How to handle a 63" wide build

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How to handle a 63" wide build

Postby CapC888 » Fri Feb 24, 2017 4:27 pm

Hello,

Been reading a ton from all of you awesome, sharing, and knowledgeable people!

I have an aluminum trailer that is 63x96. So it's a 5+ x 8. Wondering how to handle the width components, given the widest ply I can buy nearby is 5ft. The tear is going to be a glassed wood shell. If I oriented the ply across the tear, I could overcome this, but I feel like I will have several sections to create the roof. How would I lap a thin skin layer? Any other suggestions for this kind of trailer?

thanks for the help.

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Darren
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Re: How to handle a 63" wide build

Postby tony.latham » Fri Feb 24, 2017 6:31 pm

If it were me, I'd build it 60" wide and live with the 1.5" overhang.

There are ways of lapping aluminum but it would be easier to to buy it 5' wide and also Baltic birch plywood comes in 5' x 5' sheets and the 1/8" stuff is wonderful for ceilings and roofs.

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Re: How to handle a 63" wide build

Postby noseoil » Sat Feb 25, 2017 8:53 am

Take a look at scarf joints (boat building) & see how it's done. There are simple & complex joints, skills vs. tools.
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Re: How to handle a 63" wide build

Postby KCStudly » Mon Feb 27, 2017 7:39 am

Despite the advice of those that were wiser and more experienced than me at the time, I was stubborn and built (am building) 64 inches wide. If I had it to do over I would have stuck with 60 inches. Take Tony's advice. It is good advice.

For joints on thin ply the easiest, by far, is to do a butt joint with a thin narrow backing strip of the same material. Scarf joints are good for maintaining absolute fairness in a bend (they make a joint that bends nearly the same as the base material), but I gave up trying to master them w/o having a rough edge.

I say plan your butt joints to where they land on flat or gentle curves, keep the width of your backer on curved joints relatively narrow (like 2 inches) and you will be fine with simple butt joints. (There is a lot of detail on how I did my ceiling panel in my build; I don't have time to search for it at the moment but if you have trouble finding it, let me know and I will look later.)
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Re: How to handle a 63" wide build

Postby KCStudly » Mon Feb 27, 2017 7:41 am

For thicker ply, such as for a non-built up floor, use biscuits or a spline joint.
KC
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Re: How to handle a 63" wide build

Postby CapC888 » Mon Feb 27, 2017 7:39 pm

Thanks for all the good advice as I think I may have some reconsidering to do.
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