Cookie cutter profile

[cuyeda]

Grant,

A great idea for people that are designed challenged for details. Perhaps you could offer full sized profiles of the cookie cutter concept!

The benefits are several:
• weight savings over solid plywood walls
• easy insulation without overly thick walls
• all the strength of a solid sheet of plywood without all of the weight
• ease of construction over stick-framing or built-up walls

Typically, a layer of paneling is glued on the inside of the wall, then the walls & cabinetry & floor are assembled, then a 1/4" layer of luan or plywood is glued over the outside (after the insulation is in place) and the outside aluminum skin is glued to that.

You can start with 1/2" plywood, or 5/8", or 3/4" ... depends on the thickness of your paneling and how you choose to skin the outside. I like 1/2" when I go with 1/4" & 1/4", but will go with 5/8" if I go 1/8" & 1/4" (keeping my walls as close to 1" as possible).

There are other methods, but it's what's been working for me for almost 25 years!

CHEERS!

Grant

[aggie79]

Grant,

A great idea for people that are designed challenged for details. Perhaps you could offer full sized profiles of the cookie cutter concept!

The full-sized profiles would be great for a lot of us. Shipping a 4'x8'-10' panel though would be cost prohibitive. What may work is making the template in smaller pieces - say 4'x2' - with keys that interlock like a puzzle so the profile could be assembled at home.

Maybe someone with a wood cnc router could knock these out pretty quickly in 1/4" mdf material.

[cuyeda]

I was thinking more of a paper template. Grant provides full sized templates drawn on thick paper. Cut or trace the outlines out, tape it to plywood, either cut or retrace the outline. Voila! You now have the locations of door, window, bulk head, counter top framework. Grant also includes a basic frame, and axle placement.

Design decisions can be done by anyone, but for someone who wants a jumping off point of reference, templates take the guess work out so you can start making sawdust!

[grant whipp]

Grant,

A great idea for people that are designed challenged for details. Perhaps you could offer full sized profiles of the cookie cutter concept! ...

I was thinking more of a paper template. Grant provides full sized templates drawn on thick paper. Cut or trace the outlines out, tape it to plywood, either cut or retrace the outline. Voila! You now have the locations of door, window, bulk head, counter top framework. Grant also includes a basic frame, and axle placement.

Design decisions can be done by anyone, but for someone who wants a jumping off point of reference, templates take the guess work out so you can start making sawdust!

Cliff is right ... I already offer the full-size paper profile/patterns. And while I could also include details for the cut-out placements (it would be very time consuming), I find it easier to walk the buyer through the process with reasonably decent verbal/written instructions. I like to think my profile/patterns are basic starting points that folks can use to change and/or expand upon, and that the basic cabinetry locations are merely suggestions ... if one wanted to include something else or delete something, then hard-copy cut-out lines would have to be re-drawn.

I don't mind doing it if someone wants me to, they just need to realize that I can't do it for the $45.00 base price ...

Hope everyone is having a Happy Holiday Season, and as always ...

CHEERS!

Grant

[Breytie]

All this talk about pros and cons and interlocking pieces got me thinking (which by itself is highly dangerous!).

How about a semi-cookie cutter structure? I am thinking about cutting the main curves of the profile in 2 pieces for each side from a single sheet of 3/4" ply. The rest of the sheet gets ripped into straight strips to do rest of the framing.

Find a way to interlock all the pieces, assemble and attach onto a 1/8" ply sheet.

Fill the spaces with 3/4" insulation and cover the whole lot with the other 1/8" ply sheet.

That does away with the slow process of shaping pieces of framing to the outer curves.

Combine with a floor of 3/8" ply, 3/4" poly and chroma-deck belly and it should make for fairly light TD. Good only for tar and good gravel roads, but that is ok by me and 1400 Corsa TV.

[afreegreek]

All this talk about pros and cons and interlocking pieces got me thinking (which by itself is highly dangerous!).

How about a semi-cookie cutter structure? I am thinking about cutting the main curves of the profile in 2 pieces for each side from a single sheet of 3/4" ply. The rest of the sheet gets ripped into straight strips to do rest of the framing.

Find a way to interlock all the pieces, assemble and attach onto a 1/8" ply sheet. .

this a is a common method used in my trade and works very well.. if you're going to glue one or both of the panels to the frame you don't need any joinery.. butt joints will be plenty strong.. however, if all you're going to do is screw or staple the panels you need some sort of joint reenforcement.. half laps or splines are good, if you have a biscuit jointer or pocket hole jig you could use those too..

[Forrest747]

.. half laps or splines are good, if you have a biscuit jointer or pocket hole jig you could use those too..

Yeah not to hijack my own thread, I plan on splines for the roof. I have never done them but seems pretty straight forward. I plan on assembling the roof one panel at a time with three panels total. I also plan on losing some of the weight by using my plane and router. I just couldnt pass up the cheap plywood. i am sure i will have enough sawdust in the garage to laydown in a texas roadhouse bar.

[afreegreek]

.. half laps or splines are good, if you have a biscuit jointer or pocket hole jig you could use those too..

Yeah not to hijack my own thread, I plan on splines for the roof. I have never done them but seems pretty straight forward. I plan on assembling the roof one panel at a time with three panels total. I also plan on losing some of the weight by using my plane and router. I just couldnt pass up the cheap plywood. i am sure i will have enough sawdust in the garage to laydown in a texas roadhouse bar.

splines are great and are pretty easy pickin's.. the thing you have to be careful of is making the groove too small. what feels like a good fit during a dry assembly can turn into a fit that's too tight once you apply glue.. generally I test a fit by folding a dollar bill over the spline and inserting it into the groove.. if you need to apply some pressure to get them to go together it's too tight.. it's also a good idea to relieve the edges of the spline and the slot to help get things started.. you don't need much, just knock off the sharp corners..

[Forrest747]

thanks for the advice