Trailer build, my first real MIG welds

[aczlan]

Welcome to welding!!!! Can't recall how many times My face has peeled. What really hurts is when your eye lids get flash burn from tacking. Oh Man!!!!!

I think the burn on my face is mostly from what reflected off of my shirt. Is it common to have a "Bib" hanging off of ones mask to stop the reflected glare from underneath? When I was welding the end frame pieces together, I could have used something like that.

Aaron Z

 

[Bday]

Yah I've seen leather attached to the hood. I've never used it. I think it's more for overhead welding. Sun screen is the best thing to use, but I hate the dust and dirt sticking to everything. At the end of the day you will look pretty rough! I don't have any problem when I'm welding. Just when tacking everything up. They make a cotton sleeve you can buy. Pretty cheap. Just throw aways when there burnt up. They cover from above elbow to wrist.

 

[Shield Arc]

As thin as that square tube is, I guarantee you it won't take long until the square tube rips right down the HAZ line.

Here is how I would wrap the flatbar around the square tube. I always liked to heat behind the bend. That way the metal stretches around, and doesn't leave a gap. You end up with a real tight fit, no gaps at the corners.

 

[travis potter]

Just looking at the pic. it looks as if the axel is in the center . It should be2/3 back from the front or you will get a lot of sway when pulling it. Just my idea.

 

[aczlan]

Just looking at the pic. it looks as if the axel is in the center . It should be2/3 back from the front or you will get a lot of sway when pulling it. Just my idea.

It's actually a little back of center. IIRC, its ~31" from the axle center to the back of the deck and ~34" from the axle center to the front of the deck. No plans to run it down the road, just around the farm behind the tractors, golf carts or the RTV so it shouldn't ever get fast enough to sway.

Aaron Z

 

[Gary Fowler]

More details on the thread over the the Projects forum ( http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/projects/270309-new-woods-trailer-our-rtv.html ), but here are some of the weld pictures.
All were done on the neighbors 110v Craftsman MIG welder, no idea on the size other than it had a gas bottle on it liked the 0.25 wire and was struggling a little with the 0.30 wire.
Most were done with .25 wire. When that ran out (in the middle of welding the tongue on), we put on a spool of 0.30 wire and off we went.
After he did the first couple of tacks, he handed me the gun and said "this is your trailer, you should be welding it" He made sure the welder was set right and gave me advice as I went along, but I welded almost all the welds on the trailer
I have used a MIG welder before for odds and ends stuff, but this was the first time really making something. I found the following:
1. I make prettier welds pulling the pool vs pushing it
2. When the puddle is just right, it looks just like the pool that you get brazing together AC linesets with an torch
3. I REALLY like using a automatic helmet
4. I should have worn a long sleeve shirt
5. I need to get a welder

Anyway, pictures follow:
Frame:
View attachment 302308 View attachment 302311 View attachment 302312 View attachment 302320 View attachment 302319

Hitch area. We put a piece of 2x2 square stock into the tongue, then welded 2 pieces of flat stock to it to form the tongue:
View attachment 302309 View attachment 302310

Suspension to frame weld that was especially pretty:
View attachment 302313

The front of the frame while we were getting ready to tack it together:
View attachment 302314

We did a butt weld to join 2 leftover pieces of the C channel and make a 3rd cross member to sit the end of the tongue on:
View attachment 302321

Aaron Z

I hope you also plan to put some diagonal bracing from the tongue to the corners of the trailer as the tongue has little strength as configured in your photos for such a long run. Also on your buttweld splice, I would do a little reinforcing of that joint by laying some reinforcing plate across the butt joint on at least top and one side extending about 3" each side of the weld. Giving the lack of penetration of most MIG welds, I doubt that you have full pen. weld there and a piece of angle iron or 2 pieces of flat bar welded to the joint area would substantially increase the strength.

 

[aczlan]

I hope you also plan to put some diagonal bracing from the tongue to the corners of the trailer as the tongue has little strength as configured in your photos for such a long run. Also on your buttweld splice, I would do a little reinforcing of that joint by laying some reinforcing plate across the butt joint on at least top and one side extending about 3" each side of the weld. Giving the lack of penetration of most MIG welds, I doubt that you have full pen. weld there and a piece of angle iron or 2 pieces of flat bar welded to the joint area would substantially increase the strength.

I will have to take a picture of the back of it, but as I recall, there was full penetration on the butt weld. We were running the MIG welder about as hot as it would go. We looked at the options and that piece should be stronger than the other piece that I was thinking of putting in there (a piece of 2x2 angle)
On the angle for the tongue, I have pieces some that I may put on there if its needed. As it sits, its stronger than the 4x6 trailers sold at Lowes or Tractor Supply which just have a piece of thin walled 2x2 square stock for the tongue.

Aaron Z

 

[Gary Fowler]

I will have to take a picture of the back of it, but as I recall, there was full penetration on the butt weld. We were running the MIG welder about as hot as it would go. We looked at the options and that piece should be stronger than the other piece that I was thinking of putting in there (a piece of 2x2 angle)
On the angle for the tongue, I have pieces some that I may put on there if its needed. As it sits, its stronger than the 4x6 trailers sold at Lowes or Tractor Supply which just have a piece of thin walled 2x2 square stock for the tongue.

Aaron Z

You would be surprised how much added strength you get from that diagonal when one side is in tension and other compression. A small lightweight member with diagonals under tension holds a lot more than a straight pieces of heavy tubing.
I assumed by building it yourself that you wanted something better than the 500 # capacity ones at Lowes.

 

[aczlan]

You would be surprised how much added strength you get from that diagonal when one side is in tension and other compression. A small lightweight member with diagonals under tension holds a lot more than a straight pieces of heavy tubing.
I assumed by building it yourself that you wanted something better than the 500 # capacity ones at Lowes.

I built it myself mainly because:
1. I wanted a welding project
2. I got everything I have used so far for free (axle/suspension came from a popup camper that the rest of the frame rotted out on, the frame was a chair cart, the back crossbrace was the rail from a garage door opener, the flatstock for the tongue was something that had been kicking around the barn, etc).
3. I wanted something with bigger tires than come on the little trailers from Lowes, etc

I was more or less following the layout of this trailer: Carry-On Trailer - 2,000 lb. GVWR Wood Side Trailer (other than the axle placement) which is rated to carry 1500#

Here is the closeup of the butt joint:


Aaron Z

 

[aczlan]

To those who said that the tongue wasn't strong enough, you were right, but the problem was the vertical dimension, not the horizontal one. My brother was using it last week to move dirt and when i got home from work he told me that "The first load, I filled it all the way up, the second, I only filled it halfway and the tongue broke" . My guess is that the first load was filled all of the way back, while the 2nd only put dirt in front of the axle (causing more tongue weight, but less overall trailer weight).
Adding diagonals wouldn't have helped much with this though as it bent vertically:

Need to hit up the local fab shop and get a heavier piece of c channel or tube to replace the tongue.

Aaron Z