Aluminum Trim ? from newbie

[1BigTexan]

Hello All

I am building my first trailer and it is a squared off version of the TD. I am just about to the point of installing the aluminum skin and trim and am in need of some advise. Since i am building more of a squared off version i have 3 edges that are going to be somewhere around a 135 degree angle. i came up with 3 different approaches and wanted to know what you guys thought about them. if they would work or which one would be the best.

1. take a right angle and heat it up over the edge and then wack it with a rubber mallet until it forms to the edge. Not sure if this idea would even work.

2. take a 1" flat stock and use a rubber mallet to form it over the edge.

3. score the under side of a 1" flat stock with a dremmel and then use a rubber mallet to form it to the edge.

If i am way off on these ideas please dont hesitate to say so.

Any help you pros might be able to give would be great. thx

[critter]

hey texan,
welcome to the board.have you got any way of posting smoe pics so we can help.it sound likes this problem has been looked at from several different angles and im shure you get the answers you need.witch style of tear are you building ,grasshoper , weekeender?

[1BigTexan]

the closest resembalence is the Weekender but this trailer is actually for towing behind a motorcycle. I got the idea to build it from this forum. I am at work right now but i can post some pics when i get home tonight, if i can figure out how ...

[critter]

hey texan,
just go to top of page in blue"help with photos" no sweat,its not hard at all
lots of bike riders here got 3 harleys myself,88 electra glide,02 heritage,04 sportster what are you riddin?

[1BigTexan]

NICE bikes, i can only dream of harleys. i just got a 03 V-Star 1100 custom. This is my first cruiser and my wife and i love it. thx for the tip on the pics, if it were a snake i guess it would have bit me.

[madjack]

hey you are sure 1BigTexan...oh wait, that's your name...anyway welcome to the board...a couple of thoghts...

1)...how about running the top skin long and bending that down over the bottom skin, then maybe use the flat stock to help hold it down flat and straight...if needed you could put another piece of flat sltock on the top edge to keep it from puckering

2)...you could take angle and anneal it, at which point you could beat into place but it might look like hell

3)...bending flat stock...anneal the flat stock...screw it down on top real good....use rubber mallet and a block to work it over the bend...put bottom screw in...remove the whole thing and caulk under it and put back in place

...annealing, if you are unfamiliar is the act of heating Al to just over 800 degrees to take the temper out and make it as bendable as a wet noodle...be careful because Al melts not much higher...if you need to know more, goto "search" at top of page and enter annealing
madjack