The Ultimate DIY thread - Ubuilding (Pics)
Hey all, There is another, albeit smaller, side to this whole RV thing - those crazy folks who build their own for whatever reason. Whether you've scratch-built it from the ground up, assembled a kit...
Forum Discussion
DeadeyeLefty wrote:
westend, thanks for the fan-fold foam idea. I checked at the building supply yesterday but apparently it's a US-only product. I will be going to Seattle to look at a boat in a couple months, so I'll see if I can stock up then.
For small lightweight panels, it looks like just the ticket. I also found out that the thinnest panels they can get are 1" unless I go with the beaded styrofoam, which is available in 3/4". Unfortunately, the latter is awful to work with if you're sanding because the beads roll off rather than sanding to a smooth surface. So for now, it's back to the segmented-cone shape.
That spray adhesive is great stuff. The biggest problem I've found is that most products that do their job well also have solvents that eat the foam. I will definitely be using that to glue the upholstery to the headliner.
Most recently, I've found that polyurethane glue (Gorilla glue) is without a doubt the best glue I've tried for bonding this stuff. It's cheaper and quicker than epoxy (no mixing) though I do need to keep a spray bottle of water handy to wet one of the mating surfaces.
Another interesting tidbit: this link was shown to me on another forum.
Apparently, the US military is looking at foam boxes covered in bedliner compound for packing boxes. After this build, I was thinking about doing a shotgun case this way for the boat - it would protect from impact really well and have enough bouyancy to float. Of course, it would be a one-hit wonder like a bike helmet, but it's cheap enough you could build quite a few for the cost to buy a single decent commercial one.
You're welcome. Down here, in the lower 48, there are all kinds and sizes of extruded polystyrene, from 1/4"-2" and above. Foam adhesives are sold in caulking tubes and I used quite a few when I insulated my rig. They are not the fastest set time but for my application it was the fastest wih least mess.
The use of foam and bedliner for those GI boxes should give you a good "proof of concept" for your build, if you needed one. I'm liking your idea about the gun case, I may make one of those, also. Keep up the good work!
