Finished A frame:

http://igor.chudov.com/projects/Homemade-Trailer-With-M105A2-Bed/05-Welding-Frame/

Mounted axle hangers on 1/4" thick pads (1/4-2x2 angle):

http://igor.chudov.com/projects/Homemade-Trailer-With-M105A2-Bed/06-Mounting-Axle/

"Ignoramus10675" <ignoramus10675@NOSPAM.10675.invalid> wrote in message
news:H96dna9_ZbEUGyDYnZ2dnUVZ_uvinZ2d@giganews.com...
Finished A frame:

http://igor.chudov.com/projects/Homemade-Trailer-With-M105A2-Bed/05-Welding-Frame/

Mounted axle hangers on 1/4" thick pads (1/4-2x2 angle):

http://igor.chudov.com/projects/Homemade-Trailer-With-M105A2-Bed/06-Mounting-Axle/

If that's 7018, you're getting the hang of it. You are getting just a
little undercut on the sides. Slow down just a tad and let the puddle get
just big enough to fill it up to the right level. You might want to focus
your attention to the 2 o'clock position of the puddle where you can see the
arc and that portion of the puddle that needs to fill in where it is now
undercutting. But, your welds look pretty good.

Finished A frame:

http://igor.chudov.com/projects/Homemade-Trailer-With-M105A2-Bed/05-W...

Mounted axle hangers on 1/4" thick pads (1/4-2x2 angle):

http://igor.chudov.com/projects/Homemade-Trailer-With-M105A2-Bed/06-M...

On Sun, 28 Jan 2007 22:19:26 -0800, Steve B <dsrttrvlr@aol.com> wrote:

"Ignoramus10675" <ignoramus10675@NOSPAM.10675.invalid> wrote in message
news:H96dna9_ZbEUGyDYnZ2dnUVZ_uvinZ2d@giganews.com...
Finished A frame:

http://igor.chudov.com/projects/Homemade-Trailer-With-M105A2-Bed/05-Welding-Frame/

Mounted axle hangers on 1/4" thick pads (1/4-2x2 angle):

http://igor.chudov.com/projects/Homemade-Trailer-With-M105A2-Bed/06-Mounting-Axle/

If that's 7018, you're getting the hang of it. You are getting just a
little undercut on the sides. Slow down just a tad and let the puddle
get
just big enough to fill it up to the right level. You might want to
focus
your attention to the 2 o'clock position of the puddle where you can see
the
arc and that portion of the puddle that needs to fill in where it is now
undercutting. But, your welds look pretty good.

Steve, thanks, yes, it was 7018.

i

Is it really cost-effective to build a trailer from scratch rather than
pick up a used one? I'm thinking of doing the same myself.

Are you using new-bought steel?

p.s. nice welds. You did this with just a stick welder?

--
-Ed Falk, falk@despams.r.us.com
http://thespamdiaries.blogspot.com/

"Edward A. Falk" <falk@green.rahul.net> wrote in message
news:epreom$v7d$2@blue.rahul.net...
Is it really cost-effective to build a trailer from scratch rather than
pick up a used one? I'm thinking of doing the same myself.

Are you using new-bought steel?

p.s. nice welds. You did this with just a stick welder?

--
-Ed Falk

Is it really cost-effective to build a trailer from scratch rather than
pick up a used one? I'm thinking of doing the same myself.

Are you using new-bought steel?

p.s. nice welds. You did this with just a stick welder?

"Edward A. Falk" <falk@green.rahul.net> wrote in message
news:epreom$v7d$2@blue.rahul.net...
Is it really cost-effective to build a trailer from scratch rather than
pick up a used one? I'm thinking of doing the same myself.

Are you using new-bought steel?

p.s. nice welds. You did this with just a stick welder?


Good question.

The answer is yes, no, definitely, and maybe.

I needed an ATV trailer a couple of years ago. I went to the local trailer
dealer, and what I wanted was $1100. It is powder coated, light, has a
3500# rating (which I think is optimistic) came with a spare, has two drop
down back ramps, and was fully wired.

I COULD have made the thing. I would have spent a lot of time, and not as
much money, and then would have had to have it powder coated, then wired it.

It depends on how much time you have, and how much you like to putter.

I don't have the time now, and since heart surgery, I don't like to lift
steel unless it's laying across my leg.

I was very happy to just go there and drive my new baby home. It has been a
very good trailer so far, getting lots of use, with the most load about
1500#.

Lots of guys say, "I got the labor for free." Balderdash. Sure, they pay
Mexicans $8 per hour to weld and I charge $50. Figuring out everything it
costs in materials, then adding up the hours at what I charge, I definitely
can buy one cheaper than I can make one.

Now, me making the trailer wouldn't have taken me away from any $50 per hour
work, but I learned a long time ago in the welding field not to give your
work away too cheap. If someone doesn't want to pay me what I'm worth, I'd
just as soon go fishing or take a nap. I'm retired now, but when I was
working, the attitude was the same. And I don't look at work I do for
myself as "free" when I walk through my shop and mentally start adding up
what all that stuff cost me.

If one needs a really special trailer to haul a particular piece of
equipment, or to do something special, that's when I love making special
trailers. I made one that was fold out for Scout Compares, and it brought
in many a looker, all asking how much I'd make them one for. I just said I
was too busy to build any more. Which was partially true. Like guys who
have landscaping trailers made for all those connectors and tools, they
can't go buy something like that.

I'm rambling.

Steve

Is it really cost-effective to build a trailer from scratch rather than
pick up a used one? I'm thinking of doing the same myself.

Are you using new-bought steel?

p.s. nice welds. You did this with just a stick welder?

--
-Ed Falk, falk@despams.r.us.com
http://thespamdiaries.blogspot.com/

I found a popup camper in terrible shape for $100. Once all of the "camper"
was removed I had a great 6 X 8 bed that I stiffened here and there and
welded uprights onto. From there a bunch of PT planking was bolted to the
floor through some angle iron I had welded to the crossmembers. And I made
the side fences by bolting PT planks to the uprights. If I were to do it
again I would likely buy expanded metal for the floor and cut 2 pieces of
1/2 plywood to drop onto the floor when I am using it to carry stuff that
shouldn't get wet or dirty from the road.

The neatest thing is the leveling legs that came with the camper I left on
when it was transformed into a utility trailer. Now I can pull it to a
jobsite set the 4 leveling legs and unhook the truck to go get COFFEE!

OK some might say I cheated a bit but total cost was $800 including the $400
I spent on the Sears AC/DC stick welder. It was my second project and
pretty much how I learned to weld. Though the gang here answered a lot of
questions for me. That was 8 yrs ago. Other then tires and repacking the
bearings when I remember to there hasn't been any other upkeep. Though the
bride did paint the fence and floor planks with some left over house trim
paint.

On Thu, 01 Feb 2007 14:17:49 GMT, Kerry <vze4j72k@verizon.net> wrote:
I found a popup camper in terrible shape for $100. Once all of the
"camper"
was removed I had a great 6 X 8 bed that I stiffened here and there and
welded uprights onto. From there a bunch of PT planking was bolted to
the
floor through some angle iron I had welded to the crossmembers. And I
made
the side fences by bolting PT planks to the uprights. If I were to do it
again I would likely buy expanded metal for the floor and cut 2 pieces of
1/2 plywood to drop onto the floor when I am using it to carry stuff that
shouldn't get wet or dirty from the road.

The neatest thing is the leveling legs that came with the camper I left
on
when it was transformed into a utility trailer. Now I can pull it to a
jobsite set the 4 leveling legs and unhook the truck to go get COFFEE!

OK some might say I cheated a bit but total cost was $800 including the
$400
I spent on the Sears AC/DC stick welder. It was my second project and
pretty much how I learned to weld. Though the gang here answered a lot
of
questions for me. That was 8 yrs ago. Other then tires and repacking the
bearings when I remember to there hasn't been any other upkeep. Though
the
bride did paint the fence and floor planks with some left over house trim
paint.

Sounds like a great success to me! I wish I could say that 8 years
from now (I have good hopes).

I think that I will simply register it as a 5k trailer.

i

Sounds like a great success to me! I wish I could say that 8 years
from now (I have good hopes).

I think that I will simply register it as a 5k trailer.

i

Whatever you do, get a book or instructions on how they classify these, so
that next time, BEFORE you build it, you can be sure you won't have to jump
through hoops to register it.