Project Trail-Hopper

[DSALMON-629]

Really shocked that your aluminum angle bent that easy...and with no puckering or buckling.. was it pretty thin? I would guess its maybe 1/16" thick not the more typical 1/8"?

I annealed it with a torch to soften it first, it bent pretty easy but tried to twist when I made the sharper curves. I just took a pair of vice grips and twisted it the opposite direction to halfway straighten it, then beat it flat against my frame with a deadblow mallet. it is 1/8" thick with 3/4" legs.

 

[ajmaudio]

ah.... did you use a temp crayon or anything for annealing?

 

[1.9TDIZook]

Looks great!

(One way to get the temp close for annealing,without temp crayon, is to soot up the metal with an acetylene rich flame
the readjust the flame normally and heat the metal up till the soot disappears.)

 

[DSALMON-629]

Yes I used a paint crayon similar to this yellow one. You mark your aluminum and then heat it with a rosebud torch head until it starts to turn white and then to brown. Once it changes color your aluminum is annealed enough to work it. We use this same method to soften aluminum when we press couplers into aluminum pipe.



Started running wires today, once they are all run to their place in the camper I will clean them up and make things neat and tidy.



Started mocking up my front window and getting it ready to install. I will have to modify the interior trim for it to make it work though.

 

[ajmaudio]

thanks... any idea what temp your crayon was for.. curious what temp your alloy annealed at?

 

[opp]

Great looking trailer I'm using the same skins .The frame is . Fiberglass modular building components No welding .Thanks for going first on the skins

 

[DSALMON-629]

Not much work that has been done lately is picture worthy, I have been running wiring and trying to make sure I don't forget anything. I have been asking around and getting suggestions from others on what they wish they would have put in their builds and I have enjoyed seeing what everyone else recommends. I think i'm about ready to put my interior walls up and start working on cabinetry.

 

[DSALMON-629]

thanks... any idea what temp your crayon was for.. curious what temp your alloy annealed at?

What we use when we anneal aluminum isnt really a temp. crayon, it is just a marking crayon. This is the exact one I used and the only temperatures on it are the minimum and maximum temperatures it can be used in.

 

[ajmaudio]

haha nice... howd you come to that?

 

[DSALMON-629]

I have no idea how the shop I work at came up with the idea to use it, but they have been using it successfully for years now.

 

[DSALMON-629]

Started cleaning up my wiring mess and getting it run to my fuse block. will add a little more wire loom to clean up how it looks a little more.





I also started putting in my paneling on the interior. I haven't decided yet if I will put my stainless steel rivets in after I paint my paneling and leave them as a contrast, or put in some cheap aluminum rivets and then paint over them to make them blend in.

 

[DSALMON-629]

The past few days I have been working on putting my paneling in the interior and it has been going pretty well. I will add trim to the seams to clean them up.

 

[SethJ]

where did you get your doors and windows? I am planning a build and trying to compile a parts list and figure out where the cheapest place to buy the doors is.

 

[DSALMON-629]

where did you get your doors and windows? I am planning a build and trying to compile a parts list and figure out where the cheapest place to buy the doors is.

I bought them from Vintage Technologies, they were kind of pricy but very nice quality. I shopped around a bunch and didn't find them cheaper from any other company.

 

[SethJ]

Thanks, that is what I have been seeing on ebay. Was hoping to find a cheaper option.