SKarosser Copy Scratch Home build?????

Self builds and DIY projects
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wonkywheel
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Re: SKarosser Copy Scratch Home build?????

Post: # 22891Post wonkywheel
August 7th, 2018, 9:42 pm

I am a retired engineer :roll: and who is Morris anyway :lol:
"Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm" .......(Winston Churchill)

2007 Ford Ranger "Thunder" 4x4
Camper aedificavit domum
2016 Ford Ranger "Wildtrack" 4x4

mjb666
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Location: Surrey. M3-Junction 4.

Re: SKarosser Copy Scratch Home build?????

Post: # 22893Post mjb666
August 7th, 2018, 9:52 pm

Oi, watch it Mark or i will be up there and push it off those caravan steps and then it'll be re-build number 5.
2005 Mitsubishi L200 Single Cab 4x2
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wonkywheel
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Re: SKarosser Copy Scratch Home build?????

Post: # 22902Post wonkywheel
August 8th, 2018, 5:45 pm

Stick it on Wednesday

The two nose corner aluminium sections had to be straightened and flattened. The initial bending had caused it to work harden I think :geek:
As I said, it needs annealing. Back in the day, about 55 years ago, I remember making an aluminium tray in metalwork at school that had just the same problems. To continue to be able to reform I was instructed to draw on the aluminium with a piece of soap. Then heat the Ali up until the soap turns black. Quench with water = soft pliable aluminium again. :ugeek:

It worked too. The Ali was so easy to bend to the shape I wanted. I wish I could remember the teacher's name to send him a thought thanks, but :?:

Having got all 4 edge pieces for the nose front I got the 512 out :shock:
Wire wooled all the spars to ensure good adhesion, washed the inside of the fiberglass sheet down, applied the wavy bead of glue and screwed the sheet down. First one. 8-)

I had initially stuck all the seams with Screwfix white gaffer tape. Sticks great, too good in fact. When I wanted to remove it, where the tape and glue did not separate or string( left a horrible goo on the surface that had to be cleaned with white spirit) :x It pulled the clear film protective coating off the fiberglass. ( a good way of lifting it ?)

Nose roof tomorrow and perhaps even the main roof. I can get to the seam between the two sections through the roof vent. It's a bit like being a tank commander up there :lol: :lol:

Image
"Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm" .......(Winston Churchill)

2007 Ford Ranger "Thunder" 4x4
Camper aedificavit domum
2016 Ford Ranger "Wildtrack" 4x4

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wonkywheel
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Re: SKarosser Copy Scratch Home build?????

Post: # 23115Post wonkywheel
August 22nd, 2018, 10:46 pm

Slowly trying to fix all the fiberglass sheeting in place. I only like to do one piece at a time, A mixture or shortage of clamps, shortage of energy and it seems to be either too hot or raining :)
The slight bow in the sheets isn't helping plus if the screw hole is not exactly in line it causes a slight bow itself.
I made the mistake of fixing 3 of three roof edges first then going back the next day to complete it. Only to find I had a slight bow in the middle. It took 20 house bricks and a very large old vice standing on the roof to rectify that error.

With the inside of the nose looking like this:-
Image

Various bits and pieces used as support props to hold the insulation sheet in place, it finally looked like this when I retired for the evening ;)
Image
It took some doing. as you tighten one prop, the next one in the line falls over :roll:

I have had concerns about the aluminium box section acting as a cold bridge. Well, the proof of the pudding as they say.
With the insulation glued to the inside of the nose roof section. An early morning inspection showed the effect, well in reverse I think. The insulated area was as cold as the outside while the closed up inside was warmer. THERE IS NO CONDENSATION where the spars are. I could even make out the swirly glue lines in the condensation although this doesn't show in the picture
Image

When it came to the side, that was a game :)
All the screws apart from 2 were taken out, as were the windows. All the spars had the adhesive applied. Then outside to press together. Then back in to see where it was missing. Back outside to apply either , a clamp, a clamped spar, a window and even a couple of expanding clothesline props pressed against the fence. But it worked
Image

Just a few left to do now :roll: well 5 in fact but so far its sounding good 8-) .When you tap on the skin it sounds tight like a drum where it has been fixed. It is rather pleasing, although quite difficult, to peel off the protective film off the fiberglass when it is glued in place. I'm not sure yet but I might give the roof a coat of Autoglym while I can still reach it and it is brilliant white. Elsewhere will have to wait because I don't want to compromise the adhesion of vinyl graphics. There will have to be some even if they are only temporary 8-) :roll:

I keep hoping but I think my trip to the European Drag Race Finals will be under canvas AGAIN :(
"Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm" .......(Winston Churchill)

2007 Ford Ranger "Thunder" 4x4
Camper aedificavit domum
2016 Ford Ranger "Wildtrack" 4x4

Ogden scamper
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Joined: June 14th, 2018, 8:48 pm

Re: SKarosser Copy Scratch Home build?????

Post: # 23128Post Ogden scamper
August 23rd, 2018, 8:07 pm

Look forward to your reports on your build keep it up.

I am not a practical person and have to buy things ready made




so admire your patience

mjb666
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Re: SKarosser Copy Scratch Home build?????

Post: # 23129Post mjb666
August 23rd, 2018, 8:23 pm

Ogden scamper wrote:Look forward to your reports on your build keep it up.

I am not a practical person and have to buy things ready made




so admire your patience
Hi Ogden,

That makes two of us

Mike
2005 Mitsubishi L200 Single Cab 4x2
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wonkywheel
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Re: SKarosser Copy Scratch Home build?????

Post: # 23131Post wonkywheel
August 23rd, 2018, 9:23 pm

Thanks, Ogden, Mike for the comments.

As an ex-toolmaker/precision engineer projects or batches used to take between 1 and 9 months to complete so I have had a little practice at being patient. This is not just the biggest project that I have taken on but, the longest timescale and most costly. I am hoping it will be the most satisfying and cure me of the need to build things :lol:

As a lifelong camping enthusiast, I also hope this will provide me with the means to carry on enjoying the outdoors 8-)
That's enough rambling (almost a pun), back to the build.


With half of one sheet to finish gluing I shall only have the 2 parts to the back left to do. :) , but then its back to addressing the door problem :cry:
I should have learned from my teardrop experiences ..... doors and frames ain't easy, I should have purchased one. But that's no fun ;) .
When it has been raining I have been fixing the cut pieces of Celotex insulation in place. It looks like I will need 2 more sheets to complete all the infilled pieces.

Just a quick break, it's after 9 pm now so I'll go and get a malt. (I might start Rambling again :oops: ) My father was a Navy man and always said not until the suns over the yardarm.

My intention was to make the build virtually rot proof, (Back to the teardrop) but I am leaving the interior set up a bit fluid to try it and see how it feels. With this in mind, I have decided the inner walls will be thin plywood lined with van carpet, at least to start with. This will allow an easier build with the ability to remove or change whole sections to access the framework to route pipes and wires. ( Haven't given them much thought as yet)

Cheers 8-) :lol:
"Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm" .......(Winston Churchill)

2007 Ford Ranger "Thunder" 4x4
Camper aedificavit domum
2016 Ford Ranger "Wildtrack" 4x4

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zildjian
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Re: SKarosser Copy Scratch Home build?????

Post: # 23147Post zildjian
August 25th, 2018, 6:44 am

'Rot-proof' sounds a good target certainly and allowing access to structure behind the interior wall is good,
some readers may not be aware
water ingress (main culprit) is usually a result of damage to outside by having struck something like a tree or building say creating a gouge or tear in cladding,
or also internally by condensation getting in between inner & outer walls and rotting framework & insulation,

so while not a guarantee, ventilation is best defence here, both fixed or a skylight open in use.

Anyway build moving along OK from our perspective, its your drag racing calendar punctuating the build :)

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wonkywheel
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Re: SKarosser Copy Scratch Home build?????

Post: # 23153Post wonkywheel
August 25th, 2018, 8:45 pm

Zildjian,
your post about condensation is certainly true. With my build being a part insulated but almost totally closed box, to my surprise, in the morning when I opened up the door and windows ready for more play I found that the uninsulated fiberglass skin had a very light cover of moisture. There had been no heat in there and it is definitely not airtight so whether it was early morning dew or condensation I don't know just that it was DAMP. :( Also on a similar subject, I also noted that the shiny white surface took ages to dry in the morning(all the heat reflected away). Although I have glued on the sheets with what I thought was a continuous bead I still had water pooled in a couple of the cab over bed sections after a heavy nights rain. :evil: I am banking on it finding its way in at the corners as none of the corner angle has been glued in place to seal it. That will be done when all the sheets are fixed, then we will see.

With only the back to have the sheets glued on to complete the box as far as I need to for a trip out. A few vehicle lights and a nailed together door it will go to the ball :lol:
Oh, I still need to put the eye bolts in to fix it down :o :shock:

The deadline is Thursday lunchtime September 6th :| That's my intention.

My son said he would come and I could sleep in his tent again but he only came back from 2 weeks in Greece today so I doubt he will want a couple of day off so soon. If the worst comes to the worst I can always borrow the tent and its not too difficult to put up. Pump up 4 hoops after pegging the base down then pull the ends up. Easy enough with 2 but on my own??????
I'm ever the optimist :lol: :lol: :roll:
"Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm" .......(Winston Churchill)

2007 Ford Ranger "Thunder" 4x4
Camper aedificavit domum
2016 Ford Ranger "Wildtrack" 4x4

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wonkywheel
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Re: SKarosser Copy Scratch Home build?????

Post: # 23166Post wonkywheel
August 26th, 2018, 11:04 pm

Sunday
Rain most of the day. Just checked inside the camper and still small amount of water getting in. Mind you the roof vent is only standing in the hole :lol:

No work outside but I did manage another box cushion cover :roll:
Image
It might not be the neatest cover but there is no wadding in it as yet. This time I put a zip in instead of the failed velcro of the first one.

Image I still havent replaced that back panel yet :(
3 parts through no3 as well before I felt the need to pack up
"Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm" .......(Winston Churchill)

2007 Ford Ranger "Thunder" 4x4
Camper aedificavit domum
2016 Ford Ranger "Wildtrack" 4x4

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