any unprotected wood there is, and then you have a nasty gooey mess that weekens the wood and leaves it so no glue will stick to it.

However, I've never had the fuel soak thru the epoxy coated wood, even when a tank ruptured and fuel was running out the wing saddle, the interior of the wood could be just wiped off. Epoxy is good!

[asianflava]

The technical term we use for it is, "Fuel Goo"

[Chip]

Da black stff will soak ina bit,,and at 6 bucks a gallon and it taking only about a third of a gal to coat the bottom,,thats $2.00 a year if ya coat it every spring,,not a bad deal,, now if this kind of stuff will keep water off ya head,,why wont it keep water off ya butt,,,It Will,,
happy coating

chip

[SteveH]

The technical term we use for it is, "Fuel Goo"

asianflava,

You mess with model airplanes also?

[angib]

I would not epoxy the bottom. It has hard contact with the frame and is non-flexible, so will crack.

Arne, I'd disagree with you about this - get a piece of epoxy-coated plywood and bend it - it will not produce stress cracking and when you bust the plywood, the epoxy will be good up to the fracture edge. Epoxies have pretty spectacular elongation at failure.

I would say the wood and the epoxy become one, but that does sound like I'm gonna start talking about the wood's karma!

This is not to say that epoxy-coating the bottom is justified, economically or for any other reason.

Andrew

[asianflava]

The technical term we use for it is, "Fuel Goo"

asianflava,

You mess with model airplanes also?

I have built a few but training was always the sticking point. Both my instructor and I had to be available as well as the plane. Never got around to it, I do have a completed plane in my garage, it only needs to be covered.

I have nitro r/c cars, HPI RS4, T-Maxx. You have to clean the religously because the dirt sticks to the fuel goo. I usually use denatured alcohol and spray it on with a squirt bottle.