| Steel Trailer Bed |
| A steel trailer bed is fabricated. |
From "Trade School"
episode DTRS-313 |
|
|
Apprentice Noah Gunn tests his mettle by fabricating a steel trailer bed with the help of his mentor Marty Weis.
Materials:chop saw
disc grinder
clamps
MIG welder
chalk line
jigsaw
fiberglass resin and catalyst
fiberglass matte fabric
fiberglass roller
paintbrush
DA sander
HV-LP paint sprayer
table saw
orbital sander
power drill
edge router
staple gun
hole-saw drill
1. Instead of starting totally from scratch, Noah measures the individual pieces from a previously fabricated trailer (figure A). Using a chop saw, he cuts square steel tubing and segments of angle iron to size (figure B). To remove sharp burns from the cut steel, Noah grinds off the ends using a disc grinder (figure C).
2. Noah aligns and clamps the perimeter tubing pieces together on a steel table. Using a MIG welder, Noah tack-welds the pieces together (figure D). Critical to the performance of the trailer, he determines if the perimeter is square by taking a cross measurement (figure E).3. He now marks along the perimeter, and then welds in with the cut segments of the angle iron (figure F). These serve as the cross members that support the main section of the trailer.
4. To create and attach a perfectly centered tongue and hitch, Noah first snaps a chalk line down the center of the trailer bed (figure G). Measuring from this line, he aligns and clamps the tongue members and hitch in place. After tack-welding the members, he goes back and seam-welds all of the joints of the trailer bed (figure H).
5. Noah cross-measures, centers and welds on a wheel axle bracket made of thick angle iron pieces (figure I).6. Before mounting the wheels and fiberglass living space, Noah makes sure to weld several additional pieces including mounting brackets, and a stabilizing jack stand. 7. Noah cleans up the areas that have been welded using a disc grinder (figure J).
In the next segment, Noah continues his education by customizing the fiberglass living space of the trailer.
| 
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
