Do it your self Fiberglass Extrusions by Total Composites

R

rruff

Explorer
Peter_n_Margaret said:
Panel joins are typically rebated. The only corner treatment required can be a simple angle.
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A friend built this one in rapid time. Very accurate, although it is not a huge amount of work to do the rebating yourself if this service was not available.
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I saw videos of Styromax (another Oz company) building joints like that, and like Victorian mentioned, thought "no way in hell is that a strong joint!" The strength is in the skins and the glue contact skin-skin is very little.

But... if you make a completely torsion free subframe and reinforce edges with internal structure, and use the right glue, then it apparently works! Seems a bit crazy to me, but the proof is always in the result.

Couldn't you make any angle you wish using that method? With CNC it should be easy. Also, what glue did you use?
 
R

rruff

Explorer
john61ct said:
I bet would work well for "Foamie PMF" construction technique, encase the slabs separately in a thin cloth, assemble and glue in these channels,
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Have you compared PMF (canvas and Titebond glue) to actual fiberglass? It isn't in the same league at all. PMF is much weaker in every way, even with equivalent weight.
 
R

rruff

Explorer
Victorian said:
Developed by Total Composites, the top supplier of Expedition Truck Bodies in North America. We now offer 50/50mm("'/2") extrusion for walls, floors and roof to make your own camper bodies.
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If it's 50mm internal, then it sounds like you'd need custom foam thickness? 50mm minus whatever the skin thickness is (say 2mm)x2 so 46mm or 1.81" or a bit less.
 
Victorian

Victorian

Approved Vendor : Total Composites
rruff said:
If it's 50mm internal, then it sounds like you'd need custom foam thickness? 50mm minus whatever the skin thickness is (say 2mm)x2 so 46mm or 1.81" or a bit less.
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Correct, designed for total panel thickness of 50mm/2". To be honest we did not develop those extrusions with retailing them in mind... They were only meant to be used with our new slide in campers. Someone brought up the demand for those and we simply listed them for anyone to purchase. I'm sure people will figure out how to create panels for that thickness.
 
J

john61ct

Adventurer
rruff said:
PMF (canvas and Titebond glue)
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wrt "strength" there are many dimensions to that term, but the concept has certainly proven "strong enough"

Compressive strength is inherent in the foam.

The bonded skin adds plenty of tensile strength, and

a key advantage is the inherent allowing for movement of the box planes, not trying for 100% rigidity, the box safely twists and flexes a little as needed, just as the usual base / platform does.

For tears / punctures in the skin, very cheap and easy to repair.

The primer / adhesive / sealant / coating (s) used is completely up to the experimenter

The best traditionally was the original formula Glidden Gripper, which is no longer manufactured.

Titebond is not nearly waterproof enough long term IMO.

It is true that getting too fancy with high-tech coatings cuts into the low cost advantage - the original raison d'être, but IMO there are plenty of advantages to going that way anyway, not least psychological, the DIY ethos and fun of experimentation, the satisfaction of "quick and easy" results, getting out on the road in a short time, etc.
 
R

rruff

Explorer
john61ct said:
wrt "strength" there are many dimensions to that term, but the concept has certainly proven "strong enough"
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Yes, there are many dimensions, and it failed all of them. It's "strong enough" for a small and cheap camper, if you have low expectations. If a box made from glued together 2" XPS alone seems like a pretty solid structure, then adding the canvas and glue coating will certainly improve on that.

Doesn't make sense to use these extrusions though as they are ~100x more robust than the rest of your build and not cheap. Plus you'd need to precisely cut the foam to the right thickness.
 
H

highwest

Active member
Victorian said:
Best if you do a test and see what resin/epoxy works best. Other than that, I can't see why not.
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Want to send a few cutoffs down this way for destructive testing? ;)

I’m mainly interested to know if the white color and UV stabilizers may prevent a good bond with epoxy. It’s hard to justify $100 for a 8’ section just for testing purposes... but I also understand these products exist aside your core business.

I don’t meant to sound ungrateful. Thank you for all your support of this community. I have learned much from your multitude of posts and hope to have the opportunity to get a project from you in the future.
 
R

rruff

Explorer
highwest said:
I’m mainly interested to know if the white color and UV stabilizers may prevent a good bond with epoxy.
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It's gelcoat as stated... ie polyester resin I suppose; standard stuff.

Curious why you'd want to fiberglass over these joints?
 
J

john61ct

Adventurer
rruff said:
If it's hand layup, that could work. Not for gluing skins to foam though. If it's hand layup, why not lay up the edges as well?
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I thought "layup" was a fiberglassing term? If not, then I don't know what it means.

If you wanted to double-skin, iow enclose the foamboard with canvas before gluing up the box edges

then it's just a matter of testing to get a nice tight fit first.

Usually the skinning job is done all at once to the living pod box as a whole, the canvas enclosing the corners and all edges at the same time for strength.
 
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