My Senior design project - a "Swamp Thing" tracked vehicle clone

[The Fred]

Aircraft aluminum then insulate the inside. Better yet thin stainless welded to your frame, permanently, a metal skin would rigid up the cab and be safer.

Texture 111 and Elmer's glue? Just kidding but that's the road you are headed down.

You've come this far do the thing justice. Your workmanship is wonderful.

 

[aczlan]

Double-sided tape won't go it. Why not do something like pop-rivets?

They make tape that will work, IIRC, 3M calls it VHB tape. I would probably use pop rivets though.

Aaron Z

 

[Garauld]

3M VHB was the tape I was thinking of. I did plan to insulate the cab I probably would use pop rivets if I end up using abs. I welded in some X-braces yesterday onto the rear wall.

 

[ArlyA]

Having lots of experience with abs and hdpe, you need to compensate for the large differences of its expansion rates of those materials and steel, or whatever you attach it to. ABS and HPDE rates are high, that is they expand or contract much, with varying temps. I limited the size of each section while attaching it to steel to 2ft which may be a bit to large, plus drill very larger holes in the plastic, to allow its movement, etc, etc, etc. I've not used tape, but can not image how it could be used in these conditions.

 

[PILOON]

Not if I can help it. I plan to use glue or double-sided mounting tape for plastic siding and plug welds for metal.

May I suggest----

Urathane caulking, which has all the characteristics of automotive windshield adhesive.
And at a very affordable cost, comes in regular caulking gun tube size.

One brand I have used is Flextra.

I have 'glued' patches on tin roofs and it takes a pry bar to separate them.

Since plexiglass and steel will expand at different rates this kind of adhesive will be ideal,

 

[Fallon]

They make tape that will work, IIRC, 3M calls it VHB tape. I would probably use pop rivets though.

Aaron Z

I was about to say that. Its plenty strong to keep solar pannels mounted to the roof hurdling down the road at 75mph. This isnt cheap double sided sticky tape from as n office supply store.

 

[Garauld]

After contacting my local steel distributor, I think I am probably going to use 18 ga (.047") steel sheet on the cab exterior. I can get a 4x8 sheet for about $60. I'll probably plug weld it in place. That should be rugged enough ya think?

 

[ArlyA]

Any material with have its pluses and drawbacks and I'll try list "some" of both below. That is steel and plastic, (HDPE and ABS and these two plastics are pretty different from each other)

Steel might rattle against your frame, has poor to no insulation capability and no sound absorption. I am worred that steel might make your cab into a horn. Pluses is it excepts paint well and you can tack weld it on.

ABS or HDPE. Does have heat and sound insulation capabilities. Easy to cut a hole in it later that you'll inevatilbty need to do. Lighter in weight and easy to drill into or cut during its construction. ABS can readily be glued, but HDPE can not. Either you can heat and form it, although I'm not all that good at it! Negatives are, neither material ABS or HDPE like to be painted but you can do that.

What I'm I forgetting??!!??!!

After contacting my local steel distributor, I think I am probably going to use 18 ga (.047") steel sheet on the cab exterior. I can get a 4x8 sheet for about $60. I'll probably plug weld it in place. That should be rugged enough ya think?

 

[Garauld]

I will probably use VHB tape to bond HPL (Formica) to the inside walls. HPL expands about 2x the amount steel does per °F. ABS is about 6x.

 

[airbiscuit]

Why inside walls?