Stainless Steel Micro-Airstream behind motorcycle

[alaska teardrop]

Tom,

I don't think that the 5386F tape is the proper tape for your use. 3M makes hundreds of VHB tapes for all different uses. Try to find the 4919F or it's European metric equivalent. It is used for industrial metal applications such as truck trailers. 4919F is 19mm wide, so that it will give full adhesion across your 15mm & 20mm tubes & curved overlaps. It's 5mm thick and closed cell (waterproof).

Specifications

Adhesion to HSE High
Adhesion to LSE Medium
Adhesive Type Multi-Purpose Acrylic Adhesive
Application Temperature-Environment 50F-59F, N/A
Brand VHB
Color Black
Flame Retardant N/A
Flexibility of Materials Both Substrates Flexible, Both Substrates Rigid, One Substrate Flexible
Foam Conformability Conformable
Industry - Use General Industrial
Length 72 Linear Yard
Length (metric) 65.80 Linear Metre
Liner Thickness 5 Milli-inch (mil)
Liner Type Polyethylene (PE) Film
Long Term Temperature Exposure 161-200, 201-250, N/A
Product Form Roll
Short Term Temperature Exposure 201-250, 251-300, N/A
Solvent Resistance High
Substrates (Surface Energy) High Surface Energy, (400-1100 Dynes/cm), Medium Surface Energy, (38-39 Dynes/cm), Medium-High Surface Energy, (42-50 Dynes/cm)
Tape Thickness 0.020 in (0.5mm) - 0.032 in (0.8mm)
Temperature Resistance - Initial 300 Degree Fahrenheit
Temperature Resistance - Long Term 200 Degree Fahrenheit
Units per Case 3
Width 0.75 Inch
Width (metric) 19.05mm [list/]
If you haven't already, check into an air punch such as this one: http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/ ... MgodJEUAPg It can be used for all the rivet holes along the edges of your body panels. If you can't find a 4mm punch, consider increasing the size of your rivets to the size of the punch. Saves a lot of drilling & mess.
Fred

[ST1100]

Tom,

I don't think that the 5386F tape is the proper tape for your use. 3M makes hundreds of VHB tapes for all different uses. Try to find the 4919F or it's European metric equivalent. It is used for industrial metal applications such as truck trailers. 4919F is 19mm wide, so that it will give full adhesion across your 15mm & 20mm tubes & curved overlaps. It's 5mm thick and closed cell (waterproof).

Specifications
...
Tape Thickness 0.020 in (0.5mm) - 0.032 in (0.8mm)
Temperature Resistance - Initial 300 Degree Fahrenheit
Temperature Resistance - Long Term 200 Degree Fahrenheit
Units per Case 3
Width 0.75 Inch
Width (metric) 19.05mm
...
If you haven't already, check into an air punch such as this one: http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/ ... MgodJEUAPg It can be used for all the rivet holes along the edges of your body panels. If you can't find a 4mm punch, consider increasing the size of your rivets to the size of the punch. Saves a lot of drilling & mess.

Fred

[/list]

Fred - you have got a new friend !

That air punch will be the best tool I will get for my project and I did not even know such a cool tool exists !

Will it work for stainless steel of 0.6 mm ? And what the hell are 3/16 inch ???
0,47625 mm ? So I have to find 4,5 mm or 3/16 inch waterproof rivets.

I found the air punch on ebay.de for 5 mm holes !!! 65 Euros !

And in your specification of the tape you quoted "Tape Thickness 0.020 in (0.5mm)" so thats perfect !

[ST1100]

Okay - reaching the first milestone !

My chassis arrived today and I assembled it in my living room !

Weight is 44 kg (97 lb).









Now time to go to bed. I've a bad cold !

Good night - Tom

[KCStudly]

Looks great!

Hope you start feeling better soon.

[Trackstriper]

Tom, have you considered using a standard trailer ball corner rather than fabricating one? A 12" radius...effectively the same as 30cm...corner is available in 19ga. steel. While it's not stainless, you could polish it and clear coat. Might be able to pass for stainless from a distance. Just a thought.

See model BC-12

http://www.tjtrailers.com/store/body-components-roof-caps-fender-backs-corner-posts.html

[KCStudly]

...or maybe you can custom order them in stainless.


...or you could buy one in steel, fill it with something that sets up hard (fiber filled body filler or epoxy) and use it as a hammer form die to form your own out of stainless.

...or do the fish scale/shingle thing that you already have planned and use one of these as a form to help you get the shape that you want.

Good call out, Trackstriper. Lots of good ideas from that link.

[RandyG]

That's a nice frame there! So small but it will def fit your needs.

[alaska teardrop]

Fred - you have got a new friend !

That air punch will be the best tool I will get for my project and I did not even know such a cool tool exists !

Will it work for stainless steel of 0.6 mm ? And what the hell are 3/16 inch ???
0,47625 mm ? So I have to find 4,5 mm or 3/16 inch waterproof rivets.
I found the air punch on ebay.de for 5 mm holes !!! 65 Euros !
And in your specification of the tape you quoted "Tape Thickness 0.020 in (0.5mm)" so thats perfect !

Tom,

Good to make a new friend. Especially one that builds using metal.

Wow, that's a real functional chassis.

A punch like that one is capable of punching steel up to 14ga. (.075"). Your 0.6mm (.024") stainless steel should be no problem.

The recommended hole size for a 3/16" rivet is .191" (#11 drill bit). A 5mm (.1970") punch is perfect. The correct hole size & rivet 'grip range' are important for rivet strength. Here is a link to 'closed end' structural rivets: http://www.hansonrivet.com/w22.htm . I use the aluminum w/steel mandrel (PASD60 series). The PTTD60 series is stainless steel. These rivets are about impossible to pull with even a good hand rivet tool. I recommend a pneumatic rivet gun.

The tape that I suggested makes an extremely strong connection. You might consider using fewer rivets or none at all in certain places such as over the center top of the roof, around the windows and those mid-way up horizontal tubes.

I'm sorry that I can only give you advise in terms of American products & sizes. Where do you live in Bavaria, Tom? Are you not near an industrial town with companies that sell these types of tools & supplies?

Fred

[ST1100]

Tom, have you considered using a standard trailer ball corner rather than fabricating one? A 12" radius...effectively the same as 30cm...corner is available in 19ga. steel. While it's not stainless, you could polish it and clear coat. Might be able to pass for stainless from a distance. Just a thought.

See model BC-12

http://www.tjtrailers.com/store/body-components-roof-caps-fender-backs-corner-posts.html

I think I fear the cost of 140 $ plus customs plus shipping plus tax.
And I like to have it in stainless steel.

That air punch gives the opportunity to make that every fishy sheet of my corners fit into the next !

[ST1100]

Looks great!
Hope you start feeling better soon.

Okay - feeling better und visited my local hardware store.
By the way, I live among the hillbillies 100 miles east of munich!
Worked former times for BMW there - maybe that explains my sense for quality and a good chassis !

I found no air punch, but bought a sheet of 0.5 mm steel to try my roof corner and aluminum tubes to build the frame of the trailer.
I decided to built first only a covered platform trailer of same length and width and height to get my official Vehicle Type Approval.
When I got this, I have never again let the trailer inspected and I'm free to change a little bit.





For that I can use the hardware of my trailer behind the car.

[ST1100]

Okay - too late to take pictures - completed the lightweight aluminum frame today.
Four rectangle bars connected with stainless angles riveted in.
Tomorrow lights and cable will follow.

And pictures !

Next week I let cut the waterproof plywood for the floor.
And I have to think about fenders.

Good night - Tom

[ST1100]

All right !
Completed today the next steps.

Made a frame like a ladder from aluminum bars riveted together with stainless angles. 60 cm x 200 cm (2 x 6.6 ft)



Then made a light bar for license plate, reflectors and rear lights including indicators.
And fixed and soldered a cable from the light bar to the tow ball - only the plug to the bike is missing.



So next week I could get my deck and screw it on my ladder.

Tom

[GuitarPhotog]

aluminum bars riveted together with stainless angles

Beware of galvanic corrosion mixing stainless and aluminum, especially if they use salt on your roads in winter.

My teardrop has an aluminum skin riveted to a steel frame and I'm starting to see rivet failure due to galvanic corrosion.

<Chas>

[ST1100]

Thanks Chas for the corrosion hint - I do not drive through the winter with that trailer.

Finished my electric setup - all systems working !

But thinking about the fender problem and plenty of space below the chassis (10 inches from the tongue to the ground, 15 inches from the deck to the ground)
brings me a new idea. As you see at the picture there are only 90 mm (3 1/2 inches) from the axles base to the top of the tires.



Possibly its worth to think about a solid aluminum frame upon the base to lift the floor over the wheels and get 100 cm width without wheelhouses inside the "living room".



The red frame lifts the blue bars above the wheel level. On top of the blue bars lays the deck.
The yellow frame could be a intern baggage compartment between the blue bars for cloth.
The green box a 100 cm wide extern baggage compartment for heavy things like chairs, tools, water etc.
And the orange box a space to step in, possibly with a floor which can be lowered to the ground, and covered by night.
So I can sit on the yellow baggage compartment with the feet on the ground.
And if it's wet outside I can leave my boots inside the step box outside my sleeping room.

[ST1100]

Regarding Airstream Roof Corners

Today I made a mock-up representing the frame of one roof corner and cut one "fish" stencil out of a 0.5 mm zinced tin sheet.
Then a second stencil from the first, adding 20 mm overlap on the left and cutting the tip, so that everywhere only one sheet will lie on top of each other.
With this two stencils I can draw five "underlap fish" and the sixth small fish adding a quarter circle to the tip to cover the gap where the other tips are missing.