Falcongirl's Foamie (standy)

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Re: Falcongirl's Foamie (standy)

Postby Falcongirl » Sun Jun 19, 2016 9:37 pm

tac422 wrote:I didn't wash the canvas when I did the Big Pink...
it came out great.
I used plastic scrapers and my hands to smooth it out, and work the glue through.


Yeah, I'm leaning more toward doing it that way. Especially if we only do front/back pieces and then drape the sides and top as one giant piece. The idea of trying to untangle and fold this much fabric fills me with "NOPE!"

I got the pictures resized and uploaded to the gallery. Lots and lots of pictures.
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Re: Falcongirl's Foamie (standy)

Postby plectrudis » Sun Jun 19, 2016 11:02 pm

Hi Falcongirl--Congrats on getting started!

I'm also leaning toward skinning my trailer in canvas (many, many months from now)--please post lots of pix when you get to that stage!

Side note--it does sometimes feel like I spend more time chasing down parts and tools than I do actually constructing anything with them. My sympathies on your multiple trips.
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Re: Falcongirl's Foamie (standy)

Postby Falcongirl » Mon Jun 20, 2016 10:43 am

plectrudis wrote:Hi Falcongirl--Congrats on getting started!

I'm also leaning toward skinning my trailer in canvas (many, many months from now)--please post lots of pix when you get to that stage!

Side note--it does sometimes feel like I spend more time chasing down parts and tools than I do actually constructing anything with them. My sympathies on your multiple trips.


Thanks! The exterior needs to be done by the weekend of the 4th of July, because it rolls out to camp in July 7-10 at a big historical reenactment event. We likely won't have the bed box built, but we have really nice foam-filled inflatables that can be used on the floor in a pinch. The main thing was having a camper that we can use the AC in. Thus the push to get it all done in such a short amount of time.

There'll be lots and lots of pictures of the skinning. Right now, the thought is to do the front and back as individual sheets of canvas, and then wrap the sides and top all as one piece. That'll be an adventure, I'm sure. The canvas is currently folded into a 4'x4' square. I'm thinking about unfolding it and rolling it around a piece of pipe. In theory, that'd allow us to weight one edge on the ground with bricks or something, and one on either side lift and roll it over. The other option would be to unroll it from the 2nd floor porch of the house - that might be easier, since it'd let us get underneath it to paint on the TB2. Heh, could maybe then just back the trailer up and let the canvas drape itself.

The rules for projects: It's not a project unless there are three trips to three different hardware stores for things you thought you already had, and it's not a completed project until someone's bled for it.

At least the weather is slated to cooperate for awhile.
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Re: Falcongirl's Foamie (standy)

Postby Falcongirl » Tue Jun 21, 2016 9:00 am

Day 3: I completely coated the wheel box with 2 more layers of The Mix, and hit the ends of the 2x4 bits with an additional 2 coats until the thing will not accept any more.

Wire-brushed, wiped, and painted the metal wheel caps with Rust-Oleum's 'Hammered Copper', and the 'hammered' effect of the dried paint hides a great multitude of paint blobs and minor rust pits. I'll hit 'em with a final coat once the wood bottom is lifted off.
:thumbsup:
:pictures: about to post to gallery.
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Re: Falcongirl's Foamie (standy)

Postby KCStudly » Tue Jun 21, 2016 10:42 am

I tried to post yesterday but the forum went down.

How about rolling the big sheet up from both sides; place the twin roll lengthwise along the top center line of the camper; apply glue in stages as you unroll each roll until you get to the sides; then use spring clamps at the ends of the tubes to keep the rolls from unraveling as you work down the side. This has been done (I forget by who at the moment) for doing just the sides by also hanging the roll by rope or cord threaded thru the roll. I believe there was a sweet spot for how far out from the side the originator of this technique liked, but I bet you could get it to work for your application.

If it were me, I would break it down into three panels, doing the sides separately, first, then the roof; but I do like the idea of no visible seams, too. :thumbsup:
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Re: Falcongirl's Foamie (standy)

Postby Falcongirl » Tue Jun 21, 2016 5:54 pm

KCStudly wrote:I tried to post yesterday but the forum went down.

How about rolling the big sheet up from both sides; place the twin roll lengthwise along the top center line of the camper; apply glue in stages as you unroll each roll until you get to the sides; then use spring clamps at the ends of the tubes to keep the rolls from unraveling as you work down the side. This has been done (I forget by who at the moment) for doing just the sides by also hanging the roll by rope or cord threaded thru the roll. I believe there was a sweet spot for how far out from the side the originator of this technique liked, but I bet you could get it to work for your application.

If it were me, I would break it down into three panels, doing the sides separately, first, then the roof; but I do like the idea of no visible seams, too. :thumbsup:


That's another thought. I think that's how Tac did the Big Pink? I think that's where I saw it last. I've been reading so many threads about skinning foamies that I'm going a little crosseyed
:?

Spring clamps are an excellent idea! They're already sized for pipe. Thank you.

Day 4: Painted the inside and edges and bottom of wheel box #1 with matte black latex paint, got two coats on it and now it has to sit and dry before Himself gets here. I suspect that tonight will be the build of wheel box 2. We were going to detach the floor from the frame and lift it so the subfloor could be secured to the floor joists, and the wheel boxes attached, but he can't attach #2 until it's hit with more of The Mix and then painted, so.. yeah. Might have to do the big heavy lifting on Thursday.

Supposed to storm heavy tonight and tomorrow. If we get the wheel box built, I can do all the coating and painting indoors. Note to self: pick up a respirator first..

Hoping the storm slated for Saturday blows on past us.
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Re: Falcongirl's Foamie (standy)

Postby KCStudly » Tue Jun 21, 2016 8:37 pm

I was thinking of these cheapy spring clamps.

I have a couple dozen of these and have used them on a bunch of things throughout the build, from clamping panel edges during glue up to holding, to holding the measuring tape in place, and on and on. They're so inexpensive you can't afford not to have them around.

With the canvas wrapped around PVC pipe about the same length as the canvas, you could just stick the clamps with one jaw inside the end of the pipe and the other jaw outside on top of the canvas. No pipe clamp needed.
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Re: Falcongirl's Foamie (standy)

Postby Falcongirl » Wed Jun 22, 2016 8:36 am

KCStudly wrote:I was thinking of these cheapy spring clamps.

I have a couple dozen of these and have used them on a bunch of things throughout the build, from clamping panel edges during glue up to holding, to holding the measuring tape in place, and on and on. They're so inexpensive you can't afford not to have them around.

With the canvas wrapped around PVC pipe about the same length as the canvas, you could just stick the clamps with one jaw inside the end of the pipe and the other jaw outside on top of the canvas. No pipe clamp needed.


Oh! Pinchy clamps! Yeah, we have more than a few of those around. They're often the free item at our local Harbor Freight. I thought you meant these things.

Himself got Wheel Box #2 completed last night. I got the inside and bottom of Box #1 painted, and the wood joins gave me fits. Who thought 2x4's with rounded edges were a good idea?! That person needs to be kicked. While Himself built Box #2, I decided to use the 'whoops' paint. I asked for latex, I was sold enamel, and rather than take it back, I bought the proper paint for inside the wheel boxes and decided to use the enamel to paint the frame. I wasn't going to, but since I had the paint, it'll add another layer of weather proofing to the metal frame and make it look much better.

Day 5: Tonight will be all about the painting. Another couple layers of The Mix needed on Box #2, then latex paint, and then caulk over all those #$^!@#$^ joins. I was going to caulk it anyway, now I have more incentive.
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Re: Falcongirl's Foamie (standy)

Postby KCStudly » Wed Jun 22, 2016 9:38 am

Falcongirl wrote:Pinchy clamps!

:lol: :lol: :lol: Sorry I did not use the proper technical term. :lol: :lol: :lol:
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Re: Falcongirl's Foamie (standy)

Postby Falcongirl » Wed Jun 22, 2016 10:35 am

KCStudly wrote:
Falcongirl wrote:Pinchy clamps!

:lol: :lol: :lol: Sorry I did not use the proper technical term. :lol: :lol: :lol:


:lol:
Hey, at least I used words this time! I have aphasia, so sometimes Himself has to translate from hand gestures. "I need the.. *hands making pinch gestures*." Though that one usually gets me pinched instead of handed the appropriate clamp.
:roll:

Other terms lately:
"Purple clicky thingjob" = 12mm ratcheting deep socket
"Evil squeezy hand pincher" = locking pliers
"Headshot tool" = giant yellow pry bar (I have perhaps seen way too many zombie movies)

Cornerstone of our relationship is Himself's ability to correctly translate.
:D
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Re: Falcongirl's Foamie (standy)

Postby Falcongirl » Thu Jun 23, 2016 8:10 am

Day 6: Didn't get to caulking last night, weather didn't hold. Will have to do it tonight before Himself arrives. The plan for tonight: Drill bolt holes for the front of the floor that will go all the way down and through the metal frame of the trailer. Unscrew the floor from the trailer, flip the floor over. While Himself is attaching the subfloor to the joists in more places, I'm going to hit the trailer bed with The Mix, and then hit the bottom of the trailer with The Mix again as well. Then we get to flip the floor back onto the trailer and bolt it all down. The floor is actually screwed down to the trailer bed, the bolts are an additional measure to make sure the foamie can't easily be ripped off the trailer bed. Also, they'll help line up the floor when we put it back on the trailer.
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Re: Falcongirl's Foamie (standy)

Postby plectrudis » Thu Jun 23, 2016 9:31 pm

Nice fenders, Falcongirl--I like that coppery color.

July 4 is a tight timeline! Even if you're just getting it roadworthy. But of course you're working on it together, so that will help. I always enjoy team builds--it's so interesting the way different couples work together.

Good luck!
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Re: Falcongirl's Foamie (standy)

Postby Falcongirl » Thu Jun 23, 2016 9:49 pm

plectrudis wrote:Nice fenders, Falcongirl--I like that coppery color.

July 4 is a tight timeline! Even if you're just getting it roadworthy. But of course you're working on it together, so that will help. I always enjoy team builds--it's so interesting the way different couples work together.

Good luck!


Thanks! I love the copper. I painted the rest of the frame tonight, since we took the floor off to do all the joist attachments. Also hit the trailer bed with The Mix and dude, it FIZZED! I'd mop a line and a few seconds later, the grain of the wood would fizz. I kept mopping until the fizzing stopped, and then started painting the trailer. The floor isn't attached yet, because I really want to caulk the seams and screw heads but we ran out of daylight so I'll do that tomorrow.

Also going to the hardware store, since the trailer's back to a flatbed, to pick up the rest of the 1/4" and some 1.5" foam so we can totally finish the floor. Supposed to storm on Saturday, so we'll resume on Sunday. I think we'll get the foam cut and glued, at least.

I think this part should go fairly quickly, since we're basically just building a box. The front curved parts are the only cuts and kerfs we'll be doing. That part will take the longest.

Picked up some wood skewers tonight at the dollar store to use as pins for the foam. I think the plan is to stick 'em in and then cut 'em off flush. If we get the floor finished tomorrow, I may have Himself help me lay out the canvas and roll it up.
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Re: Falcongirl's Foamie (standy)

Postby Falcongirl » Fri Jun 24, 2016 10:32 am

Day 7: After work, I'll be caulking the bottom of the floor. Then I'm off to the hardware store to pick up 1/4" plywood and foam to finish the floor. Might also look at vinyl floor tiles while I'm there. Should probably also buy Gorilla Glue and TB2, since Menards has the 11% rebate through tomorrow.

Sourced a 68" door locally for $150. Here's to hoping. That might be my rainy day plan for tomorrow - heading 3 hours north to buy a door. Totally worth it, since the cheapest one I can find online is $491+ shipping and may not be here in time.
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Re: Falcongirl's Foamie (standy)

Postby Falcongirl » Sat Jun 25, 2016 4:28 pm

Day 8: Last night, we got the subfloor attached and insulated. This morning, I went out and cut all the excess Great Stuff foam off. Then I drove 2.5 hours north to buy a door and windows. Door was $150 and is 30"x68", windows are 12"x21" and were $80/ea but they gave me a discount, and I grabbed a roll of door putty. Headed home.

Himself showed up and completely finished the floor, once again working in 90F heat all day. Camper is covered up, we're going for dinner. Mostly so we have a date that isn't "work on the trailer until exhaustion and/or heatstroke".

Tomorrow, we begin measuring and cutting foam. One of the annoyances that we found after the floor was put on: The rear end of the trailer sags a bit, so to level it, we're going to have to be creative.
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