How Smooooth Must It Be?

[SteveH]

I've installed the wood on the top of my tear (1/4" plywood), and since my trailer is 5' wide, I ran the plywood cross grain. Because of that, it has two seams where the wood is joined together over rafters. Additionally, I used liquid nails and screws to install it with. At the seams and some of the screws it is not perfectly smooth and I was just wondering how smooth it needed to be under the aluminum skin?

[Arne]

Any imperfections will show up in the paint. I know... but since it was my first one, I just kind of live with it.....

I did use an auto body filler (bondo-like) to fill most of the gaps and smooth things out.... since I used an epoxy primer (very thin to soak in) and an expoxy paint, I'm not too concerned about problems.. and if I had had more time, I would have done a slightly better job...

[Steve Frederick]

I would do as Arne did, fill the bump with a filler material, then fair the joint. You may not see any problem with that bump, un-smoothed, 'till after a few weekends in the sun. I think the small effort to fair that joint will be time well spent.. That's just me!!

[SteveH]

Arne and Steve,

Thanks for your inputs. I am going to cover the top, at least, with aluminum, and have put filler in the cracks and sanded with a belt sander. However it is not as smooth as say a car fender is before you can shoot primer, and some of the screws can be felt above the surface of the wood with your hand. Will those show thru the aluminum over time? About the only thing I can do with the screws is take them out, drill the hole a little deeper, and reinstall them.

OH, BTW, there is a picture in my gallery, but it's not a closeup.

[Steve Frederick]

Wow!! That's a nice looking Tear!! Tha roof looks really nice.
I think that you'll have to judge for yourself whether the roof its smooth enough. Another factor that will enter into the mix, is the thickness of the aluminum you will use. Obviously, the thicker material will not telegraph imperfections as well as thinner stuff.... I just had a thought! You could hit the screws with your sander. Just use fresh paper. I'll bet you can remove any spots where screws might be noticed!!

[TRAIL-OF-TEARS]

Steve,
making some good progress.
how did you bend 1/4" ply that much, did you wet it?
looks like you will be needing that aluminum soon.

[SteveH]

Steve Frederick,

Thanks, and that's a good idea. I'll use the sander to find the high ones at least, and then I can at least only have to deal with those. I'm not too concerned about small indentations, it's the screw heads that are sticking up that I'm afraid will evenually dent the aluminum.

Steve J.

It's coming along, but I haven't had too much time to work on it because of the holidays and such. Bending the plywood was not an issue because it goes cross grain. I couldn't figure out a better way to do it because of the 5' width. All I did was made shure there was a "rafter" at the 4' point to minimize the amount of cutting I had to do, however I'm going to have some 3' pieces of 1/4" plywood left over if you need some.

[mexican tear]

Why not just sand the screw heads with a belt sander when you do the joints with filler?

My 2 cents worth
kai