#4

[tony.latham]

I'll give it up.

3.5 pounds. There are a lotta kerf cuts in that stuff. Well worth the stiffness.

I weighed the hatch tonight before I put the exterior skin on. 43.5 pounds. (Can that be right?) I might have to downgrade my struts.

Tony

That sounds about right to me. I can lift ours by myself easily, except the shape and size makes it awkward.

However, you may want to weigh it as Dan Lott's figure suggests, after you have it hinged, for the gas strut calculation. I don't think the two numbers are necessarily the same.

Tom

I weighed it this morning. 49.5 pounds. l and re-ran Lott’s program and yes, I could use weaker struts but McMaster’s next one down for this length is too light.

Plan A it is.

I still need to glass it but the 6 oz cloth with epoxy won’t add much.

T

[tony.latham]

Test driving the hatch.



Where's the coffee pot?

Tony

[Tom&Shelly]

Test driving the hatch.



Where's the coffee pot?

Tony

Congratulations!

Tom

[tony.latham]

Congratulations!

Thanks. I'm gonna have a hard time pulling it off. It's too cool.

T

[KTM_Guy]

looking good.

Todd

[Squigie]

Your rate of progress is makes me wish for the same with the projects I'm currently trying to finish. (I just have to take it one day at a time...)

[tony.latham]

I forgot to upload this video. I slowed it down so you can catch all the details.



If you build this style of hatch, it's extra important to make sure the wall cut-off's are set tightly with 1/8" shims on both sides of the wall protrusions during this process.





Tony

[tony.latham]

Glassing the roof. 6 oz. cloth and Raka non-blush epoxy.



Signed, sealed, and delivered. Or at least sealed.

T

[bdosborn]

Hmm, that doesn't look like its that hard, thanks for posting the video. I've been thinking I need to make a roof top tent for the pickup, you might have inspired me...
Bruce

[tony.latham]

Hmm, that doesn't look like its that hard, thanks for posting the video. I've been thinking I need to make a roof top tent for the pickup, you might have inspired me...
Bruce

It's actually easy. I'm guessing easier than PMF.

1. Proper ratio --use the manufacturer's pumps-- and mix for two minutes
2. Mix small batches --the exothermic heat will make the batch "go off" if too big
3. Squeegee on a second coat after the first --the wood absorbs the resin and can starve the glass

No big deal.

T

p.s. West Systems has some great Youtube videos on fiberglassing.

[tony.latham]

How hard will it be to position it on the roof, and have it keep that position, as the epoxy cures, Tony?

Tom:

I got the third-brake light mount attached this morning.

Before I glassed the roof, I screwed it in place and marked its placement and along with the screw holes.

This morning I drilled through the fiberglass into the screw holes. They --and my pencil lines-- were easy to see. And to ensure I would get good adhesion I hit the area with the random orbital.

I installed the screws in the mount so that they stuck through it about 3/8" so I could make sure they found the holes. I slathering on thickened (peanut butter-ish) epoxy on the roof and gently screwed it down. The object is some squeezeout but not too much.



The backside of the mount was a 90º edge about a 1/4" high. I filled it in with more thickened epoxy and smoothed it to match the roofline. This left a fillet of epoxy putty about 1/2" wide.

I covered the fillet with a 2" piece of 4 oz cloth that I wetted out on wax paper and centered it over the fillet. I'll have to sand and fair it a tiny bit on the sides of the fillet once it's cured. And sometime later today I'll pull those screws and fill the holes before the epoxy is too hard.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it. And that block will stick to the roof too.



Tony

[Tom&Shelly]

How hard will it be to position it on the roof, and have it keep that position, as the epoxy cures, Tony?

Tom:

I got the third-brake light mount attached this morning.

Before I glassed the roof, I screwed it in place and marked its placement and along with the screw holes.

This morning I drilled through the fiberglass into the screw holes. They --and my pencil lines-- were easy to see. And to ensure I would get good adhesion I hit the area with the random orbital.

I installed the screws in the mount so that they stuck through it about 3/8" so I could make sure they found the holes. I slathering on thickened (peanut butter-ish) epoxy on the roof and gently screwed it down. The object is some squeezeout but not too much.



The backside of the mount was a 90º edge about a 1/4" high. I filled it in with more thickened epoxy and smoothed it to match the roofline. This left a fillet of epoxy putty about 1/2" wide.

I covered the fillet with a 2" piece of 4 oz cloth that I wetted out on wax paper and centered it over the fillet. I'll have to sand and fair it a tiny bit on the sides of the fillet once it's cured. And sometime later today I'll pull those screws and fill the holes before the epoxy is too hard.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it. And that block will stick to the roof too.



Tony

Looks great Tony!

Our plan is to use stainless screws for permanent installation, but to also glue it with epoxy and attempt fillets similar to yours.

Think we'll probably be a bit behind you for the rest of our build. (I have to clear some dead wood off of our land/make firewood over the next few weeks, and we're planning to wait until it cools down to fiberglass the teardrop roof and hatch.) Hope you don't mind if we steal some of your good ideas as you present them.

Shelly's already regretting we didn't put foam in our hatch to keep the cooler cooler. (We may think about the foam spray in a can to fill it someday.)

Tom

[tony.latham]

Shelly's already regretting we didn't put foam in our hatch to keep the cooler cooler.

Who knows if it's a super-duty idea or not... just one of those thoughts.

But anywhoooo...... where's the coffee pot?



That 90º installation sure makes for a lotta useable countertop.

Tony

[retep]

Tony, I love reading your posts. I think 90% of them I learn a new tidbit of info.
You do beautiful work!!!

Thanks for sharing
Peter

[tony.latham]

You do beautiful work!!!

You're looking at my stuff from long distance. But thanks for the compliment.

Tony