WIP - Trailer

Started making a new box trailer for my dad yesterday and I thought I would keep a photo diary of the progress. The trailer will be 7' x 4' ( or 2.1m x 1.2m) and the sides 300mm deep. Dad's old trailer is the same size and he had no problems with it so the new one is the same size. ( I'm getting the old BTW :cool: ) The RHS is 35x35x3mm and the drawbar is 65x35x2.5mm. All going well, on Tuesday when I go back I will have the suspension finished, axle and wheels on and hopefully the sides welded on (all with a 28 yr old stick welder, works brilliantly!).

Oh, yes the trailer is upside down at the moment.

Spent part of another day on the trailer. Finished the slippers for the springs first up and then fitted the sides and welded the RHS into the front corners. I would've had the axle mounted but the order was stuffed up and hopefully will be rectified before I go back on Thursday.

I have to say if it can be avoided, don't weld 1.6mm plate with a stick welder. It takes a lot of concentration to make sure you don't melt the plate away.

More piccy's on Thursday night hopefully!

trailers looking good. are you going to paint the underside or tar it?
you can arc weld 1.6mm plate but cant do any long runs its more like a spot weld which you keep adding to, takes forever though. much easier with mig or tig

The whole trailer will be sprayed with rustkill coldgal first, then a coat of colour (yet to be decided).
Weldind 1.6mm plate can be done in long runs (did it today) just have to concentrate and watch the amperage and arc length.

Hey, "Butcherman",
Did you have the sides of the trailer formed up at a sheetmetal workshop?, or can you buy that profile, "off the shelf", say from stratco or a trailer manufacturer?
Regards,
Gary.

I had the sides made to order at a local firm that specialeze in building ute trays. I think they only cost around $200 for the sides and the floorplate but that was about 4 years ago to. (Takes a while to get anything done with dad! )

Just so you know the Qld trailer regs are in the link below.

I tried to copy and paste part of a PDF docs ,but it would not work. I would not like you to get any suprises when you try to register the new one.






http://www.transport.qld.gov.au/qt/FORMSDAT.NSF/c6c94a7bb4957a0a4a256f710019a6ff/8f5d6eea0a5d0e0b4a256a330010a07c/$FILE

Cheers
Grahame

Woodbutcher,
Found this just a few mins ago.

http://www.dotars.gov.au/transreg/vsb/PDF/vsb_01.pdf


happy trailering

Grahame

Thanks, already have a copy. Besides the design is a exact replica of a national brand of trailer so if the new one doesn't pass then there are thousands of trailers that also don't meet the standard :D:D

Spent another day today on the trailer. Dragged the trailer outside and flipped it over to fit the axle and the floor. The floor is only stitch welded on from underneath. Back up the right way to finish welding on the tie rails, rear corner plates and the tail gate.
Unfortunately that is as far as I go with the trailer. Uni starts again next week so my free time will be diminished. Dad is hoping to paint it himself in the next couple of weeks, so I hope I can get a photo of the fully finished trailer.
It was a interesting experience, but I don't know if I would do it again.

Photo 1. Upside down putting the floor and axle on.
Photo 2 & 3. The new trailer and the now my trailer.
Photo 4 & 5. Front and rear shots of the new trailer.

Please note WB has achieved this outcome with a 28 yr old stick weld welder.For a first time trailer fabricator he has done an excellent job and should be commended for it.Greenie on the way WB.

Migs are mainly mechanical and those mechanical items are the bits that wear and fail and get hard to replace when old. The stick welder is versatile, ultra reliable and economical to purchase and to run.

Those with the idea that the mig consumables ( the wire,the gas, the nozzle , the liner, the gas shroud and the insulator ) are less expensive than a packet of stick electrodes are having a problem with their maths.

A false expectation can be held by those hoping that using a mig will be a cure all for their percieved welding problems.
Folks, its a high volume machine and if you have the work for it it is cost effective. Ninety nine percent of all my welding is stick welding yet,I have easy acess to a mig. Its not a flame or criticism but an attempt to correct what seems to be a popular misconception about mig welding machines.

If I have missed out on offending you, please form an oderly line to the left.
Grahame

Hi all. Any idea how much a trailer like this would cost to build and how much you could sell it for. I know WB did it for his dad but if you were looking to sell them is there much profit in it:) ?

Mako,
All up this tralier has probably cost around $650 in parts not including the time taken to assemble and paint. That figure doesn't include the wheels, electricals and paint. These we had already.
If you were to make these for a profit I reckon you would need a good mig, cut off saw, grinders etc. We had a sheet metal works fold up the sides and guards, but since the ownder and dad have been good mates for around 15 yrs, we got them at a really good price (materials + carton XXXX).
I think that Nathan trailers (similar design to this one was based on) sell these for around $1100.

There could be money in it, but I would advise to scope out possible markets first and research costs. I worked in fabrication so I knew what I was doing and had access to all the tools I needed. Also consider, do you want to make a good trailer with a chassis that is strong or a cheaper trailer with no real chassis that is good for light stuff only.
Good Luck and if you have any more questions please feel free to ask.

WB

Welding thin steel with a stick welder is a real PITA.

Some advice from Graeme really works. What I always try and do (sometimes its not possible) is to clamp on a big lump of steel to act as a heat sink. Works like a dream - no more burn thrus

Incidentally, are 1.5mm sticks available anymore?

Yeah its a pain in the asre, but the old boy was too tight to buy a new mig :(. I don't know if you can get 1.5mm rods anymore but for the record I used 2.5mm rods on the trailer. Bit of a challenge but once I got the amperage set right I found welding the 1.6mm sides to 2mm thick RHS moderately easy. I would still prefer a MIG

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Wood Butcher

. I would still prefer a MIG

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Me too, bit I'll be buggered by the whole All Black squad before I pay inflated monthly rental on a gas bottle I may use 4 times a year.

I understand that the gasless MIG wire is about to be discontinued as the fumes are carcinogenic.

Can't take a trick. Good job on the trailer.

A bloke I used to know bought a small unimig welder from auto-one in SE QLD. It wasn't a big welder but it came with disposable gas bottles about twice the size of a sodastream bottle. I can't remember the cost or even know if they are still around but it might be an option.

I haven't heard about gasless be discontinued. There will be a lot of backyard welders really peeved off if that happens. Maybe like CCA they are just looking at replacing it with something dearer that won't do as good a job.:D

Nice trailer.

Last time I seen a rear bumper like that was on a Melbourne Tram :D

Looks good for touch parking

Perhaps there may be some misinformation regarding the withdrawal of Gasless wire. Common sense should tell us at least to wear a respirator, to keep our big heads out of the fume column and have a big fan behind us to disipate the fume.

In gasless wire known as FCAW ( Flux Core Arc Welding ) to the trade the nasties are are in the flux material from the wire core.It can have Manganese content which is definately Carcenogenic and exceeds Manganese content in the wire metallurgy.The trade cope with this by isloating the welders breating zone from the fume. As well as the above many industrial torches have fume suction units built into them notably the Lincolns.

Good information may be obtained from the MSDS sheets that are available from the sellers of your particular brand of name brand gasless wire.

If it is truly being withdrawn it will be from the DIY market where some ( notice I said some ) operators tend to let their own safety slide and blame mishaps on the manufacturer. I doubt very strongly if it will go from the industrial market as it is very cost effective and therefore it use is very widespread.

Those using stainless or nickel based wire will find a look in the appropriate MSDS sheet beneficial.You think gasless wire is bad, look at the stainless.

Grahame Collins

Different welders have different places. I use MIG, TIG and oxy at work, and it is all on car panels ranging from 0.85mm mild panel to 1.6mm aluminium. These types of welders are essential to produce a range of metal finished outcomes.

We also have a stick welder, and it performs brilliantly on cast iron when required to do so. I would like to have one of each at home, but economics would say no. It is a case of looking at what your main use would be and travelling from there.

Here in the Nations Capitol, W. A. that 7 x 4 Trailer would set you back from
$750.00 upwards, No 7 Son bought one only a little while ago.

It is my belief that there is no way of Costing the Pure Enjoyment one receives
from a Finished Home Growen Project!.

Well Done W.B.

Regards.