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Heffer Wolfe
02-16-11, 06:25 PM
Hi. Im new here but been poking around a bit. Thought Id post my question about making a trailer here hope you dont mind. I want to make a trailer but dont have any welding gear so thought Id make it out of wood. Was gonna use a wood frame with a plywood floor and either metla straps or those metal shelf brakets to align the chassis. What do you all think? Is she gonna hold up under load or is tubing thre better way to go.
Thanks.
spike420211
02-17-11, 07:59 PM
no welding req'd.
hacksaw's nice, tho:
http://www.8020.net/
Captain Blight
02-17-11, 09:16 PM
Good idea. But don't use tuba fors.
3/4x3-1/2 clear, vertical grain doug-fir porch flooring is superior lumber in almost all regards. Its strength-to-weight ratio exceeds aluminum in many ways; it's widely available, easy to work, and looks attractive.
You want to watch your ring count-- the tighter the growth rings, the stronger the wood-- and simply for appearances' sake, you'll probably want to plane off the groove and maybe the tongue.
It's probably worth noting that 'spar grade' wood-- that is to say, 16 or more growth rings per inch with a slope to the grain of less than 1 in 15-- is suitable for use in aerobatic aircraft, to withstand up to 8Gs. Cabon fiber is all well and good, but wood is in a lot of ways better. Not surprising considering the Original Designer.
If I may suggest, you may want to study up on boatbuilding and aircraft building techniques. I'm not saying you need to know everything about the subjects, but boatbuilders have a lot of experience in maximizing strength while minimizing weight; obviously, aircraft builders worry about weight too; and these concepts translate well to bike applications.
An excellent resource is the Building and Repair sub-forum at http://forum.woodenboat.com. There's a guy who posts there as well as at Sawmill Creek, his name's Bob Smalser. He's a total PITA to deal with but knows more about Doug-fir than most men living. James McMullen on the WBF is more approachable and knows like 98% as much.
At the end of the day, it goes back to good technique: Tight fits and careful work always produce a superior result.
Good luck! Post pics.
Wordbiker
03-13-11, 11:01 AM
http://tinyurl.com/69lk9sf