New shop.... Next project!!

[ujoint]

Quite the day at the shop!! My lift was scheduled to be installed. I verified the concrete thickness WAY before I signed the lease..... (guess where this is going)

The installers give me the famous quote "we have a problem"

Turn out my concrete is at best 4" thick, not the 6" I was told.

So now we're cutting 4x4 sections of concrete out & pouring some 10". Grrrrrrrrrr. Not my fault, but it's screwing up my schedule!!

Looks like AmboVan will be built old school. On the ground. Still scheduled for tear down Thursday.

 

[hobietony]

Bummer. Hopefully you can get the friggin truck started, and not have to tow it to the shop. Also hope this concrete isn't on your dime, sometimes those property managers will tell you whatever you need to hear to sign a lease.

 

[hobietony]

Meanwhile, work on the topper continues. Gotta keep my mind off of the fact that I apparently have a significant electrical drain that I will have to address when the van gets back to Tucson.

Getting the first couple of strips of fiberglass from the bottom wrapped up the sides, so I can get it flipped, and start work on the glass on the top.

Close up

Using 4", 6 oz cloth for the first layer, 2" strip for the next one to stagger the edge seams

Flipped, got the bondo globbed on to fill the staple holes, and get the edges ready for glass

Shot of the glass wrap at the bottom with the rough edges sanded

So, checked how well the whole thing planed out, found a bit of dip and rise between the individual ribs - worrried that to fair this out would require way too much fairing compound

Thought this might happen, so stopped by the steel supply house

Ran a spine down the middle with 1x2x16ga, and a couple legs down to the mounting flange. Screws up into the double ribs tie the spine into the roof.

Carpet will run over this, adds a lot of strength to the roof, and gets the ribs to plane much better.

 

[hobietony]

Sanding, prep for glass

Used the rest of that 1x2 steel to make a nice, long sanding block

Seems to work alright.

Glass to follow...

 

[Scott Brady]

This is very interesting. Congrats on the new shop and having the commitment to start such a cool project.

 

[bobDog]

Sanding, prep for glass

Used the rest of that 1x2 steel to make a nice, long sanding block

Seems to work alright.

Glass to follow...

Coolest sanding block I've ever seen....are the paper overlaps a problem?

 

[hobietony]

No laps, just butted. I think what you are seeing is where joints are in the belt sander belts

 

[ujoint]

Got the new pads poured today, after they made the shop look like a volcano erupted. Now I have 10"+ so we can bolt the lift down!

 

[ExpoMike]

Go to an autobody store and pick up sand paper that is on a roll. You can unroll it to any length. No butt joints at that point. Not sure if it matters but figured I would share the info.

Cool build!!! How much does that roof weight? Looking back, do you think a steel skeleton with an aluminum skin would be lighter?

 

[bobDog]

Coolest sanding block I've ever seen....are the paper overlaps a problem?

Right-o...I just went back and looked....brilliant. I am impressed....butt joint makes the most sense dooh on me...:sombrero:

 

[bobDog]

Got the new pads poured today, after they made the shop look like a volcano erupted. Now I have 10"+ so we can bolt the lift down!

Did they drill horizontally for re bar? I would want to have a good strong bond between the two. especially with loads dealing w/ expo vehicles and larger campers. we did this once and we epoxed the re bar into the old cret. but then again we were wieners:sombrero:

 

[ujoint]

I asked about that, but the concrete guy assured it wasn't needed.

 

[bobDog]

I asked about that, but the concrete guy assured it wasn't needed.

Okay.....well he should know if they will bond.

 

[a.mus.ed]

Looks freakin' sweet! HobieTony, I hope you're the showing off type - when do you expect it's debut in Tucson will be?

 

[hobietony]

Go to an autobody store and pick up sand paper that is on a roll. You can unroll it to any length. No butt joints at that point. Not sure if it matters but figured I would share the info.

Cool build!!! How much does that roof weight? Looking back, do you think a steel skeleton with an aluminum skin would be lighter?

I'm pretty sure it would be lighter, but I wanted the arch in the roof, and some rounding to the edges. Probably could have had some steel radiused, but then the junction between the sloped front and the radius roof would have been interesting - Mostly I knew how I could do it in wood. Now that I've gotten to the sanding and fairing part, I can see the beauty in an aluminum skin.

I think it is pretty light for its size - I weighed it at 225# before glassing, and I am curious as to how much the chunk of removed roof will weigh... Used about two gallons of resin, plus fairing compound, I expect to come in under 300#