Trailer galvanising

[noelm]

I just dropped off my cat trailer that I built to be galvanised...$7 a KG, it's not going to be cheap, things have certainly gone up! Probably should have done a build thread, too late now.

[frankS]

Noel. At least you got it to galvanizing stage. I have been 12 months since I started my alloy trailer and it's still not finished. Mind you it's been sitting long periods without even being looked at let alone worked on. Pretty close to being finished but can't seem to find the inspiration to work on it.

How about some photos of the product when you get it back from galvanizing ?.

Frank

[noelm]

Yep, will do, looking back, I probably  should have built an aluminium trailer, but, once I started it was too late to turn back, I am going to block the ends and put oil (a mixture of fish oil and sump oil) inside, then paint the whole trailer with maybe fishoil or something.

[frankS]

My guess would be for a duel wheel cat trailer frame to be approx 200 kilo so @ $7 = $1400. You could have almost bought alloy for that and had the trailer for life.

take what it has cost you to buy the steel and I think alloy is sounding better.

Don't want to put a dampener on your project, and would love to see your work.

Frank

 

[frankS]

1 minute ago, noelm said:

Yep, will do, looking back, I probably  should have built an aluminium trailer, but, once I started it was too late to turn back, I am going to block the ends and put oil (a mixture of fish oil and sump oil) inside, then paint the whole trailer with maybe fishoil or something.

Noel. It won't be easy but try and get hold of line marking paint they use for marking the centre lines etc on the roads, really hard wearing paint and cheap as chips.

I bought 60 ltrs tub about 40 years ago from an auction and used it for everything right up to last year when I left the lid off it and it gelled up.

Lasts a really long time on trailers.

Frank

[noelm]

I can probably get some, not too sure if I should paint, oil or just leave as is and wash properly every time.

[noelm]

3 hours ago, frankS said:

My guess would be for a duel wheel cat trailer frame to be approx 200 kilo so @ $7 = $1400. You could have almost bought alloy for that and had the trailer for life.

take what it has cost you to buy the steel and I think alloy is sounding better.

Don't want to put a dampener on your project, and would love to see your work.

Frank

 

Yeah, a "guesstimate" is about 230KG, just going by the advertised weight of the steel, so we will see how it goes. The place at Port Kembla is just a depot now, they closed when Covid hit and haven't started doing it themselves, I doubt they ever will, shame really, it was/is a big place. You just drop off your stuff like before, but, it gets transported to another place (Sydney or Newcastle) for galvanising then dropped back, so, lots of chances for damage and lost parts!

[noelm]

Something I didn't know, I used that light galvanised steel (Duragal) and they have to sand blast that off before the acid bath, I thought/assumed the acid would take it off in a jiffy, had I have known that I would have used black or painted steel for all of it, instead of half and half.

[Fab1]

25 minutes ago, noelm said:

Something I didn't know, I used that light galvanised steel (Duragal) and they have to sand blast that off before the acid bath, I thought/assumed the acid would take it off in a jiffy, had I have known that I would have used black or painted steel for all of it, instead of half and half.

Prices have gone north and quality/thickness has gone south.Like the old oils ain’t oils sadly galvanising ain’t galvanising anymore.Just look at how long galvanising lasts on a old trailer compared to the new rubbish we buy now.

 Saying that we have no choice now.Hope it doesn’t end up too costly.I use mould release (silicon based) on my trailer and water beads and drips off.

[noelm]

There's lots of proprietary products that claim to be the best for new gal, but, it seems painting or oil is as good as anything. My old trailer was from the '70s and if I had of been more proactive and got it blasted and redone a few years ago, it would have probably lasted another couple of decades, but, it was always a "soon" job, but it had gone too far now, I could have patched it, but making a new one was easier. They are a simple trailer to build, no V sections, just two rails and some cross beams, going to use my old suspension and some other bits and pieces. It was a real treat trying to get it onto a hired car trailer to take it in, very awkward to lift and jiggle around.

[noelm]

Another thing mildly interesting, the guide "ring" up the centre is a length of 40mm pipe (6m) bent into a U shape, open both ends, the guy said I have to drill a hole in the end of the U because it could get an air bubble in the bend and not get galvanised, lucky I had my drill, and a battery impact wrench, plus some assorted tools "just in case"  I thought open both ends would be OK?

[noelm]

Got the trailer back today, I was worried, the galvanising place closes for Christmas at lunch time today, but the guy rang at 7:30 and said it was ready to pick up. Ended up costing $1,800, all up, that's all the brackets and stuff that I had done too. I will start putting it together tomorrow after I finish the springs and stuff, I will take a couple of photos in the morning. The springs are "roller rocker" they have a standard round eye at one end, and a sort of oval loop at the other, and a steel cylindrical roller that fits in the oval to allow for movement, they are also 60mm wide! According to the spring people, they are the best by far, I don't know if they are, but I know they are expensive compared to standard springs, I am just removing them and greasing the roller gizmo and other moving parts, simply because without the frame it's easy to get at. I have done one pair already, damn heavy and dirty work, but my battery rattle gun has made life so much easier.

[frankS]

Looking forward to some photos.

Frank

[noelm]

Yep I will take a couple in the morning, near killed my grandson and myself getting it off the hired car trailer, damn awkward, heavy thing it is. Started cleaning out some threads that bolts go in this afternoon, most just need a minute with a tap, but a couple are near completely full of zinc! There is 12 to do, got 7 done today, lucky I had the right thread tap, now I have some split pin holes to drill out because the gal has filled them up, one is going to be a real peach, I broke the split pin off in the hole and forgot about it, now it's not only stuck, but galvanised as well!

Edited December 22, 2022 by noelm
Typo

[noelm]

A couple of quick pictures before I get back to the suspension. Like everything I do, I made things ten times stronger than they needed to be, put plates in places and stuff like that.

[noelm]

Got all the threads cleaned out now, a couple were very difficult, I had to drill a hole in two of them, they were completely full of zinc. Anyway, that's done now, too hot to do any more for a while, going out again later on.

[back cruncher]

Hi all…noelm,anywhere there is excess gal,heat with an oxy and use a wire brush to remove excess gal.

[noelm]

Don't have oxy these days unfortunately.

[frankS]

Hi Noel. it's either raining or too bloody hot lately to do much of anything outdoors. Trailer should get you through a few more years.

I need to pull my finger out and do something around here, got too many projects happening.

Frank

[noelm]

Yeah I know the feeling, always something interesting to start! It is kind of warm today, but I think I was just not "into" it and looked for any excuse, I even went to Wollongong with my wife picking up odds and ends for Christmas lunch, that's how disinterested I was, but, I will be up and into it first thing tomorrow, after I do the lawns, vacuum the pool, tidy the pergola, get a heap of chairs upstairs, along with tables, get ice, get the eskies stocked, cart desserts down to the spare fridge, check the Prawns (and possibly sample some) wash my Ute, and generally make sure everything is perfect for the freeloaders to mess it up on Sunday.....

[dunc333]

lol nolem  ive got the free loaders coming as well .im off to finish wiring in my nmea network before the oyster shucking starts and i dont even eat them lol.and wow nolem that trailer looks like she can with stand a earth quake .any ways happy christmas to all and remember disapear when its time to clean up 😍

[noelm]

Unfortunately I can't disappear, it's at my house......the freeloaders always have to go somewhere just after lunch, funny that!

Edited December 23, 2022 by noelm

[dunc333]

yes i just hide there car keys till the plates and kitchens clean🤩

[noelm]

Trailer coming together, still got 3 grandkids birthdays and Australia Day to get through, then it's all ahead full.....

[noelm]

I had to get some new bolts for the coupling, they were 9/16" in the "old size" so M14 in metric, and 200mm long, no idea why, but, I went to Bunnings, and they have every size, in 2mm increments until you get to M12.....then it goes M12, then M16! No 14....I asked a employee (when I finally tracked one down) and he looked at his phone and told me they don't make M14! I kind of doubted it, and just said "thanks" then I went to a "proper" shop, (closer than Bunnings) where I usually get nuts and bolts from, and asked for some M14 or 9/16" X 200mm, me thinking I would catch them out,  because the guy at Bunnings said they don't make them, the guy behind the counter thought for a millisecond, and said "hex head or Allen head" I said hex, he went out the back, and materialised with the bolts, complete with nyloc nuts! Always go to real shops when you need real parts, that includes plumbing, electrical, boating, almost anything really.