T-Molding

[Kerry Kirkpatrick]

This is my very first post. This site is great. It's nice to know that my frustrations are shared by many. I have been building an 8' "Cubby" for the past two summers. I am just finishing up on the hatch (what an ordeal that was), and I'm now ready to tackle the doors. I had purchased some T-molding, but it is way to thick. Does anyone know where I can get 3/4"x3/4"x8' T-molding? It seems to be very expensive and then there's the shipping cost. Gotta have it. . . .Tx, Kerry

[Chuck]

I haven't found the 3/4 by 3/4 T-Molding, but RW Johnson (www.teardroptrailers.net) has 3/4 by 5/8. Also the Teardrop Fix It Shop has 3/4 by 1/2. Might have to do some modifying of the Cubby plans.

[mikeschn]

If you can get by with the stuff grant sells, it's wonderful stuff, not too expensive, and bends nicely.

http://www.teardrops.net/LilBear/parts.html

Mike...

[Kerry Kirkpatrick]

Thanks for the information. Mike, I went to Grant's website and he doesn't seem to be too excited about the T-Molding that he is selling. If you say it works, then that's good enough for me. The price is certainly good, and I've dealt with Grant before, and it was a pleasure.
Chuck, I checked your information also and may give that a try if Grant's stuff doesn't work out. Today, I finally mastered the "art of annealing", and it works great if you do it right. I did it WRONG many times before.
Thanks again for your willingness to help out.

[Chuck]

Kerry:
Any tips you'd care to pass along on annealing would be appreciated. How did you "do it right"? How did you "do it wrong"?
Chuck

[beverlyt]

Kerry,
We used the T-molding from Grant and found it to be really nice stuff.
WAY better than any aluminum that we had bought here locally. Easy to work with and bend.
Bob thought it was like working with butter compared to the time we had with all the local aluminum trim we have used elsewhere on the trailer.
Bev

[mikeschn]

Thanks for the information. Mike, I went to Grant's website and he doesn't seem to be too excited about the T-Molding that he is selling. If you say it works, then that's good enough for me. The price is certainly good, and I've dealt with Grant before, and it was a pleasure.
.

Hey Kerry,

The stuff you might have seen on Grant's webpage is a bad batch of hard stuff that he was trying to clear out.

The normal stuff he has is dead soft and doesn't need annealing. Just bend and go. I'll use it every time!!!

Mike...

[Kerry Kirkpatrick]

Everyone - Thanks for all of your information. I ended up purchasing my T-Molding from Grant. He's a great guy to do business with. To answer the question about annealing. . . .I think you just have to get the aluminum hot. I did it in my garage with the lights off. That way I could see the orange flame vs. the blue flame from my butane torch. It worked best on the 1/2" stuff and I'll give it another shot on the T-Molding. Hopefully, I can get this project completed this summer.

- Kerry