saDgit's flat-faced pop-top
Re: saDgit's flat-faced pop-top
Check out the bling! Shiny, shiny!
Despite really wild winds over the last couple of days I've managed to cut and fit the aluminium skin onto the lower side walls and side benches, definitely made easier by the fact that I could manhandle the panels and so only work on the flat.
In preparation for this I'd spent some time trawling through boat building and teardrop trailer building forums looking for advice on whether, or not, to use a contact adhesive when sticking aluminium to plywood. Differing rates of expansion and contraction between the ali and the substrate are the issue apparently. But, as ever with forums (except this one of course!), consensus was in short supply - every possible kind of adhesive, and even no adhesive at all, had its advocates and its detractors. In the end therefore I just decided to go with my own instinct and experience and to use Sikaflex 11FC, a one-part polyurethane adhesive that I've used many times before. It's very sticky stuff and it stays flexible and so I figure it should easily accommodate whatever slight relative movement there might be between the ali and the ply.
To give it plenty to hang on to I criss-crossed the surface of the ply with a burr tool before sealing it with a couple of coats of epoxy ...
... and then attacked the back of the aluminium with a 40-grit disc and de-greased it thoroughly with acetone.
The only down-side of Sikaflex 11FC is that in cold conditions it can be stiff and slow to spread but fortunately in the warm sun in which I've been working it was wonderfully soft and easy to apply and dispersed willingly between the aluminium and plywood when I applied pressure with a hard roller.
Despite really wild winds over the last couple of days I've managed to cut and fit the aluminium skin onto the lower side walls and side benches, definitely made easier by the fact that I could manhandle the panels and so only work on the flat.
In preparation for this I'd spent some time trawling through boat building and teardrop trailer building forums looking for advice on whether, or not, to use a contact adhesive when sticking aluminium to plywood. Differing rates of expansion and contraction between the ali and the substrate are the issue apparently. But, as ever with forums (except this one of course!), consensus was in short supply - every possible kind of adhesive, and even no adhesive at all, had its advocates and its detractors. In the end therefore I just decided to go with my own instinct and experience and to use Sikaflex 11FC, a one-part polyurethane adhesive that I've used many times before. It's very sticky stuff and it stays flexible and so I figure it should easily accommodate whatever slight relative movement there might be between the ali and the ply.
To give it plenty to hang on to I criss-crossed the surface of the ply with a burr tool before sealing it with a couple of coats of epoxy ...
... and then attacked the back of the aluminium with a 40-grit disc and de-greased it thoroughly with acetone.
The only down-side of Sikaflex 11FC is that in cold conditions it can be stiff and slow to spread but fortunately in the warm sun in which I've been working it was wonderfully soft and easy to apply and dispersed willingly between the aluminium and plywood when I applied pressure with a hard roller.
Last edited by saDgit on August 4th, 2018, 2:14 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Martin
Previous demountables: Island Plastics 'Suntrekker' on P100, S.Karosser 'EC8L' on Ranger supercab, self-built pop-top on Ranger double cab
Current demountables: Rhino 'Safari' hardside on Ranger double cab
Previous demountables: Island Plastics 'Suntrekker' on P100, S.Karosser 'EC8L' on Ranger supercab, self-built pop-top on Ranger double cab
Current demountables: Rhino 'Safari' hardside on Ranger double cab
Re: saDgit's flat-faced pop-top
Martin, an actual blog on this would look pretty slick more especially if you captured some of the local scenery in a wide shot too (I expect)
What have considered for soft furnishings also, not wishing to jump the gun in your build you understand, but sometimes these great looking projects fail a little at the end over a scarcity of scatter cushions
will you need to make up/have some made up or is there a donor camper somewhere for that side of things
What have considered for soft furnishings also, not wishing to jump the gun in your build you understand, but sometimes these great looking projects fail a little at the end over a scarcity of scatter cushions
will you need to make up/have some made up or is there a donor camper somewhere for that side of things
Re: saDgit's flat-faced pop-top
Started one a couple of weeks ago Zildjian at truckcamperbuilder.com but is this a polite way of telling me to bugger off with my long-winded posts about mundane things like glue and stuff? I can take a hint.zildjian wrote:Martin, an actual blog on this would look pretty slick
No, no donor vehicle but I can see as far ahead as soft furnishings yet!
Martin
Previous demountables: Island Plastics 'Suntrekker' on P100, S.Karosser 'EC8L' on Ranger supercab, self-built pop-top on Ranger double cab
Current demountables: Rhino 'Safari' hardside on Ranger double cab
Previous demountables: Island Plastics 'Suntrekker' on P100, S.Karosser 'EC8L' on Ranger supercab, self-built pop-top on Ranger double cab
Current demountables: Rhino 'Safari' hardside on Ranger double cab
Re: saDgit's flat-faced pop-top
Course' not, all attracts visitor's here and we like technical stuff best,
no I only mention the interior wondering if you'd designed spaces to take standard sized seating cushions and bedding for example,
you have after all mentioned the curious Gallic flair for non-standard timber I was wondering if it was something you'd embraced with the French culture
no I only mention the interior wondering if you'd designed spaces to take standard sized seating cushions and bedding for example,
you have after all mentioned the curious Gallic flair for non-standard timber I was wondering if it was something you'd embraced with the French culture
Re: saDgit's flat-faced pop-top
As an aside Martin, you blog display's perfectly on this ipad emulator
http://mobiletest.me/ipad_mini_emulator ... ilder.com/
blog looks interesting, that was a god idea of mine don't you think
http://mobiletest.me/ipad_mini_emulator ... ilder.com/
blog looks interesting, that was a god idea of mine don't you think
- derestrictor
- Posts: 2342
- Joined: November 18th, 2014, 7:21 pm
- Location: gotham Nottingham
Re: saDgit's flat-faced pop-top
That is a useful emulation tool, good link there thsnk
Re: saDgit's flat-faced pop-top
Haven't achieved much on the camper for several days now owing to some serious family partying over Easter but I've been back on it a little bit today and have sealed all the lower wall intersections with Sikaflex and stucco-patterned aluminium angle that I bought at the same time as the sheets.
Don't know whether this is a good idea or not but I've also put these 9mm softwood strips crossways on the underside of the floor.
My main purpose in fitting them is to avoid the full weight of the camper sitting on the aluminium corner profile that will eventually run around the floor's edge. The bed of my pickup has corrugations running front to back and I could envisage them causing distortions in the profile. The strips aren't sealed in any way and are simply screwed into the ply with stainless screws. I see them as sacrificial and am assuming they will need to be replaced occasionally but I am also hoping that it will be they, rather than the floor itself, that take the scrapes and scuffs as the camper shifts and settles in the bed.
Don't know whether this is a good idea or not but I've also put these 9mm softwood strips crossways on the underside of the floor.
My main purpose in fitting them is to avoid the full weight of the camper sitting on the aluminium corner profile that will eventually run around the floor's edge. The bed of my pickup has corrugations running front to back and I could envisage them causing distortions in the profile. The strips aren't sealed in any way and are simply screwed into the ply with stainless screws. I see them as sacrificial and am assuming they will need to be replaced occasionally but I am also hoping that it will be they, rather than the floor itself, that take the scrapes and scuffs as the camper shifts and settles in the bed.
Last edited by saDgit on August 4th, 2018, 2:17 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Martin
Previous demountables: Island Plastics 'Suntrekker' on P100, S.Karosser 'EC8L' on Ranger supercab, self-built pop-top on Ranger double cab
Current demountables: Rhino 'Safari' hardside on Ranger double cab
Previous demountables: Island Plastics 'Suntrekker' on P100, S.Karosser 'EC8L' on Ranger supercab, self-built pop-top on Ranger double cab
Current demountables: Rhino 'Safari' hardside on Ranger double cab
Re: saDgit's flat-faced pop-top
Mine sits on that same aluminium angle around floor and is variously chipped/dented here and there
and I can quite see your idea there
and I can quite see your idea there
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- Posts: 61
- Joined: April 6th, 2015, 10:16 pm
Re: saDgit's flat-faced pop-top
Great project, I'm watching this build with interest.
What sort of wood are you using for the framework and did you cut all those joints by hand or with a router?
Cheers
Clive
What sort of wood are you using for the framework and did you cut all those joints by hand or with a router?
Cheers
Clive
Re: saDgit's flat-faced pop-top
Hi Clive,
The timber is nothing flash I'm afraid, just regular unplaned softwood from the local builders yard though it is relatively knot-free and straight. Joints were all done on a compound mitre saw. It makes up for lots of my inadequacies as a joiner!
The timber is nothing flash I'm afraid, just regular unplaned softwood from the local builders yard though it is relatively knot-free and straight. Joints were all done on a compound mitre saw. It makes up for lots of my inadequacies as a joiner!
Martin
Previous demountables: Island Plastics 'Suntrekker' on P100, S.Karosser 'EC8L' on Ranger supercab, self-built pop-top on Ranger double cab
Current demountables: Rhino 'Safari' hardside on Ranger double cab
Previous demountables: Island Plastics 'Suntrekker' on P100, S.Karosser 'EC8L' on Ranger supercab, self-built pop-top on Ranger double cab
Current demountables: Rhino 'Safari' hardside on Ranger double cab