Lady builder**building first tear

[Miriam C.]

Way to go Dana! Now you need to take a nap in the floor with the sides up. Just for fit you understand.

[MsDana]

:applause: Way to go Dana! Now you need to take a nap in the floor with the sides up. Just for fit you understand.

Miriam...yessss...does sitting inside in a lawnchair count..cause i did that already.

[MsDana]

Help Ive got some questions ..Pleeeeezzzz?
Im making a woody..and Id like the wood to be nice.

1. what is the thinnest wood I can use on the roof? Could I actually use weather resistant luan. 1/4 inch ply seems sooo thick and then there is 1/8th. Im trying to keep this oversize tear as lite as i can.

2. would it be better to have a seam down the middle(my trailer is over 6' wide) or will the ply or luan bend the short way. Down near the tail, ive got a pretty severe turn to make. I know I can wet it with boiling water..i think

3.Now I have seams to seal. Good glue..do I need to do fiberglass and tape or can I just put on many layers of minwax Helmsman spar poly. I feel like the glass will mess up my finish.

4. Or do I give up and put medal on top..I know I can lap that.

Dana

[swissarmygirl]

Help Ive got some questions ..Pleeeeezzzz?
Im making a woody..and Id like the wood to be nice.

1. what is the thinnest wood I can use on the roof? Could I actually use weather resistant luan. 1/4 inch ply seems sooo thick and then there is 1/8th. Im trying to keep this oversize tear as lite as i can.

2. would it be better to have a seam down the middle(my trailer is over 6' wide) or will the ply or luan bend the short way. Down near the tail, ive got a pretty severe turn to make. I know I can wet it with boiling water..i think

3.Now I have seams to seal. Good glue..do I need to do fiberglass and tape or can I just put on many layers of minwax Helmsman spar poly. I feel like the glass will mess up my finish.

4. Or do I give up and put medal on top..I know I can lap that.

Dana

Hi Dana,
The only question I feel "qualified" to answer is #2.
I used 1/4 inch ply and I had no problem bending it the short way. Of course you would have a seam to deal with either way, just depends where that seam is going to be. It just made more sense to me to do it this way.
Since I was painting mine, I didn't have to worry about making sure the seams looked pretty, so I'm not sure how to help you there.

[nevadatear]

I Have pictures!!!! I test fitted my new sides yesterday. They still need sanding..stain and poly...Oh and I have to make a door and some windows..

Ta Dah

http://tnttt.com/album_ ... c_id=48090

http://tnttt.com/album_ ... c_id=48091

I like it! your profile is very similar to ours



fiberglass outside, poly inside. Our first experience with fiberglass!

[MsDana]

Hello Nevada Tear!! I like your style Im not sure what you call it but I really liked the cub and the slumber coach(i think) But ne way I just drew it out wit some string an a pencil.
Thank You!

Dana

[MsDana]

Thanks for the help so far.....but pleezzzz! I still need help.

Dana

[Geron]

Help Ive got some questions ..Pleeeeezzzz?
Im making a woody..and Id like the wood to be nice.

1. what is the thinnest wood I can use on the roof? Could I actually use weather resistant luan. 1/4 inch ply seems sooo thick and then there is 1/8th. Im trying to keep this oversize tear as lite as i can.

2. would it be better to have a seam down the middle(my trailer is over 6' wide) or will the ply or luan bend the short way. Down near the tail, ive got a pretty severe turn to make. I know I can wet it with boiling water..i think

3.Now I have seams to seal. Good glue..do I need to do fiberglass and tape or can I just put on many layers of minwax Helmsman spar poly. I feel like the glass will mess up my finish.

4. Or do I give up and put medal on top..I know I can lap that.

Dana

Dana,

I used 1/8" bendy ply for my top/roof/ceiling (heck, you can't keep that stuff from bending ) with about 3 coats of epoxy(RAKA brand), 3 coats marine primers and 3 coats of marine topside paint from West Marine in Marietta. That was about 3 years ago and never regretted using 1/8 inch. With Spars appropriately placed 1/8 is fine. In addition if you insulate the ceiling/roof and trim the foam close to the spars/edge you have the additional support for the 1/8" ply from the foam insulation.

If you are 6 ft wide the bendy birch IIRC comes in 5x5 (check though, I may be remembering the Baltic Birch dimensions - not the bendy birch.) bought it at this place off the Perimeter:
http://www.hardwoodweb.com/distribution/awpc.cfm

Watch them load it!!!!!!!!! Tried to load some "crap" past me when I bought (OK maybe it wasn't intentional and maybe I was real "picky")

Hiding seams: -- seems (Punny ) like covering the seam with trim and sealant solves both problems and "seems" like that's one of the better solutions for a woody seam/seems.

If you seam down the middle of the trailer you'll have the radiuses (OK, OK, Radii) to deal with. Not a major problem but still more complicated and crosswise. Crosswise you could have little dams that could collect water. Tradeoff.

HTH's FWIW.

g

Oh, weather resistant luan: That's almost like discussing Relig/Politics/gun control/abortion. Many and varied opinions with some emotion involved. If properly sealed from the weather you could probably get by with a good grade of tissue paper.

[MsDana]

Geron...Thank You a bunch..that cleared things up a bit.
Ive also been reading up on glassing ..and im gonna go for it on the top..not sure about the sides. I picked up a new project ..for after this one. I am doing a restore on an older 19' Renken. Drive train (if i can call it that) seems to work. But there is NO interior.. So Im rebuilding it floor up...glass is good on it...This one is a family project. Thanks Again

Dana

[MsDana]

Soooo I have a lot more done. Sides are up..interior is well underway...ceiling is in..roof is almost on. I just need it to stop raining so I can do some more.
Dana

[Cliffmeister2000]

Sounds great, Ms Dana. How about some pics?

[MsDana]

Im wondering....can I just seal the roof edges with spar varnish..spar poly...before I put the wooden trim up..or is there some kind of "tape" or rubber I can put under the wood to help? Its a woody. And Im still not sure if Im gonna epoxy the roof or just poly the heck outa it.

[MsDana]

Sounds great, Ms Dana. How about some pics?

I will get some pictures up this weekend. Its under a tarp and plastic right now. It is raining again! I like your trailer..tis really cool! Im working on this project without a garage so its a little tricky. Oh and I saw the nail through the finger trick. I did that to myself one time. I was using a finish nailer to put some cabinets together(I was holding the material together at the same time) and I nailed myself to the cabinet..went all the way thru The best part was pulling my finger off the cabinet. HaHa..yup Ive done some dumb things. Thats what happens when you get in a hurry..or your blonde

[Geron]

Im wondering....can I just seal the roof edges with spar varnish..spar poly...before I put the wooden trim up..or is there some kind of "tape" or rubber I can put under the wood to help? Its a woody. And Im still not sure if Im gonna epoxy the roof or just poly the heck outa it.

I believe I'd put a bead of some type of Caulk under the trim at the very least - Polyurethane is my favorite. Use gloves - - It will NOT come off your hands except with TIME.

Butyl tape (They have it down at Ace Hdwe) is used to seal vents and windows. It compresses well and squeezes out of the joint and is real easy to clean up. Really don't have experience using butyl under trim (wood on wood) --- whadayathink -- the rest of you'uns?

Some one else will have to speak to the Spar issue.

g
[edited]
Sorry, you said the "roof edges." (can't read this early). A good Polyurethane glue on the edges then seal/caulk the heck out of the trim oughta do it.

[Miriam C.]

Im wondering....can I just seal the roof edges with spar varnish..spar poly...before I put the wooden trim up..or is there some kind of "tape" or rubber I can put under the wood to help? Its a woody. And Im still not sure if Im gonna epoxy the roof or just poly the heck outa it.

Dana you can poly but remember that you are gluing to what ever you put there. I personally think a few layers of epoxy or cpes........