Yard trailer

[Mr.N]

A few years ago I found some sticks of rail at my Father-in-Laws place...
He had no use for it, it got me thinking...

It's rail, but only 2 3/4" x 2 1/4"

I though it would be good to make a trailer for the John Deere Gator he has.
Wanted to keep the price cheap, so booty fab'ed the 9" to work, after shorting it down to Gator width. Cut one axle shaft, and made a sleeve to hold the axle shafts.

Got it on the old 2" HD Jeep CJ7 springs. We tried it leaf spring under the axle, but it was a little low, can always change it back if this doesn't work well.

Shackles done and paint drying.

My father-in-law added paint and wood...

And to include what pulls it :smokin:

 

[LawnDart79]

Damn! That's one heavy trailer.

Looks good though.

 

[Mr.N]

I was surprised how easy it is to move around.
However I wouldn't expect my daughters grandma to be moving it.



It's going to haul anything the gator can tow... I see logs, rocks, sand, dirt, sheet rock in it's future.

 

[VC455]

Do you have any photos/details on the dump/piviot hinge joint, body to axle?

 

[Mr.N]

I found two pipes in my scrabble bin that one slid over the other.
Spaced them out and welded the smaller one to the rail and the larger one to the axle. I also cut a part of the thicker tube to keep it centered, welded on the ends.
Works great, have had over 1,000 in the trailer.
Don't forget the grease zirk.

 

[Bogey won]

money saved, rail wasted, you could a built some anvils and cleaned up, now when that trailer takes a **** and is junk, it will go to scrap pile, oooh the horror !!!.

1915 damn, you could a used it in the garden for a border sitting on ties with tie plates or no tie plates, made a gate, something to admire and enjoy, the trailer

who pays attention to an old trailer.? (No one) Nice job nonetheless, just a waste of rail that's hard to find, but that's my opine. Yours may differ, best to ya.

 

[Mr.N]

money saved, rail wasted, you could a built some anvils and cleaned up, now when that trailer takes a **** and is junk, it will go to scrap pile, oooh the horror !!!.

1915 damn, you could a used it in the garden for a border sitting on ties with tie plates or no tie plates, made a gate, something to admire and enjoy,

I've some anvils from the left over scraps.
This trailer will out last your life time. Might need new wood in a few years. (I would've gone with white oak)
Graden border? Not in my garage would you use good steel for that...

 

[southalabama]

Just don't drop the tongue on your foot or anything else.

 

[Bogey won]

Just kinda funning ya, rail like that is truly an antique. trailers are nice, better homes and gardens go with rail and ties, or ties anyway best to ya, great deed for the old man, cherish them before they be gone too soon. The old man that is.

 

[Mr.N]

Just don't drop the tongue on your foot or anything else.

As soon as iam too old to lift this trailers toung, send me to a home.

 

[Jere]

Is it just me or is that really small rail?

 

[king nero]

I hope you didn't weld the rail, but drilled a hole for the pivot point?
Rails need special care when welding, especially the old ones (they have high levels of impurities that can really ruin your weld, in addition to a high % of carbon).

 

[Mr.N]

Yes I did weld the rail, as it a steel rail. the welds are holding great. (Look at the date of the first post)


Can you back up what your saying and post some links of failed rail welding?
I think you've some facts crossed, as they just dint use steel for rails


.

 

[beater74]

I hope you didn't weld the rail, but drilled a hole for the pivot point?
Rails need special care when welding, especially the old ones (they have high levels of impurities that can really ruin your weld, in addition to a high % of carbon).

It's a yard trailer!!! It's not like he going to drive down the street and killing a bus load of nuns.

 

[king nero]

Can you back up what your saying and post some links of failed rail welding?
I think you've some facts crossed, as they just dint use steel for rails


.

Nice to hear your welds are holding up.
I was not criticizing, merely trying to help out.

Since you asked, here's some more detailed information:

This is a typical sample of a rail that broke in service because the preheat was "forgotten" when doing a minor surface repair with dedicated rods.

close-up of the fracture:

When doing hardness tests (Brinell or Vickers) on this sample, from the bottom towards the repair weld, hardness rises to twice the normal values.

Elevated hardness means a brittle structure, and is prone to fracture.


As for the impurities, here's a typical sample that we encounter when doing repairs on older rails:

close-up:

Here was a local chemical mismatch the starting point of a fracture.
Impurities can either lead to a reduced bonding between filler and base metal, or by creating gas "bubbles" in the weld. The macro view and chemical analysis shows it's a combination of the former and bad welding practise (rather large slag formation in the weld pool, which didn't get the time to rise):

Another pretty picture: what happens when you mismatch filler to base metal. Here's an austenitic type (307-16) used where the base metal is "polluted" wth carbides:

close-up view of the border between base and filler metal:

You see there is a problem with adhesion.

Just to show, there's more to welding then meets the naked eye.
And no, I didn't get my facts crossed. Your mileage might vary, of course.

It's a yard trailer!!! It's not like he going to drive down the street and killing a bus load of nuns.

so because it's a yard trailer, I should keep my mouth shut and don't share my experience? I ain't telling him what to do, I was just pointing out some things.

 

[king nero]

Can you back up what your saying and post some links of failed rail welding?
I think you've some facts crossed, as they just dint use steel for rails

BUMP

Since I did what you asked, I've bumped this because I didn't get any sign that you've seen this...

 

[Mr.N]

BUMP

Since I did what you asked, I've bumped this because I didn't get any sign that you've seen this...

Sorry Nero, Missed the reply.

Thank you for taking the time and post that info. I learned something!


Next time I'm at the cabin I give it a good look over, but last time I didn't find any cracks. In fact that old steel welded up much nicer that any of the new stuff I've worked with... but I'm just a weekend welder.
The trailer see 5-8 MPH tops and only hold under a ton of weight.
I think those full size rails see a lot more load with a train than what this trailer will ever see...

 

[king nero]

Yes, that's true, you probably will be fine.
I just reacted like that because of the difference between how you handled your situation, and the rather severe procedures I am used to deal with. Biggest problem is that rails are very brittle, so there will be no warning or tell tale signs before failure, and that makes it dangerous.

But, as said above, you likely won't kill a bus load of nuns

 

[saceone]

great post , very informative (gotta love GJ, one of the only forum where guys school other guys with facts and experience in a polite way)

love the old school factor

 

[Whiskeymike]

Cool trailer. I'm thinking of doing something similar, but stuck on how to handle the axle. Any ideas on a good cheap way to build an axle or buy one that does not require shortening?

I don't think I've ever seen trailer axles at my local u-wrench it. Also don't know if I need something that strong as it's just for lawn cuttings, tree trimming, etc..

Also considering one of the small HF or NT trailers and build from there.

 

[Steinmetz]

King Nero: Excellent failure analysis and nice metallography.

 

[Mr.N]

Cool trailer. I'm thinking of doing something similar, but stuck on how to handle the axle. Any ideas on a good cheap way to build an axle or buy one that does not require shortening?

I don't think I've ever seen trailer axles at my local u-wrench it. Also don't know if I need something that strong as it's just for lawn cuttings, tree trimming, etc
.

I would suggest a early Toyota truck it a pre 89 Suzuki. Else an early CJ axle.
The truck 9" is 65" wheel mounting surface to wms. You can find axles from 50" plus... Then find a cheap rim with a lot of of set to keep it narrow.

 

[IOWNJUNK]

I see a lot of people pulling the rear axle off dodge caravans for trailer axles, however, I don't recall ever seeing one actually under a trailer.

 

[king nero]

King Nero: Excellent failure analysis and nice metallography.

Thanks! but the metallograpphy is actually the work of a lab I work closely together with...

 

[R6 Racer]

That has to be the smallest rail I have ever seen, short of toys.
I have some rail here in 2 different sizes but that stuff is quite a bit smaller than the small one I have.
How many sizes does rail come in anyway?

That was a great thing to do for him! It'll definitely out last a few people.
Good job

 

[Mr.N]

That has to be the smallest rail I have ever seen, short of toys.
I have some rail here in 2 different sizes but that stuff is quite a bit smaller than the small one I have.
How many sizes does rail come in anyway?

That was a great thing to do for him! It'll definitely out last a few people.
Good job

Thanks for the nice comments.

I've a piece I use as an anvil, should've got the date on that piece

 

[Lippyp]

That has to be the smallest rail I have ever seen, short of toys.
I have some rail here in 2 different sizes but that stuff is quite a bit smaller than the small one I have.
How many sizes does rail come in anyway?

That was a great thing to do for him! It'll definitely out last a few people.
Good job

I would imaginbe that rail was probably the sort of narrow gauge stuff used in old mines.

 

[KMinAF]

Nice job using what was available. I like the "spool" for the axles, neat idea.

 

[Mr.N]

Nice job using what was available. I like the "spool" for the axles, neat idea.

Thanks.

My fear is it not holding up so I added a few gussets and plenty of rod.