Build of a Teardop in Glasgow, Scotland.

[Rigsby]

Top job Al, wont be long till its time to camp
steve

[Miriam C.]

Looks like a very well built Teardrop! Summer will be here soon!

[BigAl]

Thanks guys and gals for your kind words. I've also had lots of positive comments from passers by. People have been driving over and stopping for a good look. Too many to count and almost all complete strangers.

Yesterday a small car stuffed with five young lads stopped by and asked what I was building. "We thought you were building a wooden car!" They said whilst leaning out of their car.
Hmmm, a wooden car? I explained what it actually is to them and they were full of compliments before driving off.

Last weekend, an elderly gentleman stopped by and asked what I was doing. After I explained, he wished me well and offered to lend me any tools I might need and that if I needed any wood to be turned he would give me access to his three lathes.

There is something about these little trailers that brings out the best in people. :)

[jackdaw]

Thanks guys and gals for your kind words. I've also had lots of positive comments from passers by. People have been driving over and stopping for a good look. Too many to count and almost all complete strangers.

Yesterday a small car stuffed with five young lads stopped by and asked what I was building. "We thought you were building a wooden car!" They said whilst leaning out of their car.
Hmmm, a wooden car? I explained what it actually is to them and they were full of compliments before driving off.

Last weekend, an elderly gentleman stopped by and asked what I was doing. After I explained, he wished me well and offered to lend me any tools I might need and that if I needed any wood to be turned he would give me access to his three lathes.

There is something about these little trailers that brings out the best in people.

I'll second that Al It's the joys of building on the drive.
Best get used to the attention too. We've had loads of people take photos of the trailer when we're on the motorway, along with big smiles and thumbs up Not to mention the trailer tours at campsites.....

Happy building fella

Dave

[BigAl]

Ok since we last talked, I have built the double glazed windows from White Oak for the framing and Lexan for the glazing. The double glazed units come apart for cleaning and condensation removal. Think of single glazing with a screwed on storm window.

The miters are terrible, don't look too closely at all the wood filler...

[BigAl]

Yesterday I half built the doors and the door jams. The doors are a similar sandwich to the walls. i.e framing, foam and an outer ply on each face.



Those nasty screws will be covered by the interior lining, whatever it may be.
I needed so many screws because my framing is 20mm and my foam is 25mm. I thought it would be easy to compress the foam a little, but it needs lots of fastenings. :( Next time, if there is one, I will use framing that matches the foam.

[BigAl]

Finally the doors are on and the windows fitted. The Lexan really attracts a static charge, then sawdust sticks to it. Hmm! Was this a bad choice of materials?

I have no hardware for the doors or the windows yet. What a lot of work to make your own doors and windows. A full weekend of work in fact.

That is almost all the exterior woodworking complete. I still need to build the battery box and then I will give all the woodwork something to protect it from the rain.

I have earned myself a single malt, methinks! Now should I have the 16 year old Auchentoshan or the 10 year old Talisker?

[jackdaw]

Al your trialers comming on a treat.... it's looking well sweet fella.

On the door / insulation situation, Would it be worth running a hot wire flush with your framing to reduce the tickness of the insulation, and stop the buldging ? It may bug you forever if the're not as good as the rest of the build.... If you think you can hide it ..fair enough.. but it would be a shame to spoil it when theres an easy fix ..... You know what i meen ?

Cheers Dave

[BigAl]

Hi Dave, You are absolutely correct. It will bug me every time that I look at it. I'm going to unscrew that panel and if I can find the Ni-Chrome wire that I have somewhere I will trim it down with that or else I will put the belt sander on the foam. White eyebrows, here I come!

[es009d7705]

Hi Al, Evan here from Airdrie. Wow you seem to be ratlin through that tear of yours . Its hard to believe you only started in jan looking at what you have accomplished. I started last summer and have only managed to get the sides up and I am hoping to be ready for the School summer holidays. I had a similar problem trying to find the right ply for the roof and the cheapest bendy ply I was quoted was about £32.00 so I would be interested to know where you got your 5mm bendy ply from. I used 4mm ply for the inside but went round about five suppliers before I got a decent one that was bendy enough for around £6.32 a sheet. Your tear is looking good and I look forward to seeing it when it is finished. Evan. ps. what about a Scottish chapter = TTT = The Tartan Tears.

[absolutsnwbrdr]

Nice progress Al! Its starting to come together!

[BigAl]

Thanks a lot Zach, I am following your build with interest. :)

Nice to hear from you Ewan I am only a few miles from you. I am battering through the build in a hope to be ready for late May. Do you have a build thread?

I used regular WBP 5.5mm ply for the roof and it really put up a fight. Although roofing the trailer would have been easier with an assistant. Even though it was difficult, I would use it again. I would have bought Marine ply but couldn't source it that thin.

I bent it 'dry' with no steaming soaking or heating.



My supplier was McNair Building and Timber Merchants. I think it was 6 or 7 quid per sheet. 3.6mm WBP is around 5 quid per sheet. You might also try Beatsons in Cumbernauld.

I'm all for a Scottish chapter. it might help other local builders source materials.

[es009d7705]

Hi Al, Evan here with a V thanks for the info. I did manage to get some 4mm from Rembrant timber in Coatbridge but had been round a few before I found one that was flexible enough. In answer to your question I only have my photos in my album on this forum. I have quite a few on my camera but havent worked out how to download the latest ones without having to download the lot incld holiday snaps as well. As for the build journal well thats another story. Maybe I should ask the grandkids as I am only self taught on the computer. I have a neighbour like your old guy and every time he sees my light on at the side of the house he pops in to see the progress and offer tools, god I could sell him tools. Anyway he did turn out usefull as he was able to get me some fibreglass resin from his father in law. My plans by the way were only a rough guide[very rough] and have changed somewhat. I used 10 x 5 sheets instead of 8 x 4 rs but I am getting there. Ev.

[BigAl]

Hi Evan, I had a look at your album. Looks like you are off to a great start. I really liked your boat too. Looks like a Grand Banks Dory?

I have a bit of an obsession with boats, particularly self-build. I've build some ply canoes, rebuilt a Mirror dinghy. My next project will be a D4 Pram Dinghy to take with me when I go camping in the trailer.

I wish I had found a source 10 x 5 ply. Did you buy that from Rembrant Timber too? What kind of ply is it WBP, Marine? How much?

[es009d7705]

Hi Al, I managed to get the 10x5 sheets from East end Sawmills but they had to order them in. I am glad you liked the album photos I had been meaning to update them. So when I got your answer I tried to upload some new photos and blew up my computer. I got the quote to fix it and nearly had an Annie Roony £105 its going to cost to fix. I was told it was the mother board and I will loose every thing on it. I just hope I have most of the stuff on my backup disc. Anyway I will hopefully get thigs updated next weekend and if I get stuck I can ask the grandweins, speak to you soon, Ev