g-drop Build Journal

...ask your questions in the appropriate forums BUT document your build here...preferably in a single thread...dates for updates, are appreciated....

g-drop Build Journal

Postby g00s3 » Sun Jan 24, 2016 8:03 pm

After months of lurking and reading I finally decided to dive in and start building..

It took me a long time to decide what I wanted to build, then I found _Ryan_'s Wyoming Woody Teardrop (http://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?f=50&t=53842) and the detailed plans he put together and has generously made available (Thanks Ryan!). I will mostly be following those plans with the exception of a few little changes.

I ordered my NT 5x8 trailer a couple of weeks ago and it arrived this week so I got started with assembly and also started building the deck. Here's the obligatory photo of the trailer boxes:

138995

I've only assembled the frame for now, I plan on replacing the stock axle and wheels in the coming weeks as I'd like 14" wheels and electric brakes.

138996

I used 1x4 poplar to build the frame for the deck and then skinned it with 1/4" baltic birch

138997
138998

Installed 3/4" expanded polystyrene foam board insulation - this stuff is pretty messy to cut. I used my circular saw to cut the large sheet into something more manageable and then cut the smaller sections on the table saw, it cuts easily enough but the little white particles go everything - it was a windy day so I did it in my garage which wasn't the smartest idea!

138999
Last edited by g00s3 on Sun Jan 24, 2016 8:26 pm, edited 2 times in total.
g00s3
Donating Member
 
Posts: 32
Images: 59
Joined: Sat Jan 02, 2016 6:44 am
Location: Dallas, Texas

Re: g-drop Build Journal

Postby Vedette » Sun Jan 24, 2016 8:24 pm

Glad to see you on the Forum!.......WELCOME! :applause:
Looks like you are off to a great start.
Good Roads
Brian & Sandi
Good Roads
Brian & Sandi
Here is a link to my Build Journal
viewtopic.php?f=50&t=50912
Image109106109111109110138766
User avatar
Vedette
Silver Donating Member
 
Posts: 5141
Images: 443
Joined: Thu Dec 01, 2011 4:28 am
Location: Westbank B.C.

Re: g-drop Build Journal

Postby g00s3 » Sun Jan 24, 2016 8:27 pm

Vedette wrote:Glad to see you on the Forum!.......WELCOME! :applause:
Looks like you are off to a great start.
Good Roads
Brian & Sandi


Thanks!
g00s3
Donating Member
 
Posts: 32
Images: 59
Joined: Sat Jan 02, 2016 6:44 am
Location: Dallas, Texas
Top

Re: g-drop Build Journal

Postby KCStudly » Mon Jan 25, 2016 4:10 pm

Yeah, so far so good. Nice tidy work.

I'm curious about the "sawhorse" frame that is holding your trailer up. Is that a two seat folding chair frame or some kind of collapsible sawhorse stand?
KC
My Build: The Poet Creek Express Hybrid Foamie

Poet Creek Or Bust
Engineering the TLAR way - "That Looks About Right"
TnTTT ORIGINAL 200A LANTERN CLUB = "The 200A Gang"
Green Lantern Corpsmen
User avatar
KCStudly
Donating Member
 
Posts: 9610
Images: 8169
Joined: Mon Feb 06, 2012 10:18 pm
Location: Southeastern CT, USA
Top

Re: g-drop Build Journal

Postby g00s3 » Mon Jan 25, 2016 5:48 pm

KCStudly wrote:Yeah, so far so good. Nice tidy work.

I'm curious about the "sawhorse" frame that is holding your trailer up. Is that a two seat folding chair frame or some kind of collapsible sawhorse stand?


Thanks KC

The sawhorse is called a centipede - I got it from my local Lowe's (http://www.lowes.com/pd_735047-52862-K100___?productId=50408276&pl=1&Ntt=centipede) I like it because it collapses really small when not in use and doesn't take up much room.
g00s3
Donating Member
 
Posts: 32
Images: 59
Joined: Sat Jan 02, 2016 6:44 am
Location: Dallas, Texas
Top

Re: g-drop Build Journal

Postby g00s3 » Sat Feb 06, 2016 9:04 pm

Time for an update..

I spent the last two weeks working on finishing the deck and trailer. I wanted upgrade the trailer axle primarily because I wanted to add electric brakes to the trailer and once I saw the stock axle that came with my NT 5x8 it definitely felt like it would be a worthwhile upgrade. Here some some pictures of the progress thus far:

Once the glue had dried on the deck, I used a flush trim bit to tidy the overlaps on the skins and I used a 7/8" spade bit to create holes on the bottom of the deck for the frame bolts. I drilled the holes to 3/8" and used a dowel to make sure I got the right depth:

139194

I decided to paint the bottom of the deck with truck bed liner (Herculiner) - This stuff is not the easiest to work with, so if you don't like the "black sticky stuff" commonly used then you really won't like this but I am really happy with to results - I made sure to put a thick coat on the seam where to two pieces of bottom skin joined. Once cured it really looks very durable. If you are going to used Herculiner, make sure you have some acetone handy for cleanup, some gloves and a respirator are also a must.

139195

Once the bottom of the deck was done, I cut some countersink holes for the carriage bolts. I was worried about tear-out so I decided to use a plunge router instead of a spade bit. I cut 1 1/4" diameter holes that were 1/2" deep and made sure to tape everything well to prevent tear-out. The holes turned out pretty good.

139196

I also coated the top of the outside railers (where the deck will sit) including the bolt heads with Herculiner and painted the entire bottom or the trainer with Herculiner after masking out the areas I did not want painted. I am really happy with the results:

139199139200

Next up, finishing off the trailer.. Here are some pictures of the stock axles and wheels next to the new ones:

139197139198

I ordered everything from Southwest Wheel here in Dallas (http://www.trailerpart.com/)- Their prices are great and it was super handy to be able to just driver over and pick everything up. For anyone interested in the upgrade, I used the following:

I had originally thought I would change the stock leaf springs as well, but the sizing made that really difficult, the stock ones are 20.5" long and 2" wide - most of the ones I could find where longer than that and I really did not want to need to change the hanger brackets on the frame. I also had to get new u-bolt plates as the ones I got from Southwest Wheel were for standard 1 3/4" wide springs so they were not wide enough. I managed to get some suitable ones at my local Northern Tool.

139202139201

I got everything bolted together and fitted the deck to the trailer, I used a 1 1/4" hole saw to cut plugs for the carriage bolt holes.

I am now starting to think about the walls.. I picked up some 3/4" Ply earlier today, after visiting a few local lumber yards, I ended up having to cough up for what was labelled as birch plywood because the regular 3/4" ply that had looked pretty rough. I could have driven to Forth Worth to get some of the good stuff, but the gas money for that trip probably would have been more than the extra 12 bucks I paid per sheet. When I arrived home and unloaded the three sheets, two of them looked very different to the other one and when I looked at them in the sunlight they were oak and the other was birch.. I haven't changed it, as I didn't figure it would make a big difference.

I started routing out the 3.5" sections for the overlap joins:

139203

In hindsight:
I only used 2/3 of a can of Herculiner (1 gallon) for everything, it seems a little wasteful, I probably could have bought smaller cans.

Things I have learned so far:
I definitely need help lifting things more often than I thought I would - This isn't a 1 personal job!
I'll probably be cleaning sawdust out of my garage for the rest of eternity

That's it for this update!

Cheers,

g
g00s3
Donating Member
 
Posts: 32
Images: 59
Joined: Sat Jan 02, 2016 6:44 am
Location: Dallas, Texas
Top

Re: g-drop Build Journal

Postby noseoil » Sat Feb 06, 2016 9:40 pm

Off to a good start & it looks like a very serious build already! Looking forward to the progress & finished product. Welcome to the party.
Build log: viewtopic.php?f=50&t=60248
The time you spend planning is more important than the time you spend building.........

137905
User avatar
noseoil
1000 Club
1000 Club
 
Posts: 1820
Images: 669
Joined: Sun Apr 27, 2014 8:46 am
Location: Raton, New Mexico, living the good life!
Top

Re: g-drop Build Journal

Postby KCStudly » Sat Feb 06, 2016 10:02 pm

Looking good.

One thing I can't tell from the pictures, at least it is not apparent, is if you had to weld the spring perches on your new axle. I don't see any in the picture.
KC
My Build: The Poet Creek Express Hybrid Foamie

Poet Creek Or Bust
Engineering the TLAR way - "That Looks About Right"
TnTTT ORIGINAL 200A LANTERN CLUB = "The 200A Gang"
Green Lantern Corpsmen
User avatar
KCStudly
Donating Member
 
Posts: 9610
Images: 8169
Joined: Mon Feb 06, 2012 10:18 pm
Location: Southeastern CT, USA
Top

Re: g-drop Build Journal

Postby g00s3 » Sun Feb 07, 2016 2:41 pm

noseoil wrote:Off to a good start & it looks like a very serious build already! Looking forward to the progress & finished product. Welcome to the party.


Thanks!

KCStudly wrote:Looking good.

One thing I can't tell from the pictures, at least it is not apparent, is if you had to weld the spring perches on your new axle. I don't see any in the picture.


The spring perches that were supplied with the axle and basically deep c-channel steel bar with a cutout for the round axle and a hole for the leaf spring nut. They are sitting on the inside of the leaf spring sandwiched between the leaf spring and the axle and held in place but the u-bolts. I'll try to remember to snap some pictures of the assembly and post them when I crawl under the trailer to do the wiring later on.
g00s3
Donating Member
 
Posts: 32
Images: 59
Joined: Sat Jan 02, 2016 6:44 am
Location: Dallas, Texas
Top

Re: g-drop Build Journal

Postby Rferg800 » Sun Feb 07, 2016 3:17 pm

What size were the original tires?
Rferg800
Teardrop Inspector
 
Posts: 16
Images: 1
Joined: Thu Sep 03, 2015 11:44 am
Top

Re: g-drop Build Journal

Postby g00s3 » Sun Feb 07, 2016 5:12 pm

Rferg800 wrote:What size were the original tires?


The originals were 12" and the new ones are 14"
g00s3
Donating Member
 
Posts: 32
Images: 59
Joined: Sat Jan 02, 2016 6:44 am
Location: Dallas, Texas
Top

Re: g-drop Build Journal

Postby KCStudly » Sun Feb 07, 2016 7:29 pm

So the spring perches were welded on with the axle, or you welded them on? Just checking because we have seen people who have not realized that they need to be welded, not just clamped.
Last edited by KCStudly on Sun Mar 13, 2016 11:46 pm, edited 1 time in total.
KC
My Build: The Poet Creek Express Hybrid Foamie

Poet Creek Or Bust
Engineering the TLAR way - "That Looks About Right"
TnTTT ORIGINAL 200A LANTERN CLUB = "The 200A Gang"
Green Lantern Corpsmen
User avatar
KCStudly
Donating Member
 
Posts: 9610
Images: 8169
Joined: Mon Feb 06, 2012 10:18 pm
Location: Southeastern CT, USA
Top

Re: g-drop Build Journal

Postby g00s3 » Sun Feb 07, 2016 11:20 pm

KCStudly wrote:So the spring perches were welded on with the axle, or you welded them on? Just checking because we have seen people who have not realize that they need to be welded, not just clamped.


I have not welded them, they are only clamped on. Are you talking specifically about these Al-ko axles? There is very little surface area available to actually weld on the perches - I talked it through with my old man when I was installing them (he's built a few trailers in his time) and he didn't seem to think they needed to be welded, but if you know something I don't or have experience to the contrary I'll definitely revisit that.

Thanks for checking!
g00s3
Donating Member
 
Posts: 32
Images: 59
Joined: Sat Jan 02, 2016 6:44 am
Location: Dallas, Texas
Top

Re: g-drop Build Journal

Postby KCStudly » Mon Feb 08, 2016 1:07 am

Round axle with brakes. Need I say more?

Okay, consider the clamping force of the u-bolts and the amount of surface area in contact between the steel edges of the perches and the steel axle tube. There's a lot of force there, but not a lot of surface area, and not a lot of friction.

Now look at the brake shoes. Lots of area and lots of friction. Now look at the tires. Lots of area and lots of friction. With a good load on the trailer, lots of force, so even more friction.

Now look at the lever arms (radii). The spring perch and axle are what, 3 inches diameter, so 1-1/2 inch lever arm? The brakes on that size axle are, what, 9 inches, so a 4-1/2 inch lever arm (3 x the axle radius)? The tire has a big one, 13 or 14 inch radius, at least.

That doesn't even take into account vibration and side loading. What happens when the paint between the two parts chatters out?

Other builders have played that game and failed.

They need to be welded. :beer:
KC
My Build: The Poet Creek Express Hybrid Foamie

Poet Creek Or Bust
Engineering the TLAR way - "That Looks About Right"
TnTTT ORIGINAL 200A LANTERN CLUB = "The 200A Gang"
Green Lantern Corpsmen
User avatar
KCStudly
Donating Member
 
Posts: 9610
Images: 8169
Joined: Mon Feb 06, 2012 10:18 pm
Location: Southeastern CT, USA
Top

Re: g-drop Build Journal

Postby g00s3 » Mon Feb 08, 2016 10:01 am

KCStudly wrote:Round axle with brakes. Need I say more?

Okay, consider the clamping force of the u-bolts and the amount of surface area in contact between the steel edges of the perches and the steel axle tube. There's a lot of force there, but not a lot of surface area, and not a lot of friction.

Now look at the brake shoes. Lots of area and lots of friction. Now look at the tires. Lots of area and lots of friction. With a good load on the trailer, lots of force, so even more friction.

Now look at the lever arms (radii). The spring perch and axle are what, 3 inches diameter, so 1-1/2 inch lever arm? The brakes on that size axle are, what, 9 inches, so a 4-1/2 inch lever arm (3 x the axle radius)? The tire has a big one, 13 or 14 inch radius, at least.

That doesn't even take into account vibration and side loading. What happens when the paint between the two parts chatters out?

Other builders have played that game and failed.

They need to be welded. :beer:


That makes a lot of sense, thanks for all the detail. I'll definitely revisit that and get them welded or weld them myself.

I appreciate the help.
g00s3
Donating Member
 
Posts: 32
Images: 59
Joined: Sat Jan 02, 2016 6:44 am
Location: Dallas, Texas
Top

Next

Return to Build Journals

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 10 guests