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John Biundo (Jbiundo) (67.112.121.112)
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, October 12, 2002 - 12:57 pm: | |
I'm in the process of putting fiberglass skins on my bus side walls. I've got 4 sheets of the 35' x 42" stuff from R&M. I'm trying to decide whether to bond the upper and lower sheets together, along the long edge, and then finish over the joint to get a totally smooth side. Or, to simply butt them together and cover the joint with trim molding.
I prefer the one-piece look, and the guaranteed watertight seal I'll get, but I'm worried about cracking due to flexing of the bus.
Has anybody any experience with this?
Thanks in advance for any input! |
OLMoldy (208.18.102.218)
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, October 12, 2002 - 6:07 pm: | |
See this post it should have answered your questions;
By John Biundo (Jbiundo) (67.112.121.112) on Thursday, September 19, We had a lot of chat on this. The bigger the panel the more likely it is to have flex problems. but to answer your question, fiberglass it together on side you won't see then bond the outside as discribed in earlier post. Fill and sand smooth, done right it will look like one big piece. But as I said the bigger it is, if you have much flex you will have cracks in even the new material. Did you find book? |
John Biundo (Jbiundo) (67.112.121.112)
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, October 12, 2002 - 7:51 pm: | |
Hi Larry,
Yes, I recall our earlier discussion. I wasn't trying to ask the same question again (HOW to do it). I was really just asking whether people think it's a good idea to do it. I'm sorry if I've asked similar questions before, but maybe it's just because I keep going back and forth in my own head on this decision!
The real question I'm trying to focus on is this: does it make the panels and/or the joint more susceptible to cracking by joining the two pieces together? I think you're saying that the bigger the panels, the more likely they'll crack. So I assume that means that by joining them, they'll act like one BIG panel, and both the joint and the panels are more likely to crack, right?
I'm MORE interested in preventing cracking than in having a "one piece" look, so if that's the suggestion, then I'll keep them separate and cover the butt joint with molding.
Thanks,
John |
OLMoldy (208.18.102.218)
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, October 12, 2002 - 8:30 pm: | |
No problem. Yes the bigger the panel (also thickness weights in on this) The more likly to it is to craze or crack. But as far as the joint goes with fabric on both sides it will be as strong as the main panel. I would use a mat material as the fabric (mat looks more like what is blown out of a chop gun for boat making).
So the thinner = less likly to crack. But thin and big is harder to control the wave effect. Now I know that even makes it more complicated since you will be fastening it with hard points (by that screws-rivets or the method I described in the original post), because those points won't flex and if the rest does move much it will heave (make waves) or crack. If you find that the panels (use a strip a couple inches wide)can be twisted-rolled-bent sharp and don't crack or craze you should be ok to go.
John, I didn't mean to sound huffy in the reply I gave you earlier, if I did.
Good luck,
Larry |
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