New Build: Working title Glasshopper? Update: 4-2-17

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Re: New Build: Working title Glasshopper? 10-22-16

Postby Lagadelphia » Mon Oct 24, 2016 12:30 pm

KCStudly wrote:Why can't you save it? Most things can be made to work fine with just a bit more effort, rather than wasting all of the material and time.

Throw a strong back on the wall until the spars are in, or just push and pull to get the spars in and they will true things up(?).



Above the door cut out is the splice joint that runs horizontally the length of the wall. The wall curves outward from the top so it appears the curve is formed by the splice. I can't even bend it true by hand at all. The wall also is warped on the vertical plane at the front end so it is warped in two directions and the deflection is significant. I'll see if I can get a picture of it. It may be something you have to see in person. Looking from the back which is pretty straight, it deflects outward about 2 inches on both planes at the front end.

Trust me, I am really bummed about starting the wall over because like you said, a lot of time and material went into it. I don't want to try to make it work only to have it not work and cost me more time or make it so it isn't fixable. Also being the door side, I am concerned about door fitment and getting a good seal.

I'm going to cut my losses on it because I want this to be as near perfect as I can make it. I'm not a perfectionist, but this too risky for the time and money I am putting into it.
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Re: New Build: Working title Glasshopper? 10-22-16

Postby KCStudly » Mon Oct 24, 2016 7:21 pm

Okay, that's not unreasonably, but do you know what caused it to go wrong the first time, so that you know what to do right the next time?

On the long horizontal splice I suppose it could have been saw not being perpendicular, perhaps even compounded by flipping one piece and doubling the error (though now that I right that I figure it is just as likely that you used factory edges).

If you are building on horses and not a work bench, maybe stick some dimensional lumber underneath to flatten things out. Okay, so some of this may seem merely obvious, but it would be good to know that you can avoid the same mistake twice. :thumbsup:
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Re: New Build: Working title Glasshopper? 10-22-16

Postby Lagadelphia » Mon Oct 24, 2016 9:26 pm

KCStudly wrote:Okay, that's not unreasonably, but do you know what caused it to go wrong the first time, so that you know what to do right the next time?

On the long horizontal splice I suppose it could have been saw not being perpendicular, perhaps even compounded by flipping one piece and doubling the error (though now that I right that I figure it is just as likely that you used factory edges).

If you are building on horses and not a work bench, maybe stick some dimensional lumber underneath to flatten things out. Okay, so some of this may seem merely obvious, but it would be good to know that you can avoid the same mistake twice. :thumbsup:



Well this is quite embarrassing but I had thought about what you had said about attaching the roof spars and seeing what would happen. So after work tonight, I attached a few spars with screws. That pulled the front in just right. so I laid my tape measure all along the top from wall to wall and across the front from wall to wall. Most were dead on at 60 inches. A few were about an eighth off. So I was thinking that is pretty good. So I look down the wall and can still see a decent bow in the middle. So I slap the tape across from window opening to window opening. It was a little over a quarter of an inch off. I stood there pondering how I could fix that since everything else seemed to be squaring up well. Then I looked at the clamps that were still attached to the brace I was using to hold the wall up while I was screwing it into the floor. The clamps and braces that were attached at the window openings...the place where it was bowed inward... So I loosen the clamps and watch the wall that was bowed inward, relax outward. I put the tape on it and It was now only off by about a 16th of an inch. DOH!! Most of the bow is gone and I think it'll tighten up when I put more spars on and the bulkhead walls in to tie everything together. I think the crisis has been averted.

Thanks for giving me something to consider. I saved me a lot of time and money lol.
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Re: New Build: Working title Glasshopper? 10-22-16

Postby Greg M » Tue Oct 25, 2016 12:34 am

We've all been there
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Re: New Build: Working title Glasshopper? 10-22-16

Postby MadMango » Tue Oct 25, 2016 6:50 am

That's got to be a relief.
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Re: New Build: Working title Glasshopper? 10-22-16

Postby catleppert » Tue Oct 25, 2016 8:20 am

I have subscribed to this thread - love the Grasshopper design! I look forward to watching your progress!

Theresa

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Re: New Build: Working title Glasshopper? 10-22-16

Postby KCStudly » Tue Oct 25, 2016 10:17 am

The trick is to "walk away, just walk away" (-Alton Brown), even work on something else for a bit while you let your mind catch up; get out of panic mode; then with a sane and critical eye, look over everything like it is a puzzle that needs to be figured out, or a crime scene that needs investigating. Get scientific on it and analyze.

We've seen impatient builders come on here, get 75/ct done in no time flat, find something they don't like, blow the whole thing apart (in no time flat)... and then come on here and tell everyone what they did. Usually, between all of the help that is available here, there is a simple solution that would have saved them, had the only stopped to ask. I have been "saved" many times by the generosity of the good people... friends... here. :thumbsup:
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Re: New Build: Working title Glasshopper? 10-22-16

Postby Lagadelphia » Fri Oct 28, 2016 8:35 pm

Time for another update. Got the back bulkhead wall frame built and shelves built and dry fitted. Have a little bit of fitment work to do but they are up. I am really happy with how well they went together. I temporarily screwed the bulk head in and it really pulled everything together and it is pretty amazing how just having that one wall, how solid it made the trailer. This thing might just turn out square after all lol. I also cut the frame for the front window and just set it in place to see what it will look like. I have several four and five day weekends coming up here starting in November so I think ill make a lot of progress over the next two months.

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Re: New Build: Working title Glasshopper? 10-28-16

Postby MadMango » Sat Oct 29, 2016 8:26 am

Huge progress!
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Re: New Build: Working title Glasshopper? 10-28-16

Postby bbrider » Sat Oct 29, 2016 4:25 pm

I agree! When, not if, you have a glitch in anything you are building swallow. Take a breath. Walk away or in my case sleep on it. I can't begin to tell you how many times I have sat up in bed in the middle of the night and said "that's what I need to do!"


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Re: New Build: Working title Glasshopper? 10-28-16

Postby Lagadelphia » Sat Oct 29, 2016 5:50 pm

bbrider wrote:I agree! When, not if, you have a glitch in anything you are building swallow. Take a breath. Walk away or in my case sleep on it. I can't begin to tell you how many times I have sat up in bed in the middle of the night and said "that's what I need to do!"


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Me too. Like last night. Sometimes it is hard to turn it off. I wanted to get back at it at 1 am lol
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Re: New Build: Working title Glasshopper? 10-28-16

Postby Lagadelphia » Fri Nov 04, 2016 9:09 pm

Work continues:

Walls, bulkheads, and front shelf are glued and screwed. Also have the first piece of skin that is not attached to the walls in. Did a lot of work on the spars and built the opening for the roof vent as well as the slider mount and hatch for the AC.

You can see in the second picture that I did, in fact, cut out the bottom part of the doorway. I am going to use the side of the floor as the lower seal. This gave me four more inches of door and a much lower step into the trailer.

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Tomorrow should see some more skin installation, spar work, and the start of the electrical.
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Re: New Build: Working title Glasshopper? 11-5-16

Postby Lagadelphia » Fri Nov 11, 2016 10:36 pm

Work continues...

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Interior roof skins done.

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Back cabinets taking shape

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Slide out folding table. Work in progress

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Lower rear storage

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Upper Middle: AC slide out

Lower Middle: Folding table slide out

Middle Left: Electrical cabinet with components to be mounted on slide out shelf
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Re: New Build: Working title Glasshopper? Update: 11-11-16

Postby Lagadelphia » Fri Dec 09, 2016 11:10 pm

Work continues. Ive been working on it almost daily. A lot of little things that are finally turning into big things. I did some painting of the back cabinets, Wired and verified that my wiring worked as it should, and I am now almost done skinning. I should be finished tomorrow.

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I used pink foam insulation and a layer of Reflectix for insulation in the roof sections.

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The beginnings of the front cubbies.

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Front cubbies completed

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Skinning.

Everything is going smoothly and I am happy with my progress. I have a LOT of filling and sanding ahead of me.

To do still:

Sealing the wood and painting entire camper
Making the main door
Finish making the rear storage doors
Making cabinet doors for interior cabinets
Hull liner for the ceiling
Finish my fold out table
Tongue box
Trim
Curtains
Make cushions
etc...
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Re: New Build: Working title Glasshopper? Update: 12-9-16

Postby KCStudly » Sat Dec 10, 2016 10:39 pm

Looks pretty good!

I'm curious, are the spaces below and to the sides of the cubbies just lost space, or is there a plan for those areas? My thinking is that in a TD there really isn't any room for lost space.
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