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Shower Caps?

Snort | Posted in Construction Techniques on November 21, 2003 05:21am

I’ve got to cap a curved shower wall that’s about 7′ tall. Probably be about 5 1/2″ wide w/ sheetrock on the convex outside and tile on the inside (shower side). Architectect /builder is saying wood. The super and I am saying maybe something a bit more water resistant. How about Azek?

I’ve never worked with the stuff. Can I cut the curves with a bandsaw and fair them up (inner and outer) with a stationary belt sander? This will have to be segmented.Is there a melting problem? Will I be able to sand the cut edges as smoothly as the manufactured face?

I’ve seen Gorilla glue mentioned here as the way to join pieces, but the super’s telling me that regular plumbing PVC glue is the way to go. And, if Gorilla glue works, do, in turn, any of the other moisture cured polyurethanes? Because I haven’t personally found any difference between the Gorilla and any other cheaper poly glue I’ve used, no matter what the ads say. But, there’s a big difference in price.

See, I can go with technology, I’m ready to be a member of the Plastic Ono Band <G>

EliphIno!

Reply

Replies

  1. User avater
    JeffBuck | Nov 21, 2003 07:46am | #1

    band saw... jig saw ... router...

    any and all will cut.

    Zips thru better than wood.

    sanded with higher and higher grits will get ya nice and shiny ...

    I'd still say plan on a final painting to hide the seams.

    Takes paint well when applied right ... I think my guy sands ... but doesn't go too high in grit so it's smooth enough for gloss .. but still has a bit of rough left to let the paint take a bite.

    Use it ... you'll like it.

    don;t qoute me here ... but for some reason ... I think I remember read/hearing about some plastic biscuits that can be used to help allignment?

    half laps or splines might be just as quick and easy though ....

    bet one of those finger-joint router bits would work great too.

    I forget what kinda glue I tried using ... but the one and only time I had to glue it  was way outta glue temps ... working for a boss that thought plastics would perform perfectly fine in -10 deg weather .. outside!

    Guess what ... the glue didn;t work that week ...

    Jeff

    Buck Construction   Pittsburgh,PA

         Artistry in Carpentry                

  2. RalphWicklund | Nov 21, 2003 07:58am | #2

    Cap it with a mound of thinset with embedded glass shards. That'll keep those pesky water droplets inside the shower where they belong.

  3. darcey | Nov 21, 2003 10:34am | #3

    You can heat the Azek and bend it to a pattern of your curve. That's what we do. Saves material, too.

    1. Snort | Nov 21, 2003 10:24pm | #4

      Thanks for the tips...

      Darcy,that sounds like the ticket. Heat gun, I presume. How do you keep it flat ( like not buckeling) when you bend it? Could I put a little pitch in, too, so I wouldn't have to resort to Ralph's method?LOL

      Ralph, you must deal with some very impish water droplets<G> EliphIno!

      1. darcey | Nov 21, 2003 11:24pm | #5

        Actually, we assembled 3 HVAC chases, end to end, as the pieces we needed to bend were 18 feet long. We used a torpedo heater to warm "the oven" from one end and left the far end open. I think this helped keep the near end from burning, as the heat was pulled through instead of being concemtrated at the source.

        Then, we slid the piece in to bake for about 3 minutes. When it was done, four of us with potholders in hand, slid it out and directly on top of our pattern (which was Azek, too) and very simply bent it. It worked beautifully and we made several for the fascia on our model with the "Catslide" roof line. (I'll try to attach the PDF file, but I an just learning.)

        I was amazed our potholders didn't stick to it and that it did not adhere to our Azek pattern. When we used to cut from one 4x18 foot sheet, we could only get two. Now we get 7, so it has proven to save us a lot of material.

        I hope this helps!

        darcy

        (gee, I wonder if you could bend trex the same way?)

      2. darcey | Nov 21, 2003 11:33pm | #6

        Forgot to mention, that our Azek Rep was the one who recommended we try this method, though I beleive it was the first time he had ever seen it done. <g>

        I think there is a guy named Al, who is a BTer, a rep for Azek, and very knowledgeable. If you do a search, you are sure to come across his name. Maybe you could email him for specific information and recommendations.

        darcy

  4. sjmerrette | Nov 22, 2003 03:18am | #7

    the stuff works well with any woodworking tools. it can be heated with a heatgun and yes you can use regular pvc cement but it does take a while to set. I found that if I let it start to tack it held better that way. there is another brand out there that advertises in the trade rags that is solid all the way through. azek and koma have little air pockets that are visible up close.

    Steve

    S.J.MERRETTE Carpentry & Construction • Robesonia, PA

    Nothing is impossible...It just hasn't been done yet.

    1. Snort | Nov 24, 2003 02:05am | #8

      The catslide is what I need to do with a bit tighter radius and captured between two walls. Nice to know from all it's doable without wood.

      My jigging juices are flowing. S'why I love this place.

      Thanks to all, BB

      PS, Darcy, did you say that you use gorilla glue with Azek, or am I having a misinformation flashback?

      EliphIno!

      Edited 11/23/2003 7:24:21 PM ET by bucksnort billy

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