OSB

[Miriam C.]

To screw into the end grain of any wood or ply you can add dowels. Drill out a hole and glue the dowel in then screw into the dowel.

I am guessing you are conderned about screwing the roof on. That is the only place other than the floor where you are going to get the end. For the roof you can cut the OSB smaller than the outside and laminate strips of wood around it to form a frame that is wood.




JP did his on a jig but your OSB can act as a jig.

The other way would be to Kerf to make a frame aroung the OSB.


Both these will work but I think the laminating will be easier and faster given the debth needed. You can also put some glue on the screws to help. Some people didn't screw their roof down and some removed the screws after the epoxy dried. Don't know about glue without screws or nails.

[War Eagle]

Thanks Miriam, I had actually thought about laminating over the top of the OSBBut was wondering if I'm just creating more work for myself. I don't hink so. Assuming cost is beneficial.
My steps would be: 1) cut profile from OSB (which I will do no matter what framing option I use). 2) use the perfected profile to cut three more just like it (probably with the router?) I would cut them seperatly to avoid any issues with the jig saw blade drifting. 3)cut out door and unwated OSB to create frame (I would probably leave no less that 4 inches of OSB between cut outs). 4) clamp the template to each profile and use the router to duplicate the cutouts. 5) glue the profiles together. 6)laminate 1/8 strips to the top of the frames.

Except for the gluing I wouldn't expect this to take more than a couple hours after the profile was perfected. What do you think? Should I go for it or do you think I'll be spending more time for less quality? I'm not overly concerned about weight my tow vehicle if a Ford Sport Trac.

[Miriam C.]

You know I don't think anyone but maybe Andrew or Mike Sch. can begin to tell you if you are weight efficient. I would cut strips less than 1/4 to make it easy to laminate. Maybe 3 one eighth inch strips. It will take time to set the glue. YOu can probably glue a strip every hour but need to give it 24 hours to set up before you put stress on it.

I framed mine because it looked easier. For me it was. I didn't want to lift a bunch of weight. I made this with kerfing and screws. I cut my own framing sticks out of 2x6's.

[War Eagle]

THanks for all your in put Miriam. I believe it's good to talk through things like this. Unlike several of you this will probably be the only TD I ever build so I want to build to last. I will think about this more and I would really appreciate thoughts from those who have cut their from ply. MIke didn't you do that once? What do you think about a 1 inch frame cut from two layers of OSB?

Any other opinions?

I'l be posting pics soon.

[jdarkoregon]

War Eagle, (Tiger Tailgater),

I'm doing a tear and have been putting the walls together, Next time I'm NOT going to make a stick frame wall! I'm not having any trouble with it but what a hassle. I would strongly suggest you go with some good quality 3/4 inch ply, don't waste your time with the two layers, just make it easy, one layer of 3/4 and go pay for some 3/4 inch insulation, it isn't that much after all,

John

[Nitetimes]

I will think about this more and I would really appreciate thoughts from those who have cut their from ply.

Not sure what you are asking. Something like this?





Much less time consuming and works quite well. The only thing I'll do different on the next one is make all the framework narrower. There is more material than necessary there.

[War Eagle]

Nitetimes, that is exactly what I am talking about. Your frame looks thicker than 3/4 ply, di dyou double it or does it just look that way in the pic?

[dwgriff1]

Back to the original thread:

I wouldn't use OSB for much in a tear.

OSB is primarily a sheeting material, and works well for that. Sheeting a tear with OSB would add enorous, unnecessary weight.

There are better products, and the frame is not a good place to try to save money.

dave

[War Eagle]

Yea, like I said I want it to last so I think I will use a good quality 3/4 ply and cut out the frame. The OSB was a thought and it sparked some discussion, that's what we like right? I appreciate everyones opinions.

[Nitetimes]

Nitetimes, that is exactly what I am talking about. Your frame looks thicker than 3/4 ply, di dyou double it or does it just look that way in the pic?

It's doubled but that was just till I cut it out.

I don't think I'd use OSB either, it's more for being nailed thru than into.

[dwgriff1]

I didn't do it that way, but I think the slickest systems are the ones, like Mike seems to prefer, where you glue up the curved section of the frame, then frame inside that with solid wood.

That would make it possible to make the wall thickness anything you might like. Foam insulation varies in thickness.

I do like the system where the ceiling is installed from the outside, before the ribs, and I am deeply into prefinishing everything on the inside.

dave

[Miriam C.]

This is an interesting idea. I guess that the framing is sufficiently sealed from the weather than delamination isn't a worry. That just leaves the question of how strong the OSB is when a (relatively) narrow strip is cut out of it. A narrow strip may contain just a single strand/flake on the surface, so where that ends is a real weak point.

My guess is that it will be quite strong enough as the framing inside a double-skin panel, as it's only there to connect the skins to each other. I doubt it would be good enough for a single-skin panel (ie, one skin plus framing) but that isn't what you're talking about, right?

The one area where we need you to conduct the official T&TTT Forum Field Tests™ (or T&TTTFFT, as we say.....) is whether it is strong enough when it's just cut out, on its own. It seems to me there's a risk that it wouldn't be strong enough, for example, to pick up and turn it over.

As this is most of the controversy perhaps you should burn a sheet ($5) and find out if on it's own you can move it around. You can use it as pattern if not. Remember that you can be gentle and once you get the sides on it no longer matters.

For those who missed it, this provides an interesting read.
http://www.umass.edu/bmatwt/publication ... ywood.html

[War Eagle]

I am going to cut my template from OSB, because I already have it. Once I do that I will let you know how strength it retains. I'm not so concerned about the strength, since I was planning to double it and skin it between two 1/4 in plys. What concerned me was attaching the roof into the endgrain. Mirian, even as you and I talked about laminating over the top that still concerns be due to the roughness/ inconsistency of the ends and trying to glue a solid surface to that. I will definitly experiment with it and let you know my findings. I'll get started on it next week.

[Miriam C.]

The roof won't actually touch the end-grain if you use a laminated edgeframe. Tying the frame to the rest of the camper might be an issue.

Perhaps if you put a 1x2 at the bottom. Kinda wrap the OSB in a wood edge so it is secure and glue the whole thing to both sides. Might need to make the laminate thicker so there is a larger side to glue to the sides. Maybe Andrew or one of the real experienced builders can jump in.

Or you could find out how JP tied his in.

New stuff. Duh
What you can't see very well in this picture is the ceiling is glued and laying on the kerfed frame. The spars are glued and screw at the ends, and glued to the ceiling. There is blocking all along the edge that is glued and screwed to the top and sides. The roof is then glued and screwed to the spars and the blocking. I left the screws in.

[War Eagle]

Miriam I understand what your saying but I don't think you understand my concern wil gluing to the endgrain of the OSB. Think about how rough OSB is on the ends. It is so jagged I would be concerned with the strength of the glue joint between it and a piece of 1/4 stock.