Refurbing a trailer

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I bought this trailer new 11 years ago, sold it 9 years ago and have cussed doing that ever since. Happened to stumble upon it again today and for the second time in it's life, it's parked in my backyard. Now there's lots of work ahead to put it back to where it was 11 years ago. My question: I've never sanded anything like this down to prepare it for primer and paint. Whatever kind of sander I'll need, I'll have to buy, so what's the best and quickest method to take all this rust and old paint off to start getting it ready ?
Reply:Sand blasteridealarc 250/250 ac-dc tigidealarc 250/250 ac-dc tig #2 used for sticklincoln sp100hh125dual arbor grinder polisher30 yrs of hand tools52 pitch blocks 6p-26prake gauge -pitch gaugeG&D prop repair 918-207-6938Hulbert,okla 74441
Reply:Agreed I'd sand blast it. My local tool rental place rents the big pot blasters and tow behind compressors pretty cheap. We've done big equipment trailers and dump trucks in the past that way. If you had it all stripped and prepped I doubt it would take more than an hour or so with the blaster..No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:OK , cool..... never thought of that.... I'll have to check with a rental place here in town tomorrow to check into that.... beats the hell out of some kind of power sander like I was figuring on....... THANKS !!!!!!
Reply:wire wheel cup on the end of a 4 1/2 inch grinder - a lot of work but cheaper than sandblastingSure, I can fix it... I got a welder!!!
Reply:If you use a wire wheel wear safety glasses and a full face shield- the wires will fly off and they will stick right through the skin - got to pull one out of my lip one time Originally Posted by fwalz3wire wheel cup on the end of a 4 1/2 inch grinder - a lot of work but cheaper than sandblasting
Reply:sand blaster definitly. Cup brush is ok but slow that much trailer would be rusty again by the time you were done. Not to mention your arms would probably fall off.Millermatic 252millermatic 175miller 300 Thunderboltlincoln ranger 250smith torcheslots of bfh'sIf it dont fit get a bigger hammer
Reply:Originally Posted by davo727If you use a wire wheel wear safety glasses and a full face shield- the wires will fly off and they will stick right through the skin - got to pull one out of my lip one time
Reply:I have done some trialer work, recommend a few tools:- Belt sander or orbital sander for the flat areas.  Cheap, easy. Pay attention to grit ratings.- Needle scaler - great for tight corners and the really nasty areas on heavy guage steel - don't use on sheet metal only plate.  Way more pleasant than sandblasting.- sandblaster is MUST for tight corners and odd shaped areas.  If you can provide 10cfm at 90psi you will be fine with a cheap siphon unit from TSC, Norther Tool, etc.  Very messy. use a respirator.If you go wire brush, be safe.  I caught a grinder in the gut when the wire brush snagged on the material.  Turned my stomach into a bloody mess.  Leather apron, heavy gloves and full face shield are my PPE of choice when using the wire brush.Hobart LX235Victor 250 Oxy-Acetylene Rig (welding and cutting)Bobcat 773F-350, 1999, 4x4, 16' 10K# trailerOutdoor Wood Burner - 10 cords/year
Reply:Rust killer primer over the questionable areas you can't reach- that stuff turns the rremaining rust into a good primer and prevents it from flaking off later.  Its quite expensive but good for all the cracks between joints that can't be reached.
Reply:I had a trailer that was very rusted.I went to a company that was a 'U-Blast' by the hour. I prepped my trailer, drove into their lot and was totally done in 20 minutes.  If I recall it was $60 or $70 bucks. While I was there, a guy came in with his pickup all prepped. It was one of the GMs that developed surface rust cancer. He took out his tail lights, finished covering his windows and had at it.  When I left he had one side done and it looked really good.
Reply:OK, checked this morning and OSHA and them good ole' boys won't let rental companies carry sand blasters any longer. Talked to a guy at a trailer shop that they recommended who does sandblasting and that was a freaking jaw dropper .... he wanted $500 to blast it..... hell, I could replace the old with new metal for that !!!!!Harbor Freight and Tractor supply both had a 10gal portable sand blaster. I've got a compressor that would run these and may go this route, but that leaves yet another question >>>The media they both sold was in 50lb bag at $40 per bag. I'm assuming this project would use quite a bit of media, so when I see the $$$ signs racking up again, I go to thinking ~ What about sacks of playground sand sold at Lowe's / Home Depot ? Will that kind of sand work or not work for this project ? That stuff is $3.64 for a 50 lb bag........
Reply:Black coal slag is about $7-8 for a 50lb bag at menards.  Blast it somewhere you can sweep the stuff up and reuse it.My name's not Jim....
Reply:Originally Posted by rico334OK, checked this morning and OSHA and them good ole' boys won't let rental companies carry sand blasters any longer. ......The media they both sold was in 50lb bag at $40 per bag. I'm assuming this project would use quite a bit of media, so when I see the $$$ signs racking up again, I go to thinking ~ What about sacks of playground sand sold at Lowe's / Home Depot ? Will that kind of sand work or not work for this project ? That stuff is $3.64 for a 50 lb bag........
Reply:I would just paint it with some Hammerite paint and call it done.It is just a little utility trailer, gonna get beat up anyway.Ed Conleyhttp://www.screamingbroccoli.com/MM252MM211 (Sold)Passport Plus & Spool gunLincoln SP135 Plus- (Gone to a good home)Klutch 120v Plasma cutterSO 2020 benderBeer in the fridge
Reply:Well Ok, just remembered I had an 18v Ryobi orbital sander that came in a combo kit I bought a couple of years ago. Found the bag in the barn and the sample pieces of sanding paper and worked on about a 2 foot piece of the top rail on the trailer and be darned if it didn't work out great. I can see going through a lot of sand paper disk's, but Lowe's has 50 packs on their website, so looks like I'm headed to lowes in the morning to buy a good orbital sander, sanding disks and getting after it. Like someone above mentioned, It's going to get used and scratched again, not looking to enter it in the County fair in hopes of a blue ribbon, so I'm just going to do it that way, work on a 5-6 foot piece at a time, prime as I go and it should be ready to shoot some paint on it in a week.......
Reply:That rust doesn't look worth fooling with.  Make sure the bearings, lights, coupler, and safety chains are good.  Fix the bed wood where necessary and put it to work.
Reply:I don't see nuthin' wrong with it. Except that it don't look like it did 11 years ago.  Shoot, that trailer matches my truck perfectly! City of L.A. Structural; Manual & Semi-Automatic;"Surely there is a mine for silver, and a place where gold is refined. Iron is taken from the earth, and copper is smelted from ore."Job 28:1,2Lincoln, Miller, Victor & ISV BibleDanny
Reply:LOL..... Thanks guys, yeah I've got a stack of new boards, all new wiring and lights, new jack and new tires all waiting on the little bit of metal work that needs doing and then the painting. Funny thing about it is they guy I sold it to 9 years ago never transferred it out of my name and into his name. It stayed on his ranch the whole time. Now for me to re-register it, I'll beat the county out of having to pay taxes on a title transfer, just take my original MSO to them and get a current sticker for it.....
Reply:Originally Posted by Broccoli1I would just paint it with some Hammerite paint and call it done.It is just a little utility trailer, gonna get beat up anyway.
Reply:I would go down to your local big box store and get some metal prep and test a few areas on your trailer. The rust doesn't look much more than surface rust. The metal prep, as mentioned above, will convert that surface rust into usable paintable coating.Just a thought. Might save you a lot of time and labor.ChrisLincoln Pro Mig 180TMiller Spectrum 375
Reply:well the plate says your in Texas so why not make a run south of the border after you get some prices? Or paint over that little bit o rust.Miller thunderbolt 250Decastar 135ERecovering tool-o-holic ESAB OAI have been interested or involved in Electrical, Fire Alarm, Auto, Marine, Welding, Electronics ETC to name a just a few. So YES you can own too many tools.
Reply:I wouldn't run  south of the border for anything these days.....way too dangerous.I bought the HF siphon unit and it works really well. I do all my farm equipment with it. Prime and paint with Valspar equipment paint.....tough as nails. I use the walnut shells for blasting that way I don't have to worry about residue being around, it breaks down on it's own.You're going to get another 11 years out of this so it's worth the investment.Sign on East Texas payphone: Calls to God 40 cents......it's a local call...
Reply:Originally Posted by rico334OK, checked this morning and OSHA and them good ole' boys won't let rental companies carry sand blasters any longer.
Reply:OSHA / Insurance companies.... who knows, all I know is there are two tool and equipment rental places here in town and both told me OSHA quit letting them rent these due to environmental and safety issues of people inhaling the silica dust and turning their lungs into concrete.....As far going to Mexico, the only reason I'd have for going over there is to try and find my 6' x 14" tandem axle flat bed that was stolen 4-5 years ago and hasn't come home yet......Got the old flooring out today which proved to be quite a chore. About half the old hex-head screws were rusted so bad that either the head twisted off or stripped out when removing them. When the trailer was built, all the center rails, front, back and dove tail were made with 2" angle iron. Once all the boards had been screwed down, at the front of the trailer, the back end of the trailer and both sides at the dove tail had 2" flat metal welded over the top of the flooring boards, which also covered up all the screws that underneath the flat metal. Had to cut the welds and remove the 4 pieces of flat metal to get to the screws underneath them. Also just got home from Lowes and bought a Dewalt orbital sander .... Wow, this works great stripping the rust and old paint, just going to take a bit of time to get it all done. Hopefully will have that knocked out tomorrow and ready for primer tomorrow afternoon.
Reply:Now when it comes to putting the new flooring in, according to my measurements, what would be the  best width boards to go lengthwise with ....... The old flooring was 2 x 6 yellow pine which had done a good job of rotting over the past 11 years. Also, can't decide to go back with yelllow pine and treat it once a year or so, or go with the greenish colored pre-treated lumber.... The figures below are for the yellow pine boards.(11)  2 x 6 x 12'  boards which will be roughly $60 dollars.(09)  2 x 8 x 12'  boards which will be roughly $56 dollars.(07)  2x 10 x 12' boards which will be roughly $46 dollars.
Reply:Half way there .... Got all the welding repairs made, 2 days sanding with an orbital sander and primer coat shot on today. Hopefully in a couple days I'll have time to shoot the first coat of paint. A couple of before & after photos......
Reply:I'd go with the plain pine myself. I don't trust the newer ACQ treated lumber. It's extremely corrosive on untreated fasteners. I'd be worried that it would start rusting the steel it was in contact with..No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:Green pressure treated lumber has always given me the impression of being very soft, and prone to damage. Not to mention a sliver of that stuff will fester up quick and painful. Teak is mighty pricey, but I have put that down before for a customers flat deck equipment hauler.I am not familiar with yellow pine except from reading about it. It worked before didn't it? City of L.A. Structural; Manual & Semi-Automatic;"Surely there is a mine for silver, and a place where gold is refined. Iron is taken from the earth, and copper is smelted from ore."Job 28:1,2Lincoln, Miller, Victor & ISV BibleDanny
Reply:Paint shot on today, new wiring and lights. Will be doing the flooring this weekend, new tires and wheel bearings and will be ready for the road. As for the wood, I've heard the same things about the treated woods and yeah, they are softer + almost double the price of yellow pine, so I'll be using the pine for flooring and spray treating it once or twice a year, Even the old pine that it was built new with was never treated by me when I first bought it, then sold it to the second owner who never treated it, so 11 years out of untreated pine is pretty good, I'm thinking the treating will even extend that too........
Reply:And here is the completed project. Just finished spraying the wood with a conditioner and sealer. Don't think I'll be tackling one of these again anytime soon, but I'm proud to have my original trailer back in brand new condition for the 2nd time in it's life.