My design attempt

[RC]

Well, I still don't know what I want to build. I was dinking around and came up with this. It is 3.5 feet tall, and 7 feet long. It is going to be used by generally one person only (me). There will be no galley, as I want this to be as light as possible. It will be fitting on a Harbor Freight 3.5 X 4 foot trailer. It will be slightly less than 4 feet wide.

My biggest question is, can 1/8 panelling be wrapped around the lower rear curve without splitting, or is the bend too tight?

I really like the teardrop shape, the more that I look at it.

[Guest]

Hey RC
ECV, eh? I'd put some sort of barbeque or something to cook with and take it to "Functions"
Are you gonna put the Whahoo Man in there too?

[Arne]

I used a 2.5 ft. radius on the front of mine, and the 1/8" fought me all the way....... it might go if you wet it, use ropes and boards (under the ropes, across the ply) and put a cleat across the bottom (temp till the blue dries and the ply finally gives in to its new shape)...

If you look in my album, I think it shows the cleat across the bottom of my front bottom edge.

After using an air gun to brad the front (while the piece stuck out in the air), I used sheet rock screws and put a cleat across the bottom, right through the ply, to keep it from popping off while I used the ropes (and my bro) to pull the piece down... and it wasn't easy.... use lots of glue.

On the back, which is flat from the bottom up 15" I put a cleat across at about the 1 foot point to keep the bottom from popping off.....

Yours will be time consuming, require planning, and I'm glad it's you and not me.../g/

[RC]

Hey RC
ECV, eh? I'd put some sort of barbeque or something to cook with and take it to "Functions"
Are you gonna put the Whahoo Man in there too?

I don't think I need to cook, because all the doin's I go to are pretty well catered (although a good cup of coffee the morning after is always nice). About the only thing I would bring is a washing machine tub fire pit.

[RC]

Hey RC

Are you gonna put the Whahoo Man in there too?

How about this instead?

[RC]

Yours will be time consuming, require planning, and I'm glad it's you and not me.../g/

Thanks for the feedback. Sounds like I either need to reconsider the shape, or come up with something besides plywood to use for the skinning.

I will be painting the entire thing, so UV protection will not be a consideration. Any suggestions for an alternative to 1/8 plywood?

[Guest]

RC,
I like the Wahoo Man better... much better.

[RC]

Actually Dean, I was thinking of putting the bucking jackass on the back end of it.

[Guest]

Ahh Yes...
The Hewgag! That will look pretty good.

[Arne]

There is a pic of my tear in my album... the front bend was tedious to do.... anything tighter would require some thinking.

The pic now has the door installed... and there is a pic of the interior.

[Guest]

Arne,
That's lookin' great!!
Please slow down the pace, you're making us slowpokes look really bad!
(Just Kiddin')

[RC]

There is a pic of my tear in my album... the front bend was tedious to do.... anything tighter would require some thinking.

The pic now has the door installed... and there is a pic of the interior.

Wow!!! That looks like a lot easier bend than what I am trying to do. Maybe I need to reconsider the size and shape of my teardrop.

BUMMER

[Arne]

Dean, I'm on a mission..!

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re the bend. On a narrow piece (one piece was full width, 48", the other was 15" (total trailer width is 63")). The 15" was pretty easy, but the full width took a lot of effort, as mentioned using ropes over the top and 2x4's across... without the boards, there was a good chance the ply would have broken.

I think the bend you want is possible, but soak it first and do it gradually.... And you will definitely need a cleat across the bottom while building. You will either pull your fasteners out or you will wind up with ridges across the bottom unless you put a screw every 1-1/2 inches.

[RC]

Thanks Arne,
Any thoughts on using something other than 1/8 plywood?

[Arne]

Other than metal, no. ... I used 1/8 because 1/4 wouldn't make the bend (I assumed), so I doubled up the 1/8..

I still think you could probably do it if you finessed the 1/8.

apply the 1/8 at the bottom, but a cleat across and screw right through the ply. Wet the ply, let it sit... put 2 ropes from the axle, around the ply over the roof to the front. Put a couple of 2x4's across the ply and start to pull it into place. You can go as far as you can, then let it sit over night or at least a couple of hours, and rewet and keep pulling. I think it would work, but it isn't a 1/2 hour job. I"ll bet it will take you a day, unless you are lucky..... this is uncharted waters for me, but I still think you can pull it off, but the key word is.......... patience.