Using Boat Trailers...

[GPW]

That's Bloody Brilliant !!!!!!!! Sometimes the best answers are the simplest , and most logical ... bolt it down .... I SEE THE LIGHT !!!!! Sone.. Many Thanks !!! That saves me alot of grief/cutting /welding / painting , and then Bolting Too ... I like your way of thinking Dude!!!!!!!

[GPW]

Another question has arisen .... On my Big trailer , the top surface of the cross members are about 3/8" below the top surface of the side rails ... To bolt the floor frame to these members , should I :
1. use a bunch of large washers between the floor frame and the trailer crosspiece ?
2. Make a full length spacer out of 3/8" ply ?

Any opinions on this would be appreciated...we're getting close now ...

[madjack]

...if the space is consistent then I say use a full width spacer...you want the floor sitting flat/square/secure...everything else gets built offa that floor so discrepancies introduced at floor level can magnify by roof level............
madjack

[GPW]

Thanks M/Jack ... it's slowly coming together.....

[GPW]

Got my steel ... 2.5x2.5x1/4... seems pretty sturdy ... have to go to the guitar shop today to cut it precisely for a good fit ... besides , it's sushi lunch day ,and I gotta' show up for work sometimes .... It's good to be a consultant !!!!

www.neworleansguitar.com

[GPW]

Cut the crossmembers to length at the guitar shop ... came home and consulted my pal (welder-retired ) and band member , Big Tommy.. he let me borrow his portable band saw ... I used it to cope the cross members to fit exactly flush with the frame , and also cut off the winch , rollers and assorted stuff that adorned the boat trailer ... This is an older painted frame , so not galvanized (TG , I hate that white smoke and that feeling) so I 'm currently chipping /scraping the flakey paint off, not too bad , a little brushing with a wire wheel or that rust remover wheel (it really works ) , welding the crossmsmbers on , and then some paint ... I went against the advice of some and bought a gallon of Rustoleum "Professional " high zoot metal primer, at the wally world... That oughta' last longer than me anyway ...

Bummer news: Spent all that time cleaning and rearranging the Studio , and guess what ? The trailer is about 1/2" too WIDE to fit through my 8' roll up door ...could take the wheels and fenders off. but then what a pain to get out .... POOR PLANNING, DUH !!!!

[GPW]

A friend came over to help on the weekend .... got the flaky paint and most of the heavy rust (not really bad) off the boat trailer on Sat and primed it with , Yes , Rustoleum very rusty metal primer ... it may have been overkill , but sure covered nice ... the trailer looks great now ... also fitted the floor frame to the trailer to check for fit ... Came out perfect , I don't know how that happened, perhaps measuring twice??? hahahahaha At the store yesterday (Wally World) got a can of black Rustoleum enamel ... @$25.00/gal ... That oughta' do it ... for twenty years ... That's all I care about , if I'm Lucky to survive even today ....

Ps I wanted RED , but that would interfere with my nautical color scheme...

[GPW]

Using boat trailers has certainly been an affordable approach to TD construction ... we've had the opportunity to get so many good used boat trailers (cheap too ) that we can't take any more .... for now ...just might have to start building these as a little "cottage " industry , excuse the pun ...