I've been drooling over the teardrop camper for a few years now, but due to life being life, I haven't had the means to make it a reality.  Over the years, I've read up on stich and glue projects and realized I really don't have the skills to just jump into a teardrop camper project, and just a bit intimidated by trying to figure out how I'd get my butt in gear enough to start and finish the project!

So I decided to start small and build both my skill and confidence before I tackle the teardrop.  A couple weeks ago I bit the bullet and bought the plans for my first three projects:  a Kaholo 14, then an Oxford Shell, and finally a Chesapeak 18.  While my wood working skills are decent, working with fiberglass will be a new experience for me, so hopefully those projects will get me up to speed, and I can tackle the teardrop.  I know it's probably a little funny that I chose boats (which I coupld potentially sink in...ugh), over a nice safe camper that at worst I might just get a little damp in, but I do have a method to my madness.

First, I'd rather build smaller than large while getting used to working with the new materials.  Second, I want to not just make boats, but art.  I have a ton of ideas floating around my head for how to glam up my creations when I'm talking about low area canvas, but when it comes to something the size of the camper with that much visible area, my mind goes blank...ughh again!

Last, but not least, I can store the watercraft pretty easily...the camper not so much =/

Anyway, a funny thing happened along the way.  I fell in love with the Fearing Cruiser design, and I'm choping at the bit to get through the plans I already have in order to tackle that project now.  Once again, I have no place to put it once I made it though so I'll just drool from a distance until I get the experience under my belt first I think.  Then maybe one day...

So now that you know a little about me, I'll ask some questions and it wont be like someone off the street stopping you for directions lol

Anyway, the first questions I have will help me determine the order of prep work I tackle, and I'd really appreciate some guidance here.

1) Does anyone have any plans for the sling/cradles used to support the three projects I listed above?  I can cobble something up, if I have to, but would rather I had something to work from.  I'm looking for stable platforms to support my work.

2) When painting/decorating - is the order: epoxy-paint/fabric/onlay-epoxy-glass-varnish; or: epoxy-glass-paint/fabric/onlay-varnish?  I've searched you tube etc., but all I seem to pull up is vaneering/painting old glass boats so paint over glass then varnish.  To me that sounds like a good way to have your work get messed up over time.

I see in the manual you fabric before glassing on the kaholos, but is there a problem with delaminating if you glass over paint or vaneer work?

So any help would be appreciated.  Thanks for the patience of reading such a long post =)

BroknAngel,
Northern Virginia