Thrifty Alternatives ..Building Foam Campers

[eaglesdare]

still not moving much. stomach surgeries are not the easiest things to recoup from. but 4 folks from the tearjerkers group are coming in tonight. and 3 more tomorrow.

so we should beable to get the shell done, and maybe start on some canvas skinning.

i will beable to take pics. hope things gone well on your end gpw. i'll catch up with you when i can. not sure how much over the weekend i will beable to pop in.

[GPW]

Eagle, Your recovery is now the most important thing !!! Don't over do it !!! There's always time for trailer building, once you're better !!

Now I saw it mentioned in other threads the uncertainty of using "cloth" over foam ... Well if you're thinking of bed sheets or kitchen doilies ...maybe yes...I'd be concerned. But I plan on a fairly heavy canvas covering over the foam ... the skin is the strength !!! ... and although it won't be as strong as fiberglass would , it'll do the job with much less expense and mess...
A material well proven on many a canoe and antique travel trailer ..canvas seems to be the Thrifty Alternative...

[Wolffarmer]

What I saw he was using 200 thread count. Might go the luxury route and use 400 count. Heavy canvas will use up a whole lot of glue adding to cost and weight. Of course 400 thread is not cheap either but they sure do last a long time.

Randy

[GPW]

Wolf , I think some might have taken me wrong about the glue and canvas thing ... The glues is just rolled on and then the canvas/cloth/ bedsheet is just pressed on ... The glue is ONLY used for basic attachment to the foam .... The outer surface of the canvas/whatever is still raw... The Paint covers and seals that !!! NOT like fiberglass where we have to saturate the fabric with the resin ... I bought a gallon of T2 , figured by the time I thin that out 50/50 I'd have more than enough glue ... and the canvas is not THAT heavy , not like an old farm tarp , more the kind we paint on (which is why I already have so much) ... probably about 4-5 times thicker than a bed sheet ...

[Ageless]

Aha! I thought I was beginning to detect an old construction method. Many moons ago they would build canoes with canvas stretched over the framework then apply several coats of lacquer to seal it all up.

[GPW]

Ageless, yeah , this is Vintage stuff ... nothing new here cept' the foam ... Guessing all this is pre fiberglass... you remember pre fiberglass huh ??? That was back when digital calculators were fingers and toes ...

[Conestoga]

inspired by this thread, i made a table using the glued fabric method.
fresh pix in my album.

my recipe:
20 x 31" plywood scrap 1/2" thick (1291 square inches of surface area)
approx. 12 ounces of titebond III
retired flannel bedsheet
a coat of paint to cover up the resulting unappetizing colors
some camper parts pillaged from the local scrapyard

[GPW]

Toga'... COOL Table !!!

Guys , THIN the Glue!!!! ... It spreads better and it's much stronger than it needs to be even 50-50... More economical that way and it soaks in better too

[Ageless]

Yea . . .pre-FG; way back when I started at Boeing . . .wood spars and fabric covering

[Conestoga]

Toga'... COOL Table !!!

Guys , THIN the Glue!!!! ... It spreads better and it's much stronger than it needs to be even 50-50... More economical that way and it soaks in better too

very good advice.
on the edges where i laid the glue on thick it turned out completely
saturated like you see with fiberglass and resin. which was pretty cool
'cause it made durable corners and edges on my table. but the paint
doesn't seem to stick as well on them. (one weeks of constant use so far)
i'm guessing the underlayer of glue was enough to waterproof the wood,
assuming the glue lives up to its reputation. ?
i thinned the glue i used for the outer application to make it easy to paint
onto the flannel, and that was about 40% glue. however that's where i
used the majority of the glue, because the flannel was thirsty.

[Conestoga]

. . .wood spars and fabric covering...

sounds like a sailing vessel to me :-)

hello Ageless!

[Ageless]

Well . . . .

there are some that say I was in the Navy with Capt. Noah on the ARK-1

[GPW]

Ageless, wood spars and fabric covering ... Now would that be on both wings ....

[eaglesdare]

i am so glad you mentioned how to apply the glue. i am getting real close to the laying canvas stage.

although, i am now working on a hybrid teardrop. but i have a teardrop coming together real nice.

there were 6 people who came by this weekend to help out. i have a hatch, and a bunk bed in there, under the bunkbed is storage and a pull out and up counter.

i'll post some pics later today or tomorrow.

[GPW]

WHOA!!! Somebody (s) been BUSY !!! Can't wait to see the pics ...


Eagle , I'm cutting/trimming my canvas with pinking shears to help with that loose thread business .. Just FYI


I'm clearing out my shed today so we can start on the assembly ... running behind schedule due to "circumstances" ...