Tiger Tamer Chronicles - The Build

[CaptainKram]

Rock and Roll, Mandy. You're doing a great job. You're allot further along than I am. I haven't even finished cleaning up the trailer yet. And winters coming fast.

Mark

[rhltechie]

So sexy!!!

LOL Thanks, I really needed to feel sexy today after being so tired...haha

yeah..i am very glad i got the respirator. after I finished with the wood I was just walking out to get the mail, which is WAY away from car port and i could smell it at the mailbox. I cannot imagine breathing that stuff in the entire time.

[2bits]

Yeah sometimes the monotonous work can be umm monotonous... I have alot of stained wood on mine and I got really tired of the sand/stain/polyeurethane process! Patience will definitely be a virtue when building a teardrop. there's nothing like watching poly dry...

[rhltechie]

Ha Thomas...its funny that I am taking on something of this sort as my better half is always telling me....patience is indeed a virtue. I am by nature a very impatient person. This build has already taught me to just slow down...it doesnt have to be done now....smell the CPES a little...err...or DONT!

and DANG man, thats a lot of poly/sand/stain!!!

I have promised to carve pumpkins tonight, so another night will go by with no TD work...more tomorrow night I am sure. but it sure is gettin cold out there!

[mandy]

Hey Mandy I don't know how I missed this. Great job . I'm still waiting for the trailer fairy to put a trailer frame underneath my pillow. In other word no $$$ for anything now.

Have fun and take your time.

Mandy

[2bits]

and DANG man, thats a lot of poly/sand/stain!!!

I have promised to carve pumpkins tonight, so another night will go by with no TD work...more tomorrow night I am sure. but it sure is gettin cold out there!

It's getting chilly here too... I am swapping engines in my truck today and then, it will be back to Teardrop time! Yeah on those cabinets, that was only SIDE 1!

[b.bodemer]

Keep it up Mandy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lookin' Good!

Barb

[Mary K]

Who is that Masked Teardrop Builder?


The time you are taking now for the cpes will give you peace of mind on down the road.

Mk

[rhltechie]

Thanks all for the support!

The time you are taking now for the cpes will give you peace of mind on down the road.

I sure hope so! i have been racking my brain and the brain of others to try and make sure i dont end up with a rotted mess below my floor!

[80turbota]

[quote="rhltechie"]Well, this is my first official day of actually working on the TD, and boy let me tell you...i am pooped!!!

so


Who in the world cut that!!






I swear...this cutting thing takes a little getting used to, but this aint nothing a little rubber mallet can't handle!!


I had to laugh at the cut on that one. My wood cutting has never been the greatest. I am always to short. No matter how many times I cut it.
Looks like you are well on your way. I will be glad when I can actually get started on my build rather than making my parts list.
Keep up with the good work and keep posting, I am learning as you go along.hehe

[rhltechie]

So I spend another 6 hours or so working on the TD today. I still feel a little like I am moving along at a snails pace but I am starting to be ok with it. Everytime I think about moving on faster, I hold back and say..hmm..well, if i just wait to do this at the right time it will probably work out better.

So last monday I got all the wood cut covered in CPES, which seemed to take forever! So today, I expected to get the floor completely done. Yet again the TD world slaps me across the face and says, "did you REALLY think you were going to get all of that done today??"

So what I did get done, was to put the frame together and get the floor attached to it.

This is me cheating I guess. I made marks on my wood while it was on the frame so I could take it off of the frame and put it back together without having to measure.



I am putting the frame together off of the trailer because of the whole angle iron thing. I will do the frame and attach the floor to the frame, seal it and undercoat it, THEN put it back on the trailer to bolt down.

this is one of MANY of the pocket holes i clamped today.



My new best friend:



So I am happily going along with my frame today and I measure at every crossmember board to make sure everything is ok. well, I get to one measure down the road and the width of the frame is 1/8 of an inch too much. i happen to remember when I cut the wood I did have to "muscle" one of the members in and realized it was pushing my frame out. I knew it wouldnt fit, even with an 1/8 of an inch. The frame was extremely tight on the trailer already. Not to mention, that 1/8 turned into 1/4 at the next measurement somehow! Well, my biggest lesson learned today, all the right tools really help. First, I tried taking that 1/8 of an inch off with my jig saw....haha, can any of you imagine that?! so then I happen to think about the little band file that i picked up friday for another job. I cranked that little guy up and 1/8 of an inch was gone in seconds! My little life saver today. I dont have a belt sander yet, but this thing worked great for small areas.



I moved on and all the measurements were falling back into place. One of my pocket holes:




My frame all pocket holed together and waiting to be glued.



I put my titebond on all the member and put the plywood down. These are my fancy weights:



My work area...gets messy so quickly!



So I thought I would get all of this done AND get the undercoat on AND get it bolted...oh well, the TD gods laughed at me today I did drill the pilot holes for my floor screws, but really wanted to let the glue dry over night. I will probably put another coat of CPES over the entire thing tomorrow night.

Lesson learned today:

1. PATIENCE PATIENCE PATIENCE - so hard for me
2. tools are really important
3. do it right the first time and you wont have to spend 2 hours trying to take an 1/8 of an inch off somewhere

till next time TD lovers

[toypusher]

Looking good, Mandy!!

Are you undercoating it with the black goo (Asphalt emulsion)? If so, you will want to let it dry for a day or so before putting everything on the trailer. Also, don't forget to seal the bolt holes from fastening it down. I used polyurethene caulk between the trailer and floor frames and also put some in the bottom of each bolt hole that I drilled through the wood to keep it sealed.

[planovet]

Lesson learned today:

1. PATIENCE PATIENCE PATIENCE - so hard for me
2. tools are really important
3. do it right the first time and you wont have to spend 2 hours trying to take an 1/8 of an inch off somewhere

All valuable lessions for sure. I've been working on mine for 5 months, patience is something I have had to learn over time. Nice work.

[rhltechie]

Are you undercoating it with the black goo (Asphalt emulsion)? If so, you will want to let it dry for a day or so before putting everything on the trailer. Also, don't forget to seal the bolt holes from fastening it down. I used polyurethene caulk between the trailer and floor frames and also put some in the bottom of each bolt hole that I drilled through the wood to keep it sealed.

Yeah, I am using the black goo. I figured after I put it on it would take a few days to dry. When you say seal the bolt holes, do you mean with cpes or this caulk you are talking about? Put caulk between the trailer and the floor frame, not sure I understand that part. I understand putting some in the bolt hole...very good advice..not sure i had thought that far.

[toypusher]

Are you undercoating it with the black goo (Asphalt emulsion)? If so, you will want to let it dry for a day or so before putting everything on the trailer. Also, don't forget to seal the bolt holes from fastening it down. I used polyurethene caulk between the trailer and floor frames and also put some in the bottom of each bolt hole that I drilled through the wood to keep it sealed.

Yeah, I am using the black goo. I figured after I put it on it would take a few days to dry. When you say seal the bolt holes, do you mean with cpes or this caulk you are talking about? Put caulk between the trailer and the floor frame, not sure I understand that part. I understand putting some in the bolt hole...very good advice..not sure i had thought that far.

Your wood frame is setting down in the trailer frame, right? Now that I remember that, it might be best to NOT use the caulk between the metal and wood. You might want to drill the holes and then put CPES in them, but I would also recommend that you put cauld or maybe some black goo in them to prevent water from seeping.