Major setback....Update, Pictures added

[Tripmaker]

Thanks guys. You all have great suggestions. Worst part will be tearing it down and getting things cleaned up to reassemble and re-glue. I had a bulkhead in before I realized my problem. Tore it out and now on to the ceiling. Anyone have any suggestions for removing ribbons of remaining hardened PL-400 without tearing up the underlying wood?

I have a flat level floor in my shop and the trailer is on 4 jackstands and is level. Gerdo is correct it is now a trapazoid and needs to be corrected. I had not checked the square after I initally put up the walls and spars. When I did check I used a square not a level. I just need to check more often, I mistakedly thought that once the spars were on the walls would stay square. I won't have time to do anything before Sunday then the fun begins. Right now I have started polyurathaning new panels for the ceiling so they are ready when I get things squared up. Well I guess I'll be a world wide expert at squaring and installing ceilings by the time I get done.

[Miriam C.]

Ah, sorry Tripmaker. That is tough break.
Getting the glue off: sander or chisel. I don't know of a chemical.

Maybe the guys who work with it will chime in.

[halfdome, Danny]

Anyone have any suggestions for removing ribbons of remaining hardened PL-400 without tearing up the underlying wood?

If it were me I would take a router and make a special base that would straddle that glue and then insert a flat bottom bit in the router. Bringing the bit just at the height of the undamaged plywood. I've done this before and it works great. It works like a mini hand plane or hand router plane like the one in the picture, it would work just as well. Danny

This cabinet scraper would work too.

[Nitetimes]

Anyone have any suggestions for removing ribbons of remaining hardened PL-400 without tearing up the underlying wood?

If you can get your hands on an old draw knife it would probably do it easily.

[Tripmaker]

I like the router idea. It would be simple enough to make a base to put on it. The draw knife would work well too for the spars. If I could find one. I'll have to improvise. Thanks guys for the support.

[Ira]

Trip...s*** happens.

Maybe this will make you feel like you're not alone:

When I built my hatch, my galley was basically bare--no countertop, and no provisions for drawers, which I didn't plan to have anyway. I just had my porthole storage area up top. I figured I would build the galley at the very end.

Well, the hatch is built, she's on, and although she ain't right to 1/32 of an inch, she fits good enough for MY skill level of building.

So now it's time to configure my countertop, with cutout for sink. I use a minimal countertop depth to accommodate the sink--maybe an inch of countertop lumber front and back of the sink--and I'm in business.

Or am I?

No, I'm not:

I can't place the countertop too high, or the hatch won't close. Know what I mean? With the curvature of the Cubby galley walls, if you bring the countertop too high, dependingon its depth, you don't have any clearance for the hatch sides to go "in" enough to fully close the hatch.

If I place the countertop a bit lower, my oven won't fit underneath, and it's REAL important for me that the oven fit there. I LOVE that oven. It means the WORLD to me! (I don't know why--I've never even used it yet.)

So what did I do?

I do nothing--and the hatch sits up about an inch and doesn't close fully.

I MAY be able to notch the countertop out at the ends, but I don't think so because of where the sink is positioned on the far right end. I MAY be able to remove the hatch, and somehow saw off an inch from the hatch side width--but that would be a mess. They're 2 pieces of 3/4" ply laminated together. So down the road, I'll probably rebuild the hatch.

Meanwhile, I'm off to the St. Augustine gathering next week anyway and everyone's going to laugh at my hatch.

Feel better?

[Tripmaker]

Ira.. they say misery loves company. I'm sure you will get your hatch issue worked out. If you are like me you won't quit till you do. When I started this project I looked at it as a challenge, well I've been challenged now. Actually I know I'll feel better after I get this resolved, and it will get done, I'm on a mission. I am looking foward to completing my TD and meeting some of you guys at a TD get together next spring or summer. Camping somewhere with a few adult beverages and laughs about all this sounds pretty good. See, I have a goal.

Danny, I just had another thought about the router idea. For the spars I can clamp a dummy spar along side the one to be cleaned up and use a flush trim bit to take off the glue and remaining plywood without having to remove the spars from the walls. The spars are all glued and double screwed to the walls. I'll have some hand work up next to the walls but the router will get most of it.

Thanks again everyone.

[kayakrguy]

Jim,

I have had luck with a belt sander in getting gobs of glue off of my wood...doesn't eat up the wood and gives a good finish when you're done..

Jim

[Tripmaker]

As Paul Harvey would say, here is the rest of the story.

Sunday was de-construction day. But first I did the only thing that made sense after after a major screw-up. Throw a party. Saturday night was a good night to build a fire and invite about 20 - 30 friends over to help drown my sorrows in adult beverages. After a short recovery time Sunday morning it was time to get to work.

I started to very carefully remove the ceiling with a hammer and chisel and soon found that my rubber mallet alone was much more efficient. As I suspected this left the spars covered with remanents of plywood and glue. I also had glue on the walls where the bulkhead was attached. Now to clean up the mess. halfdome, Danny suggested making a base for the router and using it to remove the residue. Brilliant! It worked perfectally. Stripped off the glue and left a good surface to accept more glue. I used the same idea to clean the spars. I clamped a dummy spar next to the installed spar and then used a flush trim bit to clean it up. This left only a small amount of hand work next to the walls.

With everything cleaned up it was time to get things square again. Gerdo suggested putting in the bulkhead first using it to square up the walls. Brilliant! I rebuilt my bulkhead out of 2 X 2's making sure it was square. With it screwed in place I checked the length and diagonal measurements of each spar. Everything looked good but the very end of the rear walls were still slightly out of square with the floor. However the spars were square with the walls. How could this be? After a lot of head scratching, we, that is my better half and I, determined that part of the problem was the floor and the other part was a slight warp to the walls. I temporarily installed my counter top and realized that when I screw ithe walls into it they will be pulled into line. I then glued and screwed the new bulkhead into place, installed a cabinet top/shelf, and a second shorter bulkhead offset to the rear. I'll get pictures of this posted to my gallery in a day or two so you can see what I'm talking about.

That was enough for one day. I had learned many new words along with the new skills kayakrguy referred to, referred to, and was getting tired. Not to mention that is was getting close to time for my Colt's to take out NE. Couldn't miss that game. Later today I hope to reinstall the ceiling and I will be able to move on.

I have got to say a big thank you to all of you for your help and encouragement. I had at one point considered gas and a match as a solution. No not really. But things are looking better and my spirits and confidence are back in place. The Earth will continue to turn, and my TD project will move along. Thanks again guys.

[halfdome, Danny]

Tripmaker, I'm happy it all worked out for you. A true craftperson is one who can deal with and fix his mistakes, it's a journey just like everything else. Great looking shop Danny

[Ira]

Now that you're fixing yours, can you come over and fix mine?

Congrats!!!

[Tripmaker]

Now that you're fixing yours, can you come over and fix mine?

Congrats!!!

Be glad to if I was closer. What do you mean can't get decent pizza? With all the displaced NY's I find good bagels, deli items, pizza, etc. when I go to Daytona. Being originally from Lon Guyland I miss those things. When I first moved to Indiana I asked for rocotta cheese and they offered me cottage cheese. It's gotten a little better over the years though.

[jplock]

I had a similar problem after towing my trailer on a 2500 mile trip last summer. I have been using my trailer as it is being built. My frame twisted slightly due to not having a bulkhead in place. What I did was jacked the low side up slightly untill my walls were square, and then I completely built in the bulk head with framing and paneling. After everything was glued nailed and dry I removed the jack. It has been square every since. I noticed from your pictures you had the bulkhead framed up but not covered with panels. Could your frame have shifted slightly? This might be food for thought. I wish you the best on your repair!
jplock

[jplock]

opps! Sorry I missed the part about your repair. Congradulations on your success!
jplock

[Micro469]

Heck, I'm not going to tell you of my mistakes.. When Travelling down the road at a 100K you're not going to see them, and if we ever get together there will be a case of beer on the picnic table ... so by the time you look at it you should be looking through 3 or 4 empty glasses... (T.V. commercial)