Dump Trailer

[Iplayfarmer]

... a hand held grinder with a wire brush attachment...

I do have one of those.

How "clean" does the metal have to be? I've heard the old timers quip about how you need some rust on the metal to give the paint something to stick to. I'm a converted wood guy, so I'm used to roughing up a wood surface with 00 steel wool or 100 grit sand paper to give the varnish something to hold on to. Is there something analogous in metal working?

 

[gemini5362]

I do have one of those.

How "clean" does the metal have to be? I've heard the old timers quip about how you need some rust on the metal to give the paint something to stick to. I'm a converted wood guy, so I'm used to roughing up a wood surface with 00 steel wool or 100 grit sand paper to give the varnish something to hold on to. Is there something analogous in metal working?

rustoleum claims it can be painted over rust. If you get the rust off with a wire brush then paint it with that should be ok

 

[john_bud]

I do have one of those.

How "clean" does the metal have to be? I've heard the old timers quip about how you need some rust on the metal to give the paint something to stick to. I'm a converted wood guy, so I'm used to roughing up a wood surface with 00 steel wool or 100 grit sand paper to give the varnish something to hold on to. Is there something analogous in metal working?

Gulp! Paint over rust - them old guys, were they sitting at the bar from sun up to closing time before you got that that "sage" advice?

In case you're wondering, go find some rusty iron and see how hard it is to peel off a flec of rust. Pretty easy. It's still pretty easy after it's painted.


You asked for the "best method", that is sand blasting. As you don't have a blaster, strip it down to the bare frame (no axles) and haul it to a sand blasting place. Tell them to do it at the end of a big job - don't have them set up just for you. Give them 7-10 days to do the blasting. Have them prime it for you with a good etching epoxy primer. Heck, they can probably color coat it for you too. I would expect blasting, prime and color coat to be in the $50 to $100 range.

If you tag onto a bigger job and just accept what ever color - it can be pretty cheap.

Oh, I was thinking that it could be 8-10" longer behind the axle.

jb

 

[Iplayfarmer]

Disassembly is a given. I've got a friend at work that tells me you always build something twice ... Once when you fab it and once after you paint it.

I have considered having somebody else do the prep and paint job. I'm still thinking. It has become part of the experience to scrap and scrounge to keep costs down.

 

[john_bud]

Well, think on this. You will spend an hour or more on wire cleaning the unit, then still have to sand it by hand to get a good tooth for the paint to stick to. Then buy a qt of primer, and a qt of color. Materials costs are probably close to the cost of having it done.

jb

 

[Iplayfarmer]

I'm still thinking through the do it yourself vs. hiring out for the paint job. I priced out rattle cans just as a base line to start from. I'm going to be painting about 80 square feet of metal when all is said and done. I figure this will cost about $60 for primer and top coat. I based that on 15 square feet per can that I found on the Rustoleum website and on the cost of paint at my local hardware store...$5.08/can after tax.

I figure if I can get someone to do the paint for $60 I will jump at it. I have a smaller air paint sprayer, and I might be able to do the job cheaper buying larger containers of paint, but if someone will do the prep, prime, and paint for the cost of rattle cans, I'm there. I've still got some time to think it over. I'm probably only half done with the fabrication.

Also, I'm posting a scan of some sketches I've done for the sides. I've decided to make the sides removable just in case. The stake pockets are out of the same 2" tubing that I made the cylinder brackets out of. I'm also putting 3" section of this tubing at the top of each upright to act as stake pockets for the side extensions when I get them built.

Take a look at the tailgate latch design. I wanted a system to allow the tailgate to pivot at the top like a dump truck tailgate or pivot at the bottom like a pickup truck tailgate. I also wanted one handed operation. My wife came up with the system I sketched out. She claims it wasn't her idea, but she was the only one in the truck talking to me about it, and I didn't come up with it, so I'm blaming her. It's actually a pretty elegant design. I just hope it works.

The things sticking out of the top of the tailgate are 3/4" pins. One on each side of the top and one on each side of the bottom. Each side wall of the trailer will have three "Hooks" welded to the back as illustrated in the attached sketch. When I want the tailgate to swing, I put the top pins in the top hooks and the bottom pins swing freely. When I want the tailgate to open and shut like a pickup bed, I put the bottom pins in the bottom hooks and the top pins in the second hooks down from the top. The bottom hooks have a little bit longer slot so that I can lift the tailgate to pull it out of the top hooks without it coming loose from the bottom slot. When the tailgate is down, the bottom pins rest in the same bottom slot, and a cable or chain keeps the tailgate horizontal, parallel to the ground.

 

[MrJimi]

Get a gallon of you favorite color in rustoleoum and brush paint it and be done with it !
Jim

 

[Defective]

I based that on 15 square feet per can that I found on the Rustoleum website

Don't bet on it...

That figure is based on a large, flat test surface and no air currents while the robot sprayed a perfect, even coat of paint.

You're more likely to cover about half that area with a rattle can. (Or any spray method...)

If you end up painting it yourself, either brush & roll it or plan on a lot more paint.

 

[Iplayfarmer]

Get a gallon of you favorite color in rustoleoum and brush paint it and be done with it !
Jim

I like your style. After looking at the welds I've done and some of the "in-situ" engineering, you can conclude that this is not a factory quality product. It probably doesn't need a factory quality finish on it either. The main reason that I'm painting it is to protect the metal.

I'll have to price gallons of rustoleum. If I can get it cheap enough, I may go the route you suggest.

I'm still of a mind, though that if I can have it painted professionally for even close to the cost of the materials, I'm having it done professionally.

 

[KentT]

You'd likely be surprised at how good a paint job you can get with a quality, low-nap roller, if you're careful... use a small brush to trim it in first, then roll the open spots.

I've seen some old farm equipment painted that way that from 10' away you'd think is was a spray-gun job...

I'd recommend that over spray-cans. They simply put on too thin a coat of paint -- when you're interested in protection and durability.