As an artist and a commercial industrial painter, I know something about this. Quite a lot actually. I only use Tightbond 2 for adhering my linen canvas to my panels. The best way to do it is to cover the panel/wood surface with TIghtbond 2, letting it dry for an hour. Then thin the Tightbond 2 down by about a cup of distilled water to each quart of glue, the coat BOTH backside of the canvas and the panel/wood you are covering, then mate the two WHILE wet, roll them out, and then brush on more glue to the face, BEFORE it dries. DO NOT STRETCH THE CANVAS. This gives a totally sealed bond between the canvas and the wood, never to be removed. It will not delaminate, ever. I have artwork over thirty-five years old using this technique, and it works. Once dry for at least a day, you can sand the rough off the surface using 220 grit to a smooth surface. I prime the surface using my own primer mixture, consisting of titanium dioxide, plaster, PVA (tightbond2) and pumice. This thick mixture covers and seals the surface, sands wonderfully smooth, and hides any blemishes. It is porous, so any type of paint will adhere- I recommend epoxy paints to cover an outdoor application trailer. This will look and feel industrial, and you will never have issues. If you just use paint over top of raw canvas, then your durability goes WAY down.
Thanks for sharing your experienced based techniques. . 1 - If you are going to spend the money for epoxy paint, why not just do traditional epoxy resin over fiberglass cloth from the start? . 2 - Can you tell us how to mix up a batch of your custom primer?
@@heliocentric9971 1) Epoxy Paint is far less expensive and time consuming than fibergalss resin over mesh. It's paint. Not actually resin, the same paint as that you might find in public schools covering the cinderblock walls, incredible hard, resilient, and waterproof. 2) My Primer: Two parts PVA Tightbond 2 to one part Elmer's White Glue (not the school glue crap) Add pumice, titanium whitener, and gypsum (plaster) until the desired consistency is reached, I do this by feel depending upon how big a batch I mix. Apply within two days, keep cool, and sealed when not in use. This is a traditional oil ground used by artists, during the renaissance period, artist used rabbitskin glue instead of PVA.
Great job ! I used a cotton bed sheet & it didn't have a heavy texture to it & the over lap seams didn't stick out either I also used a little filler once exterior glue completely dried to hide any unsightly transition that I did not want seen .. of course there's sanding involved .. body work takes detail & can not be rushed .. over two years of service with no issues .. As thin as a cotton bed sheet is I was amazed how well it actually works .. that's my personal choice .. I have seen airplane skins up close & they are thin & saturated with a dope mixture and than panted very smooth .. @ the auto body shop I used to work @ we painted the final paint coat on the skin & it came out beautiful & shinny ! My build only had a 1/8 thick plywood skin of which the bed sheet was glued to ..I had removed the metal roof from a car I owned & raised the roof using that thin skin & bed sheet PMF I live in Florida & it was exposed to harsh weather extreme rain / blistering heat with no failure what so ever ! I sold the camper car to a guy here that loves it & when I see it .. it's still looks new with no issues !
If I may offer a couple of things to those that are planning on using this technique. First, coming from the perspective of a house painter, yes, absolutely buy a good quality roller. Do not use box store budget stuff for your final finish. They are fine for applying the glue, but not for final finish. Second, if you want to use a sprayer, that's fine, they will make short work of the job. HOWEVER, a paint sprayer is not a replacement for a roller. The roller is still the tool of choice for getting that final finish. The paint sprayer only puts the paint on the wall. You MUST back roll after the paint is sprayed. Spray it on real wet, don't worry about runs, you will take them out with the roller. Do not roll in a zig zag pattern, straight vertical strokes, end each stroke in the same direction, either up stroke or down stroke, personal preference. Give a good 50% overlap on the roller strokes. A paint sprayer is not required, but if you don't use one, just be sure to get plenty of paint on the surface, brush strokes and roller tracks will show up if you go too thin. Brush/roller must be fully wet. If you hear that sticky sounding, almost velcro sound while rolling, you are too dry, get that roller wet. Always remember paint does not hide anything. Paint causes things to change color, that's all. If you have imperfections, painting them will only create colorful imperfections. Third. as far as lint goes, Use the tightest nap you can, this is still personal preference, however in this application, you want a smooth finish. The nap should be enough to get paint into the weave of the canvas, but no more. Drywall would use a very tight nap, stucco would use a much looser nap, for canvas, you'd want something closer to drywall. Keep in mind the bigger the nap, the more lint. And use painters tape to wrap around the roller. Wrap it up all the way with one length of tape, then peel it off. The loose lint will come off on the tape.
I built a small kayak using this technique and was able to get a smooth surface and a shine on the kayak. I saturated the cloth on the inner and outer layers with the glue, to achieve a fairly smooth surface to start. I then went over the entire surface with white "Flex-Seal" which made it nearly smooth and semi shiny. I thought the "Flex-Seal" would also ensure it was waterproofed pretty well. I was then able to paint accents on the surface with a Krylon plastic friendly paint. Overall it came out pretty good and fairly smooth with a shiny surface!
Great video, I learned from another guy that if you put canvas on the sides first, wrapping up over the roof top about 4-6 inches, then cover the roof and razor the edges of the roof canvas the seams seem to look nicer.
First off, I would like to thank you for this video. I am building an 8x8 cargo trailer and have been trying to figure out what to use for finished exterior.
Just wanted to come back and let you know how helpful your PMF video was. I finished my PMF yesterday and I am so happy with the results. YouR tip on investing the time in ironing made all the difference. Watched yours and Lucy’s videos over and over. I also kept mine off the trailer and flipped so I could PMF on flat surfaces. Thanks for taking the time to do these videos.
You need to use a water proof Wood glue because once it drys moisture cant and will not affect it in anyway. I would recommend one coat to lay down the canvass and one coat over the top the canvass to seal it and then paint...
Titebond 2 is. Titebond 3 is a gimmick. Almost all us carpenters use titebond 2 for kitchen products. It food safe but more importantly, it doesn't debond in water
I built a teardrop a couple of years ago and used this process. I bought a couple of gallons of miss mixed exterior paint from Home Depot. Seemed to work out great. I sold the camper awhile back still in good shape.
Great Video and very helpful. My experience with PMF is that using the Glue to adhere the cloth.. then going over with two coats of glue after.. Strengthens the fabric and basically turns it to plastic. It's far more durable than just coating it with latex paint. And also far superior waterproofing. My next build I will finish coat with grey Raptor liner.
Hi FX. Raptor liner. Ive never seen anyone on RUclips making there DIY camper use RLiner. I will consider that for my 2023 Honda Ridgeline rtle camper shell build. Thanks.
Perhaps some day I will build a supper light insulation sheet foam camper with PMF inside & out with perhaps 1/8 plywood sheeting on the two inside side walls ? Strength comes from it's design & how it's put together The floor of course will be more than just the sheet of foam lol still using the most light weight material possible .. It's fun to explore all the possibilities while brain storming ! This guy's build on this post has helped me see his process is fantastic rotating up each surface to work on it .. perhaps building a rotisserie to rotate the build ? I don't know just ideas for now !
As a remodeled, renovation, repairman, restoration guy (plus many other hats I wear), I thank you for the effort and study you put in! I have learned to take my new roller covers and wind 2" masking tape around them BEFORE using, to remove loose lint. The flap overlaps I suppose one could bondo and texture a bit with a roller before it sets up so it doesn't come out TOO smooth, and match the paint texture, tho I haven't had time to build one yet.
I am curious to see some one do this with some bondo applied. I have bondo-ed enough cars to know you can go obnoxiously thick and get a smooth clean finish that matches the rest of the car.
Great looking squaredrop! I built one a couple years ago and love it. I ended up using PMF on just the roof of the camper and seams of the plywood, because I wasn’t sure I would like the finished appearance on the entire trailer. Followed up with several coats of Dutch Boy Max Bond exterior paint on everything, including the bare plywood, and so far its holding up well and have had no water issues. You were much more thorough than I was with the entire PMF process. I’m sure you’ll get many years of good use out of that camper. Nice job, thanks for the video!
I just recently decided to go the PMF route after considering (and pricing out) other choices. THANK YOU for this video! I have a better idea of the process, and the time it's going to take. I'm still framing mine out, but am already looking forward to working on the outside of it when ready for that step. Great work!
You're right! The history of plywood is longer than most realize. People have been using the result of layering glue or paper with some form of adhesive since we had textiles. It was only recently recognized and given a name. The first airplanes were made with canvas and glue. The amazing part is that the old glues were usually the flour/water combo or hide glues. They weren't technically water resistent, but they still worked. The old airplanes held up for more than four decades with maintenance. Just give it a scuff sanding, put on another coat of paint, and you're on your way. And just because I'm typing and I'm a nerd, I'll throw in the discovery of plywood. People advertised with posters they'd glue onto fences and the sides of buildings. Over time, new ads would be glued on top of old ones and they built up to around an inch thick. Homeless people would tear these sheets down and build shelters. Somebody noticed that the shelters lasted forever, was impressed, and finally did the work to bring a product to market. Years ago I found an article about the discovery of a similar story in Roman ruins. People be peopling for a long time. lol
Roll the 1st base coat of glue down then apply fabric and iron. You should use more glue on top of the fabric top provide a better saturation and add more strength. Use a RUBBER GROUT FLOAT to work the top coating of glue into the fabric and it will come out smoother. Don't understand why people use tiny bondo scraper when a 4x8 grout float works so much better. Thanks for your video. UPDATE: I called TitieBond Tech Support an was told that both Type II and III will in fact bond to each other when applied even after full cure. The caviot was that Titebond only test wood to wood applications, but not bonding cloth to wood. I believe it has been shown many times that this method works extreamely well. Good luck on your builds.
Great video. Thank you for sharing. I'm doing a similar build, except I'm using foam board mated with cardboard and covered in Poor Man's Fiberglass. It should be considerably less weight and should be sturdy enough to withstand rugged use. When the PMF hardens and is painted, it makes the trailer extremely sturdy and it looks great!
It's definitely a good option and definitely lasts for ages and waterproof. My Grandad did it to a caravan (trailer) way back in the late 1950's and all he did about every ten years would paint over it again just to refresh the look and it kept it waterproof. He told me that the way that he did it was put paint on the surface then lay the canvas over it, smooth it out then paint over the top and let dry then do another coat of paint. He didn't use any glue. Interesting to see glue is used now. The caravan lasted until the early 2000's when we discovered a beehive taking up the whole front storage under a bed. To get to the bees they had to open up from the outside. When mom died in 2005 my siblings simply pulled the van apart and threw it in the skip. :'( Otherwise I would have brought it home and repaired it and it would still be going. You have done a nice job. Thanks for all the good tips. Enjoy!
@@heliocentric9971 yes I am pretty sure he did. It was back in the 1970's and him being a builder all his life he always used oil based paints (turps clean up). He said it out lasted the water based paints.
Since its an undercoat, when doing the 50/50 mix just add color as you do each coat, shouldnt take much, just enough so you can tell where you've been, ie start white, then add some red so it becomes a light pink, then add some blue so it becomes a purple etc etc
I think Lucy has the best instructions for pmf (and I've watched a lot of them). I notice you didn't follow her instructions to the letter, but your finish turned out really well. The best thing about pmf is the fact that it 'hugs' the trailer build. The biggest frustration I have read from other home trailer builders is leaks. The pmf will hold and hug the wood together and help prevent separation at the seams from the vibrations of travel. I hope you and your wife have many years of enjoyment from your trailer. Great job!
Interesting thing to make gluing the cloth on the surface is to use the fact that the glue melts. Thus cover the surface with glue and even can water down the glue to get a more even coat. Could even put multiple water thinned coats on. Then use an iron to flatten the canvas and melt the glue at the same time. I did this to coat a balsa wing with plastic.
I did this method on an interior wall with craft paper on poly insulation. It was only supposed to be temporary but was so durable I rode with it for at least a year before building walls.
Hi, Thanks for sharing all this. I noticed that cell B31 in the material list doc needs to be updated to =sum(E13:E30) the sum of the wood was a little high.
for cutting the seam and having to deal with fraying, pinking shears might be a better option than straight scissors. they are designed to cut a zig zag pattern that prevents fraying. So you end up with a saw tooth edge on the fabric but i'd imagine doing that and making sure to cut it well would look pretty good still. though not sure how effective they would be on canvas fabric.
This technique has been used in the boat building industry for hundreds of years originally with canvas and linseed oil based paints as decking on boats and also as a waterproof layer under teak decks. Naturally as soon as water based acrylic paints turned up that took over. It was a well established and trusted technique well before fiberglass was invented and may have even been the inspiration for the development of resin infused fiberglass laminating.
Thank you for posting this video. Seems like many home builders of teardrop campers are in haste with the canvas. And seems as a result they get a finish that looks like the dogs breakfast
Mohair roller covers leave nothing behind and would allow you to lay down more paint on each pass versus spraying. Also rolling the paint on in my opinion works the paint in for a better bond to the previous coat 😀
Nice looking trailer, thanks for the video. My trailer is aluminum only on the outside. Closed cell spray-foam inside for additional strength and sound proofing. Then 3/8 ply on the inside for a strong light-weight wall. I might try the PMF over a styrofoam wall for ultimate lightweight trailer. Thanks again for sharing.
Just seen your video, good job! I was in construction as a younger guy building homes. I learned then nothing is perfect in construction. Like we used to say, ain't building no piano! You always notice the imperfections more than anyone else would. Like I said good job!
You can also use paint in place of the glue... you can apply the paint, put the cloth on and then immediately paint again so the paint lays can cross contact and be a really good seal... you can also use styrofoam boards skinned with laminate wood to make it lighter, stronger and insulated... maybe cheaper too... fiberglass screen can be painted into the surface to add strength if needed...
I personally used foam or mole hair rollers for applying large areas with glue, I also purchased my glue in five-gallon buckets when finished for the day I would set the grid and roller down in the bucket and put the lid back on. Excellent job by the way.
When I used to paint our plaster horse hair walls, in a circa 1918 house, it used to take forever, lots of paint, couldn't see where I had been. Then I learned to load the roller and paint a overly huge wet W, then quickly go to the left, upper top, of the W, start rolling down, working across, getting rid of the W. You can paint a wall quickly. The W will have the Lion's share of the roller load, and even running down the wall, the roller will pick up the extra paint as you move left to right across the W. I'm not sure you can paint your panels that way, but it saves paint, time as not going over painted areas you can't see. You basically roll down, can judge where to pick back up at the top, the W will heavy paint helps judge your position.
For car bodies with some sort of shape to them, applying too much bondo and sanding back is necessary. But screw holes on flat surfaces, like when dry-walling, are better done in two or three passes, scraped flat each time. The extra passes fill shinkage and there is minimal sanding required. I used to hold the dumb end of a tape measure in construction and I've mixed my share of body filler I know things.
I'm going to be doing the same thing to waterproof/repair the roof of my caravan. I plan to use an outdoor epoxy resin as my material with paint over top as I think as far as longevity it may last longer.
I like your build. Not sure if this has been mentioned before but if your going to build with this technique again, tight bond lll glue is waterproof, tight bond ll is for interior applications. It’s a few dollars more per gallon. Well worth the money.
The auto body man in me screams a skim coat of Duraglass on everything then go back with a skim coat of body filler if you want a really nice finish. The trick to duraglass and body filler is in the mixture. The less hardener you add to your mixture the longer you have to work with it and the mixture becomes much harder after it cures. It's kind of counter intuitive, but it's how the stuff works. Less hardener, harder surface. More hardener, softer surface.. Unfortunately if you do it that way it demands a LOT OF sanding to get smooth, but air tools makes quick work of it. A good, high quality dual action sander works best and always keep the surface of the sanding pad FLAT to the surface instead of tipping it on edge. Since most of you are going for low budget, quick work you're probably not going to all the trouble, but it'll last far longer. You can even fill completely empty holes with duraglass..Back in the days of completely rusted out body panels that's how we did that foolishness..Slap it on a sheet of wax paper then slap it over the hole and no more hole..Hard as a rock..
Yeah I don't think that is worth it for this. If you want that good of a finish you should be using glass/resin in the first place. I could have sealed this with resin for about the same price I spend in PMF in the end. I think the PMF is only worth it and you scrounge everything for free.
Looks awesome!!! If I can offer some advice... spraying would also work however you should still backroll it. There is a product called peel bond it’s a primer that will fill many of those imperfections, lastly run tape around your roller skins before using...it pulls off lint and dust!
I really like the overall look of the shape of this trailer. Excellent job, in my opinion! Your PMF looks great in camera Haha Lucy’s channel was the first channel I came across dealing with this subject. She has great tutorials. I made my comment at the beginning of your video. Now I’m almost through and you are officially in my number 1 slot of tutorials on PMF. Most excellent job!!! Yes that’s 3 exclamation marks 😂. Thank you for taking the time to make this video
FRP panels are only $39 for a 4'x8' sheet at HD... providing a MUCH easier surface to clean and MUCH faster and pain-free installation. Thanks for sharing!
Yeah, yeah. Great video. (Me looking past the camper to the beautifully built sawhorses in the background. "That's how my grandpa did it. His lasted sixty years, even when exposed to the weather. These could use a couple coats of paint to protect them a bit from water damage. Other than that, those are some mighty fine sawhorses... Wonder how he organized his small parts...")
You did a great job 👍 i would never criticize your finish , its for camping not a car show and hounestly i like seeing that it was hand made not bought , it shows your willing to give it a try and thats more then alot of us do , bottom line is its more waterproof then any you can buy i garentee that , todays campers are designed to fail after 5 years , keeps you comming back , ive seen bottom skins that overlap siding , instead of siding over bottom skin , thats going to allow water to funnel right into the bottom wall studs and rot , cant tell me the manufacturer didnt realize this , then they cover the seam with trim and sealant, knowing that after a couple trips the sealent will fail now allowing water to enter 10 inches above floor line , but from the outside so by the time you notice inside its already to late , my sisters 35 foot had this failure so i looked at others and man they build them so poorly i would never buy one , building is the only way you will spend your money wisely.......love it and thanks for inspiring.....
This is really something else. Alot of work and detail right here. Very nicely done. So far, how is it holding up? Any water leaks to speak of or delamination?
Did you try using a foam roller, they lay down a much smoother texture. Also if you don’t dilute your first coat with water, you can sand and get a really smooth surface
Very nice job. What would you do different now that you have finished it and you are using it? Like maybe saturating the canvas with glue or just Bed Lining the entire trailer etc.
The way I built it with the birch ply, I would have just done straight fiberglass resin with no fiberglass. It would have been around the same cost with a better finish. After this experience I would say the PMF is only good if you are on a super strict budget and you get all the materials for near free. I think buying the canvas and paint defeats the purpose of the savings.
I plan to do this to our build but I'm painting it navy blue on final coat (using the $5 mistint for undercoats) using chalk paint so our 7 year old can use it as a canvas for art using chalk :)
Lucy is THE MAN when it comes to PMF and I don't know if she even knows why her method works so well. I'm coming at this from the perspective of a crafter, not a woodworker. One crafting technique brought me to my knees for decades until I learned a trick to pull it off was decoupage. (Or mod podge) No matter how I did it, I had wrinkles, air pockets, and a horrible finish. I did 'good enough' a few times, but any large project was a disaster. Because of this, I rarely even tried. But there's a trick: IRONING the material on. You put on a coat of your adhesive, let it dry to the touch, then a second coat. Let that also dry to the touch, then put on a light, thin third coat and let that dry to tack. Lay your material over the adhesive and iron it on. The heat reactivates the adhesive and you end up with a flawless finish. Let your project dry, then layer your seal coats on top. When I showed my husband Lucy's PMF videos he kept saying, "How is she getting the canvas on before the titebond sets up on her?" The answer is that she's not. But the iron is reactivating the adhesive and so it doesn't matter. She's actually putting most of the canvas on when the glue is at tack and it's absolutely ideal for getting a smooth finish. IMHO, her method is the only method for applying PMF. I can't find one better. Not just for appearance sake, but also for durability. I do want to run some tests of PMF with and without a paint sealant. I'm wondering if a final coat of clear sealant would make a difference or if it's even worth it.
Fantastic build and great information on your experience. I am curious about the price breakdown if you had done real fiberglass verses "poor mans fiberglass"? I'm going to build one out that I can slide into my utility trailer and out when not using so I'm looking at ideas and so far your video has been the most informative on PMF! thank you.
I spent about $2k total on this build. I would not do PMF again with this type of construction. I'd just epoxy over the wood. But PMF would be worth it if you were doing a "near free" build where you were getting all materials free, like old fabric and leftover paint. I think once you start paying for that stuff it's not worth it anymore.
Thanks for this video, I have been wondering what finish to use for my planned camper build. It's going to be taller than the width of most aluminium sheet available to me locally in my city in New Zealand. I had discounted poor mans fibreglass due to the finish usually looking terrible, but yours looks great. I'm definitely going to consider this now, most likely with some corner trim to hide the seams a bit more. Will be watching the rest of your build vids now 😃
I'd highly consider doing fiberglass and resin instead next time, cost can be similar if buying stuff for PMF new. I think PMF might be worth it if you are getting all materials for free though.
@@MotherlodeMotors yeah, after looking into it a bit more and costing things out I think I'm reaching that conclusion. I'd been put off fibreglass for reasons I think stem from having to handle fibreglass house insulation. Availability is still a challenge, can get the supplies for pmf at any hardware store, fibreglass it's a bit limited
Yeah that sounds like a good idea. I think the point of PMF is the use whatever you have laying around, bed sheets, and old paint. I didn’t quite do that so primer probably would have been worth trying.
I like the idea of using the angle aluminum as a marking guide. To minimize fraying, before marking and cutting the canvas, put painters tape over the cut area first, then mark and cut. Leave the tape on and peel it off as you glue it down. It should make the edge cut straighter and the final seam cleaner.
The adhesive seems like it would be a much better idea than body filler for a trainer than is going to endure an extreme amount of vibration, shock, and flexing. Especially in major joints. Id go so far as to use something like Infinity bond EP 100 flex in a build like that to help ensure better longevity
good quality. and i watched l wood too earlier today before I found your video. She did some clever stuff. You do great work. I do prefer the foam for weight but the plywood looks better i'm thinking. clever choice of extra materials in your trailer. I like how you covered the entire body also. looks like most people aren't covering the bottom.
Yeah thanks, that was something I noticed too. And it’s probably fine on the bottom as long as you have a decently weather resistant substance down there but it’s only a little more work to cover that side also.
@@MotherlodeMotors maybe but honestly that was a good idea. there was a guy who did a video to prove the quality of pmfb, he was a guy with mountains painted on a blue trailer. There was water damage and rotten plywood at the bottom, he said cuz he didn't overhang the bottom board with the side walls. however pmfb might have stopped that if he had wrapped the whole thing? idk.
I hope you wont be offended it i suggest something but i believe it might have been a good idea to put some runner boards even 1/4 or 1/8 in thick, beneath the floor after you covered it, so you can protect the fabric at the bottom when youre sliding the house onto and off the trailer. I noticed some home built boats have those.
@@PeterJames143 yeah if you’re going to remove it from your trailer that sounds like a good idea to me. I have no plans to remove the body from this one.
The 50/50 paint water mix is probably ment to be that liquidly tho even if more difficult to apply it's so liquidy it can saturate into the canvas or fabric a lot better. Meaning that even if it when an out crack of paint occurs it still may not through the inner saturation that's solidified. Turns the canvas into a good protection layer in it's own. Then once sealed n ya go over it again ya end up with an outer protection layer as well.
Just a suggestion, but I would have used the same tape that fabric winged aircraft use over joints. It’s Serrated, which gives you 50% more edge, that’s glued down. And it looks like a professional job. Cheers
That's a different material but you can make the serrations using pinking shears. I'm pretty sure the purpose if that is to prevent fraying by not having the cut be parallel with the threads. Definitely would be something worth trying!
Why not use Marine Epoxy as your final coat?? I’ve used that on plenty of art projects to builds & it is 🎯 bc it’s designed to repel water & UV - plus it’ll give you the “high gloss” finish if that’s your end goal - Awesome work!
As an artist and a commercial industrial painter, I know something about this. Quite a lot actually. I only use Tightbond 2 for adhering my linen canvas to my panels. The best way to do it is to cover the panel/wood surface with TIghtbond 2, letting it dry for an hour. Then thin the Tightbond 2 down by about a cup of distilled water to each quart of glue, the coat BOTH backside of the canvas and the panel/wood you are covering, then mate the two WHILE wet, roll them out, and then brush on more glue to the face, BEFORE it dries. DO NOT STRETCH THE CANVAS. This gives a totally sealed bond between the canvas and the wood, never to be removed. It will not delaminate, ever. I have artwork over thirty-five years old using this technique, and it works. Once dry for at least a day, you can sand the rough off the surface using 220 grit to a smooth surface. I prime the surface using my own primer mixture, consisting of titanium dioxide, plaster, PVA (tightbond2) and pumice. This thick mixture covers and seals the surface, sands wonderfully smooth, and hides any blemishes. It is porous, so any type of paint will adhere- I recommend epoxy paints to cover an outdoor application trailer. This will look and feel industrial, and you will never have issues. If you just use paint over top of raw canvas, then your durability goes WAY down.
Thanks for sharing your experienced based techniques. .
1 - If you are going to spend the money for epoxy paint, why not just do traditional epoxy resin over fiberglass cloth from the start? .
2 - Can you tell us how to mix up a batch of your custom primer?
@@heliocentric9971 1) Epoxy Paint is far less expensive and time consuming than fibergalss resin over mesh. It's paint. Not actually resin, the same paint as that you might find in public schools covering the cinderblock walls, incredible hard, resilient, and waterproof.
2) My Primer: Two parts PVA Tightbond 2 to one part Elmer's White Glue (not the school glue crap) Add pumice, titanium whitener, and gypsum (plaster) until the desired consistency is reached, I do this by feel depending upon how big a batch I mix.
Apply within two days, keep cool, and sealed when not in use. This is a traditional oil ground used by artists, during the renaissance period, artist used rabbitskin glue instead of PVA.
Great advice.
I wonder if one of the liquid membrane products (aquadedense, redguard, hydroban)would be a good idea on the canvas, under your top coat of paint?
Would your technique work with PMF over XPS foam board?
Great job ! I used a cotton bed sheet & it didn't have a heavy texture to it & the over lap seams didn't stick out either I also used a little filler once exterior glue completely dried to hide any unsightly transition that I did not want seen .. of course there's sanding involved .. body work takes detail & can not be rushed .. over two years of service with no issues .. As thin as a cotton bed sheet is I was amazed how well it actually works .. that's my personal choice .. I have seen airplane skins up close & they are thin & saturated with a dope mixture and than panted very smooth .. @ the auto body shop I used to work @ we painted the final paint coat on the skin & it came out beautiful & shinny ! My build only had a 1/8 thick plywood skin of which the bed sheet was glued to ..I had removed the metal roof from a car I owned & raised the roof using that thin skin & bed sheet PMF I live in Florida & it was exposed to harsh weather extreme rain / blistering heat with no failure what so ever ! I sold the camper car to a guy here that loves it & when I see it .. it's still looks new with no issues !
Lots of good tips for PMF, you wouldn’t believe the flack I got for tearing the blue camper down.
If I may offer a couple of things to those that are planning on using this technique.
First, coming from the perspective of a house painter, yes, absolutely buy a good quality roller. Do not use box store budget stuff for your final finish. They are fine for applying the glue, but not for final finish.
Second, if you want to use a sprayer, that's fine, they will make short work of the job. HOWEVER, a paint sprayer is not a replacement for a roller. The roller is still the tool of choice for getting that final finish. The paint sprayer only puts the paint on the wall. You MUST back roll after the paint is sprayed. Spray it on real wet, don't worry about runs, you will take them out with the roller. Do not roll in a zig zag pattern, straight vertical strokes, end each stroke in the same direction, either up stroke or down stroke, personal preference. Give a good 50% overlap on the roller strokes. A paint sprayer is not required, but if you don't use one, just be sure to get plenty of paint on the surface, brush strokes and roller tracks will show up if you go too thin. Brush/roller must be fully wet. If you hear that sticky sounding, almost velcro sound while rolling, you are too dry, get that roller wet.
Always remember paint does not hide anything. Paint causes things to change color, that's all. If you have imperfections, painting them will only create colorful imperfections.
Third. as far as lint goes, Use the tightest nap you can, this is still personal preference, however in this application, you want a smooth finish. The nap should be enough to get paint into the weave of the canvas, but no more. Drywall would use a very tight nap, stucco would use a much looser nap, for canvas, you'd want something closer to drywall. Keep in mind the bigger the nap, the more lint. And use painters tape to wrap around the roller. Wrap it up all the way with one length of tape, then peel it off. The loose lint will come off on the tape.
I built a small kayak using this technique and was able to get a smooth surface and a shine on the kayak. I saturated the cloth on the inner and outer layers with the glue, to achieve a fairly smooth surface to start. I then went over the entire surface with white "Flex-Seal" which made it nearly smooth and semi shiny. I thought the "Flex-Seal" would also ensure it was waterproofed pretty well. I was then able to paint accents on the surface with a Krylon plastic friendly paint. Overall it came out pretty good and fairly smooth with a shiny surface!
pics??
A kayak?? I need to see this!!!
Great video, I learned from another guy that if you put canvas on the sides first, wrapping up over the roof top about 4-6 inches, then cover the roof and razor the edges of the roof canvas the seams seem to look nicer.
Can I PMF the sides vertically or will I need to roll the box over?
@@TheDouglash Yes you can PMF the sides, the glue you roll on first keeps it stuck to the walls very nicely while you smooth it out!
First off, I would like to thank you for this video. I am building an 8x8 cargo trailer and have been trying to figure out what to use for finished exterior.
Just wanted to come back and let you know how helpful your PMF video was. I finished my PMF yesterday and I am so happy with the results. YouR tip on investing the time in ironing made all the difference. Watched yours and Lucy’s videos over and over. I also kept mine off the trailer and flipped so I could PMF on flat surfaces. Thanks for taking the time to do these videos.
That’s awesome to hear! Thanks for commenting!
You need to use a water proof Wood glue because once it drys moisture cant and will not affect it in anyway. I would recommend one coat to lay down the canvass and one coat over the top the canvass to seal it and then paint...
Great recommendation!
I think the shape is off. Something not balanced. No harmony. Seems awkward. Hurts my eyes.
That's the way I heard to do it.
Titebond 2 is. Titebond 3 is a gimmick. Almost all us carpenters use titebond 2 for kitchen products. It food safe but more importantly, it doesn't debond in water
I built a teardrop a couple of years ago and used this process. I bought a couple of gallons of miss mixed exterior paint from Home Depot. Seemed to work out great. I sold the camper awhile back still in good shape.
Great Video and very helpful. My experience with PMF is that using the Glue to adhere the cloth.. then going over with two coats of glue after.. Strengthens the fabric and basically turns it to plastic. It's far more durable than just coating it with latex paint. And also far superior waterproofing. My next build I will finish coat with grey Raptor liner.
I did this as well, its very strong!
@@jayblumetti9590 well it's a knockoff so take it as it is. Like name.brand coke and off brand safeway coke
@@shawnhenderson1130 👍thanks, that's what I guessed
Hi FX. Raptor liner. Ive never seen anyone on RUclips making there DIY camper use RLiner. I will consider that for my 2023 Honda Ridgeline rtle camper shell build. Thanks.
@@shawnhenderson1130 hi Jay great comment 😂. Please write more. Tha ks.
Perhaps some day I will build a supper light insulation sheet foam camper with PMF inside & out with perhaps 1/8 plywood sheeting on the two inside side walls ? Strength comes from it's design & how it's put together The floor of course will be more than just the sheet of foam lol still using the most light weight material possible .. It's fun to explore all the possibilities while brain storming ! This guy's build on this post has helped me see his process is fantastic rotating up each surface to work on it .. perhaps building a rotisserie to rotate the build ? I don't know just ideas for now !
As a remodeled, renovation, repairman, restoration guy (plus many other hats I wear), I thank you for the effort and study you put in!
I have learned to take my new roller covers and wind 2" masking tape around them BEFORE using, to remove loose lint. The flap overlaps I suppose one could bondo and texture a bit with a roller before it sets up so it doesn't come out TOO smooth, and match the paint texture, tho I haven't had time to build one yet.
I am curious to see some one do this with some bondo applied. I have bondo-ed enough cars to know you can go obnoxiously thick and get a smooth clean finish that matches the rest of the car.
Great point on the tape
Great looking squaredrop! I built one a couple years ago and love it. I ended up using PMF on just the roof of the camper and seams of the plywood, because I wasn’t sure I would like the finished appearance on the entire trailer. Followed up with several coats of Dutch Boy Max Bond exterior paint on everything, including the bare plywood, and so far its holding up well and have had no water issues. You were much more thorough than I was with the entire PMF process. I’m sure you’ll get many years of good use out of that camper. Nice job, thanks for the video!
Is Dutch Boy Max Bond latex or enamel or _____?
Build is amazingly awesome and all but a thumbs up for watching Joe.
I just recently decided to go the PMF route after considering (and pricing out) other choices. THANK YOU for this video! I have a better idea of the process, and the time it's going to take. I'm still framing mine out, but am already looking forward to working on the outside of it when ready for that step. Great work!
Builders have been making painted canvas canoes for over a hundred years. Definitely waterproof (and good looking).
You're right! The history of plywood is longer than most realize. People have been using the result of layering glue or paper with some form of adhesive since we had textiles. It was only recently recognized and given a name. The first airplanes were made with canvas and glue. The amazing part is that the old glues were usually the flour/water combo or hide glues. They weren't technically water resistent, but they still worked. The old airplanes held up for more than four decades with maintenance. Just give it a scuff sanding, put on another coat of paint, and you're on your way.
And just because I'm typing and I'm a nerd, I'll throw in the discovery of plywood. People advertised with posters they'd glue onto fences and the sides of buildings. Over time, new ads would be glued on top of old ones and they built up to around an inch thick. Homeless people would tear these sheets down and build shelters. Somebody noticed that the shelters lasted forever, was impressed, and finally did the work to bring a product to market.
Years ago I found an article about the discovery of a similar story in Roman ruins. People be peopling for a long time. lol
@@vociferonheraldofthewinter2284is glue needed? Couldn’t paint adhere canvas to wood
Roll the 1st base coat of glue down then apply fabric and iron. You should use more glue on top of the fabric top provide a better saturation and add more strength. Use a RUBBER GROUT FLOAT to work the top coating of glue into the fabric and it will come out smoother. Don't understand why people use tiny bondo scraper when a 4x8 grout float works so much better. Thanks for your video. UPDATE: I called TitieBond Tech Support an was told that both Type II and III will in fact bond to each other when applied even after full cure. The caviot was that Titebond only test wood to wood applications, but not bonding cloth to wood. I believe it has been shown many times that this method works extreamely well. Good luck on your builds.
Hi RB. I'm going to try your recommendation of the rubber float.
Wow! Amazing work my friend. Never seen any video where ironing needed to be performed. Awesome build!
Great video. Thank you for sharing. I'm doing a similar build, except I'm using foam board mated with cardboard and covered in Poor Man's Fiberglass. It should be considerably less weight and should be sturdy enough to withstand rugged use. When the PMF hardens and is painted, it makes the trailer extremely sturdy and it looks great!
It's definitely a good option and definitely lasts for ages and waterproof. My Grandad did it to a caravan (trailer) way back in the late 1950's and all he did about every ten years would paint over it again just to refresh the look and it kept it waterproof. He told me that the way that he did it was put paint on the surface then lay the canvas over it, smooth it out then paint over the top and let dry then do another coat of paint. He didn't use any glue. Interesting to see glue is used now. The caravan lasted until the early 2000's when we discovered a beehive taking up the whole front storage under a bed. To get to the bees they had to open up from the outside. When mom died in 2005 my siblings simply pulled the van apart and threw it in the skip. :'( Otherwise I would have brought it home and repaired it and it would still be going.
You have done a nice job. Thanks for all the good tips. Enjoy!
Thanks for sharing that info mate👍
Yachts used to have canvased decks and it was done that way--putting it down in the paint.
Did your Grandad use oil-based paint for both the initial canvassing, and for the 10 year refreshing jobs?
@@heliocentric9971 yes I am pretty sure he did. It was back in the 1970's and him being a builder all his life he always used oil based paints (turps clean up). He said it out lasted the water based paints.
I really appreciated how much you interacted with the project and gave insights throughout! very helpful.
Since its an undercoat, when doing the 50/50 mix just add color as you do each coat, shouldnt take much, just enough so you can tell where you've been, ie start white, then add some red so it becomes a light pink, then add some blue so it becomes a purple etc etc
I think Lucy has the best instructions for pmf (and I've watched a lot of them). I notice you didn't follow her instructions to the letter, but your finish turned out really well.
The best thing about pmf is the fact that it 'hugs' the trailer build. The biggest frustration I have read from other home trailer builders is leaks. The pmf will hold and hug the wood together and help prevent separation at the seams from the vibrations of travel.
I hope you and your wife have many years of enjoyment from your trailer. Great job!
Ive heard of people using that lawn mesh....instead of heavier cotton duct cloth tarp
Good idea washing it before use
Honestly, this process seems like the perfect candidate for something like raptor liner. Or some other bedlining product as a final outer coating.
I wonder would a exterior gloss or yacht varnish work well. The bed liner sounds like a good idea super durable and water proof.
Came apon this channel at random this method is one I've not heard of before will definitely have to try it for the inside of my RV.
Dope-and-canvas was used to build aeroplanes in the early days, well before fibreglass was used. Durable, light, strong and waterproof.
I remember that stuff in my aeronautics class. the SMELL though wow.
What exactly was / is “dope”? . Can you still buy it?
@heliocentric9971 it's a type of polymer glue, and yes, you can still buy it.
Interesting thing to make gluing the cloth on the surface is to use the fact that the glue melts. Thus cover the surface with glue and even can water down the glue to get a more even coat. Could even put multiple water thinned coats on. Then use an iron to flatten the canvas and melt the glue at the same time. I did this to coat a balsa wing with plastic.
What kind of glue?
I did this method on an interior wall with craft paper on poly insulation. It was only supposed to be temporary but was so durable I rode with it for at least a year before building walls.
Hi, Thanks for sharing all this. I noticed that cell B31 in the material list doc needs to be updated to =sum(E13:E30) the sum of the wood was a little high.
Good catch, thanks.
Thanks for an excellent share. That was a ton of work to complete AND document, it is appreciated that you shared all this info.
Thanks for taking the time to comment!
Did an outstanding job! I like the texture of it.
for cutting the seam and having to deal with fraying, pinking shears might be a better option than straight scissors. they are designed to cut a zig zag pattern that prevents fraying. So you end up with a saw tooth edge on the fabric but i'd imagine doing that and making sure to cut it well would look pretty good still.
though not sure how effective they would be on canvas fabric.
Yes those would be great to try.
Great DIY video! I also liked Joe R. in the podcast in the background!👍✌
This technique has been used in the boat building industry for hundreds of years originally with canvas and linseed oil based paints as decking on boats and also as a waterproof layer under teak decks. Naturally as soon as water based acrylic paints turned up that took over. It was a well established and trusted technique well before fiberglass was invented and may have even been the inspiration for the development of resin infused fiberglass laminating.
Thank you for posting this video. Seems like many home builders of teardrop campers are in haste with the canvas. And seems as a result they get a finish that looks like the dogs breakfast
I think it looks great. I prefer a few imperfections as it gives your camper it's own character. Super job.
Mohair roller covers leave nothing behind and would allow you to lay down more paint on each pass versus spraying. Also rolling the paint on in my opinion works the paint in for a better bond to the previous coat 😀
So once this is complete do you need to register it as a trailer, or does the original title/plate suffice?
The trailer is already registered as a cargo trailer. Technically you might need to re-register as an RV but I didn't. It's sold now.
Nice looking trailer, thanks for the video. My trailer is aluminum only on the outside. Closed cell spray-foam inside for additional strength and sound proofing. Then 3/8 ply on the inside for a strong light-weight wall.
I might try the PMF over a styrofoam wall for ultimate lightweight trailer. Thanks again for sharing.
It looks awesome, you did terrific on fiberglass and paint
Just seen your video, good job! I was in construction as a younger guy building homes. I learned then nothing is perfect in construction. Like we used to say, ain't building no piano! You always notice the imperfections more than anyone else would. Like I said good job!
You did a nice job I’ve seen a lot of these poor man’s fiberglass and I give you a 10 compared to the others. Look forward to seeing it finished.
It is finished lol
You can also use paint in place of the glue... you can apply the paint, put the cloth on and then immediately paint again so the paint lays can cross contact and be a really good seal... you can also use styrofoam boards skinned with laminate wood to make it lighter, stronger and insulated... maybe cheaper too... fiberglass screen can be painted into the surface to add strength if needed...
I personally used foam or mole hair rollers for applying large areas with glue, I also purchased my glue in five-gallon buckets when finished for the day I would set the grid and roller down in the bucket and put the lid back on. Excellent job by the way.
I wonder how many moles a roller takes to make?
When I used to paint our plaster horse hair walls, in a circa 1918 house, it used to take forever, lots of paint, couldn't see where I had been.
Then I learned to load the roller and paint a overly huge wet W, then quickly go to the left, upper top, of the W, start rolling down, working across, getting rid of the W.
You can paint a wall quickly.
The W will have the Lion's share of the roller load, and even running down the wall, the roller will pick up the extra paint as you move left to right across the W.
I'm not sure you can paint your panels that way, but it saves paint, time as not going over painted areas you can't see.
You basically roll down, can judge where to pick back up at the top, the W will heavy paint helps judge your position.
For car bodies with some sort of shape to them, applying too much bondo and sanding back is necessary. But screw holes on flat surfaces, like when dry-walling, are better done in two or three passes, scraped flat each time. The extra passes fill shinkage and there is minimal sanding required. I used to hold the dumb end of a tape measure in construction and I've mixed my share of body filler I know things.
I'm going to be doing the same thing to waterproof/repair the roof of my caravan. I plan to use an outdoor epoxy resin as my material with paint over top as I think as far as longevity it may last longer.
I used a similar method with oil-based paint, but used bed sheet cloth which is finer woven and leaves a smoother surface.
I like your build. Not sure if this has been mentioned before but if your going to build with this technique again, tight bond lll glue is waterproof, tight bond ll is for interior applications. It’s a few dollars more per gallon. Well worth the money.
The auto body man in me screams a skim coat of Duraglass on everything then go back with a skim coat of body filler if you want a really nice finish. The trick to duraglass and body filler is in the mixture. The less hardener you add to your mixture the longer you have to work with it and the mixture becomes much harder after it cures. It's kind of counter intuitive, but it's how the stuff works. Less hardener, harder surface. More hardener, softer surface.. Unfortunately if you do it that way it demands a LOT OF sanding to get smooth, but air tools makes quick work of it. A good, high quality dual action sander works best and always keep the surface of the sanding pad FLAT to the surface instead of tipping it on edge. Since most of you are going for low budget, quick work you're probably not going to all the trouble, but it'll last far longer. You can even fill completely empty holes with duraglass..Back in the days of completely rusted out body panels that's how we did that foolishness..Slap it on a sheet of wax paper then slap it over the hole and no more hole..Hard as a rock..
Yeah I don't think that is worth it for this. If you want that good of a finish you should be using glass/resin in the first place. I could have sealed this with resin for about the same price I spend in PMF in the end. I think the PMF is only worth it and you scrounge everything for free.
Looks awesome!!! If I can offer some advice... spraying would also work however you should still backroll it. There is a product called peel bond it’s a primer that will fill many of those imperfections, lastly run tape around your roller skins before using...it pulls off lint and dust!
Nice work.
I built a similar camper 4 years ago. The finish is holding up great!
Should last you quite some time.
Yeah. I ran across her some 4-5 years ago. On her 1st build. She’s a sharp person.
I really like the overall look of the shape of this trailer. Excellent job, in my opinion! Your PMF looks great in camera
Haha Lucy’s channel was the first channel I came across dealing with this subject. She has great tutorials.
I made my comment at the beginning of your video. Now I’m almost through and you are officially in my number 1 slot of tutorials on PMF. Most excellent job!!! Yes that’s 3 exclamation marks 😂. Thank you for taking the time to make this video
Awesome! Glad I could help!
FRP panels are only $39 for a 4'x8' sheet at HD... providing a MUCH easier surface to clean and MUCH faster and pain-free installation. Thanks for sharing!
Looks great and I appreciate the improvement ideas.
Yeah, yeah. Great video. (Me looking past the camper to the beautifully built sawhorses in the background. "That's how my grandpa did it. His lasted sixty years, even when exposed to the weather. These could use a couple coats of paint to protect them a bit from water damage. Other than that, those are some mighty fine sawhorses... Wonder how he organized his small parts...")
Thank you for all the details you shared! This is very helpful!
This is great!! Your trailer will bring you years of memorable adventures. Both you and your wife enjoy. Thanks for sharing.
You did a great job 👍 i would never criticize your finish , its for camping not a car show and hounestly i like seeing that it was hand made not bought , it shows your willing to give it a try and thats more then alot of us do , bottom line is its more waterproof then any you can buy i garentee that , todays campers are designed to fail after 5 years , keeps you comming back , ive seen bottom skins that overlap siding , instead of siding over bottom skin , thats going to allow water to funnel right into the bottom wall studs and rot , cant tell me the manufacturer didnt realize this , then they cover the seam with trim and sealant, knowing that after a couple trips the sealent will fail now allowing water to enter 10 inches above floor line , but from the outside so by the time you notice inside its already to late , my sisters 35 foot had this failure so i looked at others and man they build them so poorly i would never buy one , building is the only way you will spend your money wisely.......love it and thanks for inspiring.....
You could have used body filler to remove the seam line on the canvas wrap after your first or second coat.
Blue seal rubber paint would be cool over the whole trailer
The finish looks beautiful for it's intended purpose. Unless you are planning on entering it in mini-tear drop rv finish contests.
Nice job!
1-I would off extended the chase frame on the sides. 2- used tibond-3 its waterproof!
You can use small amounts of Lacquer Thinner to thin down your filler to where it will spread easier and stay where you want it.
For bottom. Seal with primer sealer. One coat of paint. Roll on a couple coats Herculiner truck bed liner. Done. Waterproof.
her Theory is correct but its a quart of water to a gallon of paint. Thats recommended when you paint Porous material
This is really something else. Alot of work and detail right here. Very nicely done. So far, how is it holding up? Any water leaks to speak of or delamination?
Not sure. I sold it a while back.
Did you try using a foam roller, they lay down a much smoother texture. Also if you don’t dilute your first coat with water, you can sand and get a really smooth surface
Great Video , I love the detail and info you offer, thank you !
Great video. Thank you for all the detailed explanations.
If you attempt to do it again try using an airless sprayer for the blended paint
How about using countertop phormica ?
nothing wrong with that
Very nice job. What would you do different now that you have finished it and you are using it? Like maybe saturating the canvas with glue or just Bed Lining the entire trailer etc.
The way I built it with the birch ply, I would have just done straight fiberglass resin with no fiberglass. It would have been around the same cost with a better finish. After this experience I would say the PMF is only good if you are on a super strict budget and you get all the materials for near free. I think buying the canvas and paint defeats the purpose of the savings.
With an epoxy resin finish, how would you go about adding UV protection?
I plan to do this to our build but I'm painting it navy blue on final coat (using the $5 mistint for undercoats) using chalk paint so our 7 year old can use it as a canvas for art using chalk :)
What a great concept, canvas as the base. I never thought of that. Thank you man.
Lucy is THE MAN when it comes to PMF and I don't know if she even knows why her method works so well.
I'm coming at this from the perspective of a crafter, not a woodworker. One crafting technique brought me to my knees for decades until I learned a trick to pull it off was decoupage. (Or mod podge) No matter how I did it, I had wrinkles, air pockets, and a horrible finish. I did 'good enough' a few times, but any large project was a disaster. Because of this, I rarely even tried.
But there's a trick: IRONING the material on. You put on a coat of your adhesive, let it dry to the touch, then a second coat. Let that also dry to the touch, then put on a light, thin third coat and let that dry to tack. Lay your material over the adhesive and iron it on. The heat reactivates the adhesive and you end up with a flawless finish. Let your project dry, then layer your seal coats on top.
When I showed my husband Lucy's PMF videos he kept saying, "How is she getting the canvas on before the titebond sets up on her?" The answer is that she's not. But the iron is reactivating the adhesive and so it doesn't matter. She's actually putting most of the canvas on when the glue is at tack and it's absolutely ideal for getting a smooth finish.
IMHO, her method is the only method for applying PMF. I can't find one better. Not just for appearance sake, but also for durability.
I do want to run some tests of PMF with and without a paint sealant. I'm wondering if a final coat of clear sealant would make a difference or if it's even worth it.
Fantastic build and great information on your experience. I am curious about the price breakdown if you had done real fiberglass verses "poor mans fiberglass"? I'm going to build one out that I can slide into my utility trailer and out when not using so I'm looking at ideas and so far your video has been the most informative on PMF! thank you.
I spent about $2k total on this build. I would not do PMF again with this type of construction. I'd just epoxy over the wood. But PMF would be worth it if you were doing a "near free" build where you were getting all materials free, like old fabric and leftover paint. I think once you start paying for that stuff it's not worth it anymore.
Use rust oleum top coat boat paint. It costs more but it is designed for a gloss waterproof finish
Just use fiberglass! It costs less and it's actually made to do the thing you're trying to do! For fucks sake why do people even do this??
FYI : Two costs of Tremclad oil based paint would all you will need to cover this once and for all . Makes it water proof as well .
Thanks for this video, I have been wondering what finish to use for my planned camper build. It's going to be taller than the width of most aluminium sheet available to me locally in my city in New Zealand. I had discounted poor mans fibreglass due to the finish usually looking terrible, but yours looks great. I'm definitely going to consider this now, most likely with some corner trim to hide the seams a bit more. Will be watching the rest of your build vids now 😃
I'd highly consider doing fiberglass and resin instead next time, cost can be similar if buying stuff for PMF new. I think PMF might be worth it if you are getting all materials for free though.
@@MotherlodeMotors yeah, after looking into it a bit more and costing things out I think I'm reaching that conclusion. I'd been put off fibreglass for reasons I think stem from having to handle fibreglass house insulation. Availability is still a challenge, can get the supplies for pmf at any hardware store, fibreglass it's a bit limited
Instead of watering down the paint it'd be better to get primer, like BIN 123. It will soak in alot better and it will be thicker and drip less
Yeah that sounds like a good idea. I think the point of PMF is the use whatever you have laying around, bed sheets, and old paint. I didn’t quite do that so primer probably would have been worth trying.
I like the idea of using the angle aluminum as a marking guide. To minimize fraying, before marking and cutting the canvas, put painters tape over the cut area first, then mark and cut. Leave the tape on and peel it off as you glue it down. It should make the edge cut straighter and the final seam cleaner.
I thought about that but I think the tape might just pull all the threads out as you remove it.
Thanks for your input was curious on how to do this if my build ends half as good I'll be happy
The adhesive seems like it would be a much better idea than body filler for a trainer than is going to endure an extreme amount of vibration, shock, and flexing. Especially in major joints.
Id go so far as to use something like Infinity bond EP 100 flex in a build like that to help ensure better longevity
Love the build! Looking great!! Can't wait to see it finished.
good quality. and i watched l wood too earlier today before I found your video. She did some clever stuff. You do great work. I do prefer the foam for weight but the plywood looks better i'm thinking. clever choice of extra materials in your trailer. I like how you covered the entire body also. looks like most people aren't covering the bottom.
Yeah thanks, that was something I noticed too. And it’s probably fine on the bottom as long as you have a decently weather resistant substance down there but it’s only a little more work to cover that side also.
@@MotherlodeMotors maybe but honestly that was a good idea. there was a guy who did a video to prove the quality of pmfb, he was a guy with mountains painted on a blue trailer. There was water damage and rotten plywood at the bottom, he said cuz he didn't overhang the bottom board with the side walls. however pmfb might have stopped that if he had wrapped the whole thing? idk.
I hope you wont be offended it i suggest something but i believe it might have been a good idea to put some runner boards even 1/4 or 1/8 in thick, beneath the floor after you covered it, so you can protect the fabric at the bottom when youre sliding the house onto and off the trailer. I noticed some home built boats have those.
@@PeterJames143 yeah if you’re going to remove it from your trailer that sounds like a good idea to me. I have no plans to remove the body from this one.
The 50/50 paint water mix is probably ment to be that liquidly tho even if more difficult to apply it's so liquidy it can saturate into the canvas or fabric a lot better. Meaning that even if it when an out crack of paint occurs it still may not through the inner saturation that's solidified. Turns the canvas into a good protection layer in it's own. Then once sealed n ya go over it again ya end up with an outer protection layer as well.
Just a suggestion, but I would have used the same tape that fabric winged aircraft use over joints. It’s Serrated, which gives you 50% more edge, that’s glued down. And it looks like a professional job. Cheers
That's a different material but you can make the serrations using pinking shears. I'm pretty sure the purpose if that is to prevent fraying by not having the cut be parallel with the threads. Definitely would be something worth trying!
I'd probably use a high build primer early on, and sand it down several times.
Use a micro fiber roller and Rustoleum above the waterline paint as the top coat… results in a very smooth finish.
Thank you for the time and effort. Great video. Great content.
Nice job. Thanks for all the info and tips.
Love how you put the material list together. I do that as well. Not many ppl do that to keep track. Props!
Fiberglass Bondo will do an excellent job and can be sanded to a professional smooth finish and it's relatively inexpensive
Wow that's incredible. It came out beautiful
Why not use Marine Epoxy as your final coat?? I’ve used that on plenty of art projects to builds & it is 🎯 bc it’s designed to repel water & UV - plus it’ll give you the “high gloss” finish if that’s your end goal - Awesome work!
Just trying to do it cheap. I wouldn't do it this way again. I'd go with fiberglass resin for a sealer and yeah some other kind of paint.