Rick Tyler wrote:friz wrote:I want to show you the incredible precision of this kit. If you can see light between any of the parts, you have got something wrong. Go back and tighten up your wires and pull the skins tight to the mold and they will go away.
With S&G assembly, you actually do not want super-tight mechanical connections between adjacent parts. The fillet and glass will provide the structural strength, so having tight fits won't help you any, and can cause "hard spots" where the core material (plywood) meets. I try to leave a little gap (about a Popsicle stick thickness) between panels, and I sometimes use "craft sticks" from Michael's to maintain the spacing.
Of course, if CLC told you to strap them down tight, you should do what they say. The conventional wisdom, though, is that touching is too tight.
I am looking forward to following your build, although I would prefer 5x10. I think it is the teardrop equivalent to a boat owner's "2-foot" disease. As in, "my boat would be perfect if it were 2 feet longer."
Thanks for all the pictures, too.
I'm only familiar with way Chesapeake Light Craft does things and haven't noticed anything mentioning leaving a gap. The parts are not cut with a bevel, so just the corners are touching. Maybe that's the difference. Also adding 2 ft. to this construction would make it much harder to manipulate in a workspace with 8ft ceilings. I'm guessing that this was one of Mr. Harris's criteria. When I rotate the mold on end, the top is less then 2 inches from my ceiling.
My original plan was to build a home built that was just slightly larger. I would have had some additional storage and galley space, but I probably would have sacrificed a season of camping, along with a whole bunch of head scratching to get it done. It would have surely come in heavier then planned, meaning my Ford Focus would not have been a proper tow vehicle forcing me into a different car, etc., etc.. I come from tent camping where less is more so I think this camper will be a good fit for me.
