Trailer building

admin

I am a newbie/hobby welder. I have a Hobart Mig 135 amp with argon co2 gas and also some .35 flux core wire. I also have a Lincoln buz box 225 amp.I have made some projects before but it has been years. I would like to build a trailer because I need one. I bought some used 3x3x3/16 inch tubing at work pretty cheap. There are 4 10 foot sections. I can get more. I am thinking of a 10 foot trailer but have also thought a little bigger would be better but all I have is 10 foot sections.Anyway, will either welder weld this material adequately? Which one should I use? What size trailer would you make?I mostly need it for hauling rock mulch and stuff around. It would be nice if it were capable to haul my 8n tractor somewhere once in a blue moon if I needed it.I am trying to do this as cheaply as possible. (I have 2 kids).Just appreciate some advice!
Reply:Use your stick welder, if you're proficient with stick welding.MM350P/Python/Q300MM175/Q300DialarcHFHTP MIG200PowCon300SMHypertherm380ThermalArc185Purox oaF350CrewCab4x4LoadNGo utilitybedBobcat250XMT304/Optima/SpoolmaticSuitcase12RC/Q300Suitcase8RC/Q400Passport/Q300Smith op
Reply:Any reason why???
Reply:You can set the stick welder for enough heat to get good penetration and fusion.  Your small mig welder may not have enough juice unless you are very deliberate about how you weld with it.MM350P/Python/Q300MM175/Q300DialarcHFHTP MIG200PowCon300SMHypertherm380ThermalArc185Purox oaF350CrewCab4x4LoadNGo utilitybedBobcat250XMT304/Optima/SpoolmaticSuitcase12RC/Q300Suitcase8RC/Q400Passport/Q300Smith op
Reply:That makes sense, unfortunately I am not as good at stick.What bout trailer size with the material I have? What would you do?
Reply:Originally Posted by strypedThat makes sense, unfortunately I am not as good at stick.What bout trailer size with the material I have? What would you do?
Reply:I have a Pro Mig 135 than runs on 110V and it welds 1/8" fine with FCAW.  I would not go much thicker without some beveling and multi pass.Build a Barstool Racer at BarFlyRacers.com!
Reply:I personally would use the stick for the reason stated above.  a 1/8" 6013 or 7014 at around 120 amps for the material you have.  If you are going to haul a tractor you will need tandem axles, and it will be alot more involved than just a standard single axle utility trailer.  I'm not trying to knock you when I say this, but if you don't know the answers to these questions then you probably should not do this project alone.  Remember when you haul a trailer innocent people's lives are at stake every time you pass them on the road.  Anything built to go on the road should be built by a qualified individual.I'm a Lover, Fighter, Wild horse Rider, and a pretty good welding man......
Reply:I don't have any solid numbers on material strengths but my guess is that 5-6K may be about the max load weight you should expect. A lot will depend on you axles. Single vs dual, and also the vehicle you plan to tow with.Stone is heavy. I know we learned just how heavy when we loaded our small 10K trailer with stone because the Mack dump was down for repairs. We used up all the stone that we loaded at the shop and then went to the quarry for another load to finish. They put 4 ton on the trailer and it looked empty. We were a tad over weight when we left our shop. I would say 3-4X as much as what was loaded. We lucked out because the trailer frame, axles and springs were from a much heavier trailer originally. The 10K was just to keep it under CDL requirements for those non-cdl drivers we have.I can't remember the general numbers for stone, it varies by type and how wet it is. My guess is that you should expect a yard of 3/8" stone to weight between 3000-4000lbs. A yard of stone is not a lot in my view. ( cubic yd = 3'x3'x3' ) or about 5-6 good sized contractor wheelbarrows full.
Reply:Originally Posted by Hammack_WeldingI personally would use the stick for the reason stated above.  a 1/8" 6013 or 7014 at around 120 amps for the material you have.  If you are going to haul a tractor you will need tandem axles, and it will be alot more involved than just a standard single axle utility trailer.  I'm not trying to knock you when I say this, but if you don't know the answers to these questions then you probably should not do this project alone.  Remember when you haul a trailer innocent people's lives are at stake every time you pass them on the road.  Anything built to go on the road should be built by a qualified individual.
Reply:This is going to be a small trailer and I am just in the "thinking" stage now. I was thinking of one 3500lb axle and maybe later adding an additional axle.I have 4 10 foot sections of 3x3x3/16 I already bought. I got it for about 10 bucks. They were from a used material stand we had at work.I need more material. We have some stout c type channel that I think is 3 inches. I can get it pretty cheap. It was used on a conveyor. If I were to use this as crossmembers, is it acceptable to weld it to the sides 2 inches down, with only an inch welded to the frame? (So 2x lumber can be used for the bed?)
Reply:1/8" 7018 AC rod will work on your buzz box.Weld your channel fully to the sides of your main tubes/channels.  You can weld some angle atop your main tubes to keep the wood deck in place.If you do tandem axles, build them both onto the trailer at the same time, otherwise your single axle will be in the wrong place for a single axle trailer while you're waiting to put on the second axle, if you intend to use the trailer alot during that time.MM350P/Python/Q300MM175/Q300DialarcHFHTP MIG200PowCon300SMHypertherm380ThermalArc185Purox oaF350CrewCab4x4LoadNGo utilitybedBobcat250XMT304/Optima/SpoolmaticSuitcase12RC/Q300Suitcase8RC/Q400Passport/Q300Smith op
Reply:3/32 or 1/8 7018 would be my preferred rod for this job.Use the stick machine.
Reply:dsw a full wheelbarrow is no good, i like mine about 1/4 full lol
Reply:I was thinking of having ths side pieces butt up against the end pieces when makign the frame. This would allow a 10 foot 6 inch length.
Reply:Unless I had a 200 amp Mig welder or larger I'd stick weld it. Even if you are able to weld 3/16" with a small mig in the long run you will go as fast or faster with the stick welder. While that may seem wrong wrong you'll see the difference in the duty cycle. The 120 volt mig will have a very short duty cycle maybe a minute or two at it max range. By the time you chip flux and move  around the trailer you'll never hit the duty cycle on the stick welder. Everything thing said above applies too.
Reply:If you are not yet proficient at stick, how will you become proficient then? Stick that together! Originally Posted by strypedI mostly need it for hauling rock mulch and stuff around. It would be nice if it were capable to haul my 8n tractor somewhere once in a blue moon if I needed it.