The Ironton 5 x 8 arrived today!
It's a little scuffed and dinged, so I think I'll paint it after assembly. BobHenry, in an older thread (http://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=62659&hilit=should+you+paint+your+trailer), recommended Van Sickle tractor paint as an economical and effective option, so I think I'll give that a go. I was going to be stingy and just spray on a single coat, but there's probably not much point painting at all if you don't give it 2 good coats, so I'll be thorough.
Am I right in thinking that painting is a nice extra, rather than a necessity? I'm planning to do it, but more from a due diligence perspective than because the already-painted trailer seems like it really needs it. Per the thread above, I'll sand with ~320-grit sandpaper and wipe down with alcohol for prep. (Does it have to be denatured? Regular old isopropyl won't do the trick?)
It's a bit late to get much accomplished tonight, but hopefully I can make some progress Friday evening.
Tips from the internet that I want to remember:
(1) Don't tighten the nuts all the way until the whole thing is assembled, that way you can adjust it if it's not perfectly square
(2) Confirm squareness in one or more ways:
(a) Use a T- square or L-square on every corner
(b) Measure diagonally from each corner to the opposite corner--the measurements should be equal
(c) Measure from the tongue to the center of each wheel--the measurements should be equal