FoamStream...

[GPW]

Gosh , I’m going to have to get BUSY to keep up with Vinnie !!! With the ribs cut , I won’t have any excuses ... Good thing the weather is getting a little cooler and we can work outside ... The FS is too BIG to build in my Studio ... Gotta’ drag out the new trailer , do a little cleaning and painting ... it’s galvanized , but the add ons are not and naturally are Rusted... .. Plenty to do ...

Ps. Vinnie seems to think the 3/4” birch ply would be fine for ribs and with all the lightening holes should be pretty light...and easier to glue and attach to the stringers... Should be much Stronger than the thinner ply I was planning on using ... Any opinions on that ???

[Wobbly Wheels]

JMHO, but I think 3/4 is overkill. The body shape is giving you an arch that whose strength will probably exceed what the ribs bring to the table. That said, 5 ribs @ 3/4" isn't going to add THAT much extra weight, especially if you're hanging stuff off it.

Can't wait to see what Vinnie's come up with!

[GPW]

W2, I have to agree, it does seem like a bit much , although it will be Strong ... I checked around at the usual plywood sources , HD has it but the reviews are pretty bad, Loew’s doesn’t give you much info .. I may have to go to a Real lumberyard and pay the bucks for a void free piece.. Might as well do it right !!! That and I’ve had nothing but bad experiences with the Box store plywood ...
Odd , the half inch ply isn’t much cheaper , just a few bucks /sheet ... Going to Vinnie’s Thurs. We’ll see what he’s come up with .... he said he was going to do a test rib first ...
Considering getting a little brad /nail gun for this project , sure would speed up assembly ... Just Glue and shoot ...
Now have to find some Oak for the trailer cross runners , the plan is to attach those to the trailer and then nail and glue the cedar floor boards longwise for the floor (old timer style) .... Going for the cheap cedar fence boards 6’ long , so will have to do some staggering ... I was just going to run them through Vinnie’s big joiner , get the edges right for a close fit .. then cover all that with some Lino... and a rug(s) ... Drop the frame on that , attach , add the foam and skin .. paint , trim and we’re done ... then it’s new rims and tires ... and the interior ... Trying to keep it spacious , only so much room , so very little cabinetry ... and lots of places to hang stuff ... no hard points needed ... KISS applied here...

OMG!!! Just showed the wife, and she was agreeable ...

[eaglesdare]

[GPW]

Eagle , once the wife agrees , that door is now Open to proceed ... Things really coming together now .... took long enough eh ???

[KCStudly]

GO MAN, GO!!!

Re: Plywood thickness - MHO is that the 1/2 inch is more than adequate. It is merely a form to roll the foam over and a nifty coat hook. It is your build. Even though your friend is doing you a favor, hold to your convictions unless he is able to make a justified argument (i.e. he can supply the thicker material at a discount, the 1/2 sample seems wimpy, etc.).

[wagondude]

I was thinking 1/2" as well. Actually, it is probably over kill also. If your only hanging stuff like clothes and the heavy stuff will be in compartments, cabinets and totes, 1/4 or 3/8 would probably be plenty for most of the ribs. 3/4 could be used for those that might support shelves or cabinets.

[GPW]

Guys , just got a message from V...
"in a 20x39 we can get 3 arcs that make up the upper portion in a 9.5 x 43.5 we can pull the two uprights. You want to figure out your material list ? “ ( a test? ) I’m thinking one sheet should do it ... schmaybe’???

Yet to buy the ply ... searching for some Better stuff , not HD or L Chinese void filled .... I think he only mentioned 3/4” because he had some on hand for testing ... I originally thought 3/8” would be OK , but 1/2” would be fine .... Have to see what I can come up with ... Have to go to a real lumberyard , and while I’m there can get the Oak and the Cedar fence (floor) boards ...

[GPW]

New message says Two sheets of Ply .... That’s fine with me ...

[Wobbly Wheels]

I use a lot of fir marine ply in boats. It's great stuff to work with: solid wood plugs rather than putty (even on the inner plies) and of course waterproof glues, etc (BSS1088). Here, a sheet of 3/8 is about $75. With that stuff, I'd happily go with 1/4" for your ribs...though it can be harder to find.

Of course...you could have him to two for each one and laminate them into a foam/ply sandwich...

[GPW]

W2, I’ll have to see what the Budget can afford ... Sure, I’d like to use the very best materials , but being Retired means moderate spending ... but it’s good to have Friends .... I think this CNC thing would cost a small fortune if I had to pay for the software layout and machine time ...

[GPW]

Well, today is the day .... Rib Day ... much anticipated ... I’ll be there when he opens (09:00) ... Bringing my camera ...

Planning my floor , found some cedar fence boards at Loew’s , 1” X 6” X 6’ ...for < $2.00 each ... square ends ... figured we need 12 boards across , for 6’wide, and double that for the length and nose ... staggered on the Oak cross runners ... Around 50 USD ... same as a sheet of plywood , and no delamination' ... Slobber some of “the mix’ over everything , coat the bottom with the black Nasty stuff and we should be good for a Loooong time ..

Going to check next door to Vinnie’s , a wooden shutter manufacturer, he has tons of old pallets ... thinking I can scrounge the Oak from him ... he wants a Hat , so maybe we can make a deal ... likely I can get him to cut it and shape it too ... BIG tools , really BIG shop...
Remember , it’s not who you know .... It’s who I know .... Good to have Friends eh !!!

[GPW]

Went to Vinnies , viewed the layout .... After all the calculations , it will take a sheet and 3/4 for all 6 ribs ( I miscalculated and now need 6 ribs, my bad math) Layout looks Super , he has the parts fitting with a .002" clearance , so they basically snap tightly together , needing no braces on the sides ... The stringer locations have a 1/8” radius in the corners to tightly accept common 1X2 s... The plan is to go over early next week , when he has a little time and put the ply on the machine , cut everything out ...
We also discussed how difficult this would be to do by hand... How easy it would be to add a couple more ribs for a longer cabin ... and also asked him if ,should the occasion arise , would he be willing to do this for others , to which he replied ... Yes !!!

He also wanted to design some ribs for the nose , to make getting the curve easier ... to which replied ... Oh Yeah !!!! This is going to be the easiest build , once I get the floor done ...

And while I was out , picked up a couple spray cans of Rustoleum gray gloss to match the galvanize finish ... so I can get the trailer ready too ... Everything moving along now .... very exciting ...

PS. saw TWO Airstreams on the way to his shop , and on the same block ... a rare event around here ... further confirming my desire for the similarly shaped FoamStream ...

[Wobbly Wheels]

Hehe...sounds great: Glen & Vinnie's Excellent Adventure

One question: is. 002 enough room for glue?

Should be at the 3D stage of the build in no time - can't wait to see it come together!

[wagondude]

This will be fun to watch. The really funny part will be that yours may be done before Mike's.