Two steps forward, one step back...

[cracker39]

Although, at times, it feels more like one step forward and two steps back.

I think I didn't ask the right questions at the right time, or just didn't absorb the answers when I did ask. I've made a number of mistakes that I wouldn't make again. First was using oak plywood for my sides because it was on clearance sale and cheap. It's also an open grained ply and I've had to do a lot of work trying to fill the grain, and it's still not smooth in places. Now that I have a coat of primer on, the open grained places show up really well.

Next, both the Zinsser primer and finish coat paint are latex based. That was another mistake so far. Maybe it's the type of primer, or maybe it's because it's latex based, but when I rolled some on, I could see that the roller marks would show when it dried, and they did. I sprayed the rest of the trailer with better results, but even then, it doesn't spray as smooth as oil based paint. This primer doesn't spray as well as the latex enamel I used to spray on my craft items.

And, latex paint, when sprayed (even thinned with water), has a tendency to dry and clot on the nozzle and spit out bits of dry paint occasionally if you don't keep the nozzle wiped clean every few minutes. And then, I had some dribbles. This results in having to sand out the "bumps". And this primer may need several days to cure enough to sand without rubbing up bits of primer.

So, now, I am about ready to return the finish paint buy a gallon each of oil-based primer and floor and porch enamel and start over. That's AFTER I spread on more of the water putty and resand to try to get all of the grain in the ply filled.

Due to the size of my TTT, If I had used aluminum or FRP skins, I'd have had several seams on the sides and top to cover with molding. That, and the extra expense, are two of the reasons I decided to paint it. My lack of experience with either covering was another reason. But, the extra work involved due to my errors had really been testing my endurance. This morning, I asked my wife if she got the tag number of the truck that must have run over me last night.

I'm about ready to just let it go for a while. Maybe I'll just work on the fenders and the wiring the inside. I don't come across as being about disgusted with the whole darned project, do I? Oh well, in another day or two, I'm sure I'll be OK and back working on the exterior.

[Ira]

It's not too late to go buy some nice birch and make it a woody! Just stain, varnish, and glue those suckers on!

[cracker39]

It's not too late to go buy some nice birch and make it a woody! Just stain, varnish, and glue those suckers on!

[Ira]

Oy...no reply.

I'm in hot water.

[cracker39]

I don't know what happened to my reply...it was

Not in this lifetime!!!

But, I'm feeling somewhat better now. I think the heat had gotten to me lately, being in the mid to high 80s for the past week, contributing to my general "un-well" being.

I decided to take it easy today. I finished fastening most of my wiring to the frame so I can put on the paneling and cut out the last two wall panels. I hooked up my two light switches, temp wired on the fixtures, hooked up to the battery and made sure that the circuits were all working. the only thing I didn't test were the two outlet lines, which are straight single wires from the fuses and ground buss. Those I'll test when the converter is hooked up.

I did a little sanding (front, back, one side) and the primer has hardened enough to sand "fairly" smooth with 150 grit disks. I didn't want to risk using any coarser for fear of taking off too much primer. I'll refill open grain with the water putty, sand, and that's it. I'll prime one more time and put on two finish coats, and I get what I get for a finish. If it's all smooth, GREAT! But, if it's not, then it's just too damned bad. I can only sand so much. My sandpaper expense is about to overtake the electrical system's cost.

But, now I read that you cannot apply an oil based pint over latex, which is what my primer was. Am I doomed or what? Then, another web site says "Oil finish paint will bond to the latex or oil primer, but may not always work out so well over the latex due to the higher flexibility of the latex." So, now, I don't know what to do. I'll start another post with questions.

[Ira]

Dale, I was DYING on Sunday just playing with those two stupid fenders.

It was HOT here!

[cracker39]

Dale, I was DYING on Sunday just playing with those two stupid fenders.

It was HOT here!

Just wait until summer gets here!!!. That's one reason I'm tring to get this thing finished, at least on the outside. Once the doors and windows are in, I can work inside with the AC turned on. Or, maybe just take a nap.

[asianflava]

Don't let it get you down. We all run into this at some point. I think I had an entry in my journal titled the same as this thread. There was a thread a while back titled something like, "What have I gotten myself into". It kinda maed you feel better knowing that others go thru the same thing.

The progress is somewhat deceving, when you do the sidewalls and roof there is a lot of visual progress. When you start doing the detail stuff, there is a lot of work for little progress.

I spent a lot of time on my galley and cabinetry. It started to drive me nuts because it was taking so long. When people see my galley, they comment on my cabinets. I'm a bit taken back because I'm not a woodworker, I've never done this sort of thing in my life. I learned a majority of this stuff as I went along.

It makes all the trouble worthwhile in the end.

[bdosborn]

I spent a lot of time on my galley and cabinetry. It started to drive me nuts because it was taking so long. When people see my galley, they comment on my cabinets. I'm a bit taken back because I'm not a woodworker, I've never done this sort of thing in my life. I learned a majority of this stuff as I went along.

It makes all the trouble worthwhile in the end.

Asian,

I feel exactly the same way. When someone looks at my galley and says "Oh, you must be a cabinetmaker" I forget all about the times I thought "This is the first and last %$$#@$%^ trailer I ever build!"

Dale,

You'll get it all figured out and it'll look great. Just make sure and post how you did it so the rest of us can profit from your misery.
Bruce

[bledsoe3]

Dale, I want to have a woody look to mine with out all the work. What I did after all the exterior screws were in, I glued a sheet of luan to the outside. It is perfectly smooth. No flaws to fix anywhere.

Only thing you can see right now is some sanding swirls where some glue stuck to the wood on the front, and where the top met the side I had to sand flush. If you're painting this will not show up. If you look at the front towards the top there is a small sanded area. That is a seam where the glue came thru when I joined two sheets together. Otherwise you can hardly tell there was a seam.

[Ira]

What I did after all the exterior screws were in, I glued a sheet of luan to the outside. It is perfectly smooth. No flaws to fix anywhere.

THAT'S WHAT I SUGGESTED!

[Arne]

Bledsoe3, how did you hold the ply in place while the glue dried, and what type of glue did you use?

[bledsoe3]

Bledsoe3, how did you hold the ply in place while the glue dried, and what type of glue did you use?

Lots of clamps! I did it before the top skin was on so I could clamp the entire perimeter. I also traced the door opening and cut it close to size so I could clamp around the door opening. I used regular Elmers wood glue.