My Uncles 10 Foot Utility Trailer NEW Progress 12-06-2016

Thanks Dale! Yeah, I got to get the CDO out here in the next couple days LOL So won't be slipping to very long......

I'm not sure what to say guys on the "no pics" I can see it and every other forum I'm on can see it, so.... Maybe change some settings on the device you use to view the thread? I don't know....

Those that can't see pics, try to clear your Cache..... Here are some directions for those who don't know!

http://www.techradar.com/how-to/computing/how-to-clear-cache-1298796

Hope this helps (Its the best I can do!)

Don't know why but using our large computer I can see the photos but not on my laptop.

allan wrote:Don't know why but using our large computer I can see the photos but not on my laptop.

Not sure on that one! It has to be a setting on it then! I'd try to clear out the Cache on your Laptop, and see if that helps!

So yet some more progress on this trailer! I had to go looking for what I may have had for tail light selection, and sadly, I had absolutely nothing that was like or near like what my Uncle had put onto the trailer, they were square in real life, and had the turn signals on the sides, a custom formed part, made from what I believe was square tubing he had from a building that was torn down, and sections of this tubing he kept, for whatever reason, (I wound out wire wheeling them too and getting them right to bare metal! -Then had me primer it, and paint it semi-gloss black, in real life, and then had all the electricals put into it, and had a "seal" of sorts made from cork all around the light lens, and some sort of rubber "plug" that was stuffed into the hole drilled and then a smaller hole drilled into it, with the wires some hard pressed through it.
SO once I got through all my parts, and found absolutely NOTHING that even work, I had to sit out and make my own! They aren't 100% true to the real life part, but are very close! The mount for them isn't right either, but its all I had so. The real mount for these was some sort of C channel that was welded right to the side of the trailers box and vertical corner support, and then was drilled to bolt the home-made tail light "bezel", or enclosure, whatever you want to call it!

How they look, mocked-up..... Then to give those following a little idea:

Showing where the turn signals will go!

A slightly better shot of the placement of the turn signals! NOW they're only sitting there! I have yet to paint the mount, and the light fixture Semi-Gloss Black, and then it will be all assembled, The "clear" turn signals will have Turn Signal Amber painted onto the backs of BOTH lens, before put onto the fixture and glued from the inside as the lens have a mount on the backs! And I drilled and semi-counter sunk the lens onto the fixture....
So then my detailing OCD comes out!!!! Stay tuned more to follow! Thanks for looking!

Then I left both tail light fixtures sit and dry goo, (I still as of this posting need to paint them!) BUT that allowed me to have a look at the frame and see what all I can do to it that it can have "some" details in it and not just a plain undetailed frame....
Now for whats to be posted next, A little idea as to whats going to be seen. The real trailer, that my Uncle had, was rebuilt from an existing one, so with that, he had added air shocks to the thing..... (I remember my Grandfathers '77 Volare on my Moms side having air shocks too.... SO kinda interesting to have the same sort of thing on the trailer!) SO my Uncle had seen how my Grandfathers car was with them, and he sought out looking for a half ways decent set of them, I can't remember exactly how he added them to the trailer, so. I knew he said he had to run piping, and hoses, and added a small tank to the back-side of the shock mounting brace between the frame rails.... I built the trailer to closely follow what I remember of the frame as I wire wheels the thing and painted it, but I had little to do with the frames parts, such as the air lines and even a lot of the electrical wiring due to the time it was done I was painting the sides and fenders at the other garage I worked for..... Then when the trailer sides and fenders were done, the Uncle simply pull the trailer to the other garage, and park it under the sides and all to be lowered onto the frame and bolted in-place! So really all I got to do as far as frame parts other then getting it ready for paint and then painting it was wire in the lights from the fixtures after I bolted the fixtures to the mounts!
All I can hope for with the following detail is that I got it right! I think it be close tho.....

The air tank is in-place! Also seen here is the axle, that I turned on the lathe, and then took and sand blasted it with an air brush sized grit sprayer that I have made by Badger.... To make the plastic look like cast iron.....

Then got the air shocks in-place, after being drilled for the piping to them, added hose and fittings to the shocks from the ends of the supply tank, and then the supply tank got a hard line pipe thats got its fitting and ran out the back.... Made so that, the pipe stops mid way of the last cross member so I can add the piping from there to the rear plate/bumper....

Better shot showing the details, the hose from the tank to the shocks on the passenger side as well as some of the hard pipe line from the back....

a REAL good shot of the details!!! I like how this all turned out I just hope its right or even remotely close to being right, as I'm not sure of how all that would have been hooked up..... Notice the supply pipe from the back to the tank is silver? NOT painted? It was some sort of aluminum I think or galvanized pipe my Uncle had and used it for this.... I've not ever heard him say it needed any sort of repairs or care.... Seemed to have worked well and lasted till the trailer was wrecked by a family friend!
So thats it again.. More will be posted as things get done! HOPEFULLY my next update will show the trailer sides & fenders painted ready for assembly!
As always comments welcome and encouraged, Thanks for following along -ENJOY!

the mystery deepens ! i havent changed anything but now i can see all the pics ....nice work

Thanks dv8v8! Yeah, I don't know either somethings been going on with my computer too.... On another site however....

Stay tuned there are more to come!

yeah I can now see them too. Very odd. Great work going on.

Glad to hear that everyone can see the pics to know what I've done so far! Thanks guys!!!! I didn't get a lot done yesterday, BUT there WILL be more coming, stay tuned!

Lookin' really good here John!

Thanks Denny! As you know with me the detail is coming, what little there is of it on this one!

So, its been a few days since my last update on this build.... Its "that" time of the year I guess, I have been caught up around the house, BUT I have managed to get some done on this build in-between times!
SO lastly, you seen the deck, the sides & finders and the frame. The frame in my last posted update, is finished, its got everything BUT the rear portion, bumper, tailgate/ramps, etc on it but everything else, is all done, electric brakes, tail light wiring, and all the junction and control boxes, and power feed from the tongue back..... Wheels are on to stay, with the rims, as well as Air tank for the air shocks along with all that goes with that detail assembly. -I also got the tail light fixtures done too! (They STILL need to be painted however.)
SO, the following steps after all that detailing of the frame was to get the trailer sides and all painted..... And then it be ready for some assembly!!!!
And this is how THAT turned out:

NOT bad! This was first coat, NO primer! As the paint I used? Was Rustoleum Gloss Black in the pint can, and just needs "thinned" for spraying! I have to say this paint, is something! I LOVE IT!!!! Enamel or not, (I've always been fond of Enamels and Lacquer based paints!!!!

NOW you can really see the "Diamond Plate" running boards!!!! They show up real nice with some paint on them!!!!

Black as black can be, and nice and shiny. which when I painted the real trailer, thats what my Uncle wanted most. a nice "deep" shine! And well he got it on the real trailer, as it also got a good shot of clear on it! I may even go and do some clear on the model too just for old time sake!

NICE shine off that fender!!!!

Looking down onto the trailer side "top" edge..... You can see some of the holes for the stack pockets.... Thats a detail yet to come and sort of another "secret" to this build!!!!!
Since these pics were taken a day or so ago, the trailer sides and all seen here have been painted (over coated) 3 times to make the whole color consistent as I light coat each pass, better several coats then one HEAVY coat you know!!!!!
Stay tunes guys, theres more to come!!!! Comments are always welcome and like all my builds, ENJOY!

More nice work Big Ears!! I see the cdo has kicked in with the details mate.. about time

-Thanks Dale!!!! Yeah, not as intense on this one tho BUT yeah the CDO will always be there somewhere..... But yeah wait, the following updates will how some crazy CDO stuff......LOL

Took a bit to get going (I've had some outlying issues online and around the house!) BUT I think I'm all caught up and going again, PLUS I have a lot to do in the shop (time of the year) so..... I been doing as much as I can model building wise too... and still getting something done! So with that, heres a bit more.... Some history of the real trailer first, so all knows where this is coming from.....
As I have mentioned in several postings in this build my Uncle, was a Carpenter, among other things he did, Carpentry was his regular job, worked for him self (most of my life) and did other things in the time he worked, using this trailer a lot in the 2 years he had it till he went and bought a bigger one after selling this one to my Dad a just over 2 years after it was done! As he needed a longer one. And My Dad just needed a trailer! And because he worked on it with my Uncle to make it, well, I'm sure he got a deal on it so..... As I also know if my Uncle wanted more then Dad could have paid, Dad would have walked away so. BUT, I know thats not the case those 2 were close so.....
ANYWAY, with that bit of info, my Uncle wanted to be able to carry as much as he could. Had several different ideas, but the issue was, nothing could be "bought" to fit this trailer, the sides and all were all custom made to fit the trailer (And thats one of the things I think my Uncle sold it, nothing was easily bought for it, for "accessories"!) BUT Dad didn't care! SO.... But anyway, with the amount of ladders my Uncle had and using several of them on one job, and doing several different jobs at a time, he needed a way to carry several ladders at a time, the van could haul some, BUT if the inside of the trailer was full of ladders, then all the tools were top go where? Sure inside the van, yeah. BUT that I seen full more times I care to admit, (I know I helped to fill it myself!) BUT, there was a lot of times before he got the trailer, and before it was usable, we'd have to make 2 trips to the same place to clean up and brings tools back to his shop/garage. So.... WELL, Ladders (only so many of them would fit on the roof of the van!) So I know my Uncle had looked through all his storage or metal parts and even in a couple cases looked through the "scrap" pile to find good lengths to be used, with a little wire wheeling and or grinding of a angle grinder does wonders even on scraps! I know all this as I was part of the "search" through the storage building, and the scrap pile as well as what was found to be used, I got to wire wheel and grind to get it ready to be cut and welded! And thats when I got my chance for the first time, to run the metal band saw, as well as weld!!!! Granted, that was a sort-of learning experience for me, as I never got to weld "heavy" stuff..... Most times I welded it was with a MIG, on sheet metal, on a car body.... Light stuff..... This however? A little different... Plus this was all welded with a HEAVY "stick" welder..... And thats something I wasn't all the great of, I had to make 2 SOLID welds before he would let me go onto the trailer work making a "rack" for it. Didn't take long 2 solid welds believe it or not with a stick welder is hard to do, BUT, you learn fast.... I bet I could weld just the same today, if I had a stick welder, but I'm good with a wire feed "MIG" welder too, but anyone can run a MIG welder!
SO, then, to the model we go..... I had to see what I had for plastic stock to make a custom ladder rack to fit the bed sides and the stack pockets I made into the bed sides as they were done on the real trailer. This however, was NOT going to be a done-quickly project! As the posts, had to be as true "vertical" and 90 degrees with the trailer side top edge as I could get it on all 8 posts! That alone was the hardest part. BUT to get started, I needed to "hold" those posts in-place while I was gluing the horizontal parts to it! SO, I went and center drilled each one to fit a 1/16th inch plastic locator rod into it.... That way, it will hold itself upright, while horizontal bracing is applied! SO, I got all 8 done, and began adding the horizontal bracing, that would span all 4 posts....


What you see in these 2 pics is the angle bracing that holds all 4 posts together, one side, but also will be the support mount for the cross-braces, that will keep the whole rack, "level" on that top level going across from one side to the other.
I have to say, this task was a bit more difficult then I first thought! getting all 4 posts, getting the same horizon on the angle, kept level, and true from one post to the other was something, and I had to do this task twice!
Stay tuned! More to follow! ~Enjoy!

Now that its going and I got all the posts where they needed to be (I tried to get pics of the build in between, but, for whatever reason the flash didn't allow me to get a good pics of it, and getting those you have seen it took 10 or more pics just to get one or 2 good pics that are "clear", and not have a blinding "flash" that blocks out the details, and no flash at all, the pics are way to dark, and don't allow to show details, this rack, is a difficult one to get a good pic of un-painted! BUT I did manage to get a few of it....

So you see that there is an "over-hang" just as tho it fit onto a truck, this over-hang, is over that tool box that will be on the tongue! On the real trailer, this bought my Uncle 2 more feet of ladder-length space! as the trailer inside dimensions its 10 feet, BUT a sectional ladder of 12 feet or a little over didn't have to over-hang the rack a whole lot. Which in the middle of the trailer and Van connection wasn't always a good thing either! So as the real trailer had a over-hang in the rack, and had all its bracing seam-welded not "spot" welded, I went on to give the whole model that same look! In the pic tho, I have yet to add a "top rail" to the posts, as he had welded a smaller diameter tube up there that was just as wide as the "inside" edge of the posts.... NOT "telescopic" as it was more loose on the other side, but this one way, it fit to the point that the tops of the posts could be welded shut. Which is what he & I did on the real one. I just had to go look and see what I have for that type of plastic.

Nice & bright!!!! But an over-all look!

The back of the rack, I have a strip yet to add to the back to "wrap" the joints, as my Uncle wanted, when building the real one, plus, it gives a nice "finish" look too! The front, doesn't get one tho.... The "finish" on the front is also the "stop".....
I did however go looking through my stock of Evergreen plastic and found some square strip rod to work for the "top" of the rack! Worked out GREAT!


There you see that front "finish" wrapping, thats also a "stop" to keep things from sliding out the front when the brakes are stepped on!
This part is done for the super structure. I need to get a few details ready to go onto it before its painted! Thats it for now! More to come as I get things done! Comments always welcome, and enjoyed, Thanks for the look & following along! ~Enjoy!

So, its been a little while since my last update. I've had an issue with the black paint on the fenders and sides of the trailer, that however is on the rebound! I've stripped the paint in the purple pond, and then got right back to repainting it gloss black just as it was! Its now drying, once again, and waiting to get better pics of that!

So while all that was going on with the fenders & sides, I took and painted the ladder rack... I had taken pics of this but some how they didn't turn out clear enough to keep so I tossed 'em and went on to detailing the ladder rack, as my Uncle had done it, he wanted "tubes" that could have conduit, or drop ceiling T framing in them (to keep them out of wet weather) and so, looking in the garage way back when we happened to find 2 pieces of 6 inch PVC pipe, and a few short sections, and I got to do a little of the assembly work on the real trailer in this aspect. SO, with that, on the model I went about it in much the same way!



In this pic, you can see the ladder rack frame has been painted flat black with a flat clear coat to look similar to the coating my Uncle got for me to spray onto the real one!

Also seen here is the 2 white tubes on one side, one tube is mounted on the outside of the rack, and the other in the inside left-hand corner. He had me mouth them this way on the real trailer incase he needed or wanted to "stand" plywood, particle board, or even sheetrock on its long edge, against the other side!



The "open" ends of the tubes! One tube (the inside one) will remain "closed" the outside one however, will have a "working" cap..... -The "caps" will have a "ring" added and then thread used to represent the steel braided cable we used to allow them to hang when open and not get lost! The "fixed" cap, shows the "ring" in its end cap, and the other end cap will have the exact same thing done to it, with some sort of loops mount in that ladder rack post that the cable will be fastened onto (when I find the correct "looking" thread top make that cable from!)

These tubes were added to the ladder rack in real life, with welded angle iron under each of them, and then had a section of steel rod bend and wrapped tightly around the tubes against the ladder rack posts, as well as the angle iron. I built the model reflecting this! It was FUN getting that rod wrap "tight" as it had to be, on the real thing but to look right, I had to wrap it as tight as I could get it after being pre-bent to shape and then Super Glue'd into place as pressure was applied to the round part to push the wire into the holes drilled to hold them in-place!



The outside tube..... Notice there is a "joint" in the tubing? The real tubes were 8 feet long (longest section) and then had a short sectioned added to give at least 10 feet inside ability.... BOTH tubes were done this way with the joints closest to the "opening" end, so that when thing were slid into the tube, it wouldn't "catch" the lip of the rear tube facing forward! So making the joint close aids in helping that issue not to happen!



Then end cap, "plug" these "fittings" for the tubing I had for the model were made on my Unimat metal lathe, turned to fit the tubing I had in-stock, and as it turns out, this tubing was in my own "scrap plastic pile" so..... I have yet to use up a lot of "new" stock on this build! Most of it came right from my cut-off scraps!



Thew "front" end of the trailer, showing BOTH end caps.... Slightly different, yes, the real ones were too (2 different manufacturers of PVC pipe that my Uncle had on-hand during this build! So I made the model reflect this as well! NOT exactly 100% true to real life, but its close, and close enough for me!

Notice the "white" area on the cross-member? YES, theres something thats to be mounted there, and thats coming along too........ Will be in my NEXT update as to whats all going to happen there!

Thats it for now! Stay tuned MORE will come, (possibly later today/tonight)... Thanks for looking Comments always welcome and enjoyed! ~ENJOY

So as I said a few posts ago, to stay tuned some INTERESTING detail was about to be revealed!!!! So here it is!

Heres those 10 foot storage tube end caps..... NICELY detailed! The ring is hand made, as well as the braided cables and the crimp tubes for the braided cables! (First time, I have EVER used necklace "crimp tubes" for what they're meant for, on a model!) -Just for security, the crimp tubes once the braided cable was looped, I CA glued the back side of the cable! Those damn things were NOT easy to make. Took damn near 4 hours to get them done! My fingers are not what they used to be (prior to my accident!)

Bright shot! Remember that outside tube "cap" is in fact REMOVABLE! -BUT, this shot shows the braided cables nicely as well as the crimp tubes on them!

SEE? Outside tube has a removable cap..... I WILL be finding some "detail" to put inside this tube too! -We'll see, I'm not sure what that might become!
So there ya go on the tubes! Those are now complete, for the most part, I just have to think what I want to put inside the opening one got "looks".... The detail on this trailer are just beginning..... (A Close friend of mine calls it CDO, LOL backwards of "OCD" with my "detailing habits".... He's funny) LOL Thats OK I enjoy it.... I like to see just "How Far" I can go. to find a limitation of my own..... Having said that, I can tell you a lim,itation of my own right now........ NOT DETAILING!!!!!
Thats it for now, more to come... Stay tuned right after these short messages! Comments always welcome ~Enjoy!

So those following along, will get to see some that I've posted on different things this next detail being one of such things! When I mentioned that there was a "bald" spot on one of the cross members for an up coming detail, WELL, heres that detail!

A (I THINK) 200 foot extension cord reel...... I remember this detail specifically on the trailer, as there was a lot of trouble with the thing! First thing, in real life my Uncle had I THINK 5 of them in the garage, and one was just laying around, NOT knowing it then, we too kit and mounted it up on the trailer just as you see here come to find the damned thing didn't work! LOL WELL that got me an extra job as I had to remove the "reel" part only hoping not to un-pressurize the spring tension for the retractable part, nicely designed equipment allows those to "work" on it when it needs it.... This just so happens to be one of those such pieces of equipment, I got it apart, to add a new "cord" to it, and not mess with the retractable mechanism, (they suck, REALLY SUCK to work on!) So with that, we got the old cord out off the reel, I THINK it was 200 feet, as it was some freakin' long cord that we took and tossed the junk onto the scrap pile was cut, burned you name it in SEVERAL locations all the way through one or the other of the 3 conductors (altho, if it were just the "Ground" it really not have mattered! So. BUT that just wasn't the case!
So ole John, got to replace and rewind a whole spool of new stuff on it that was black! the original colored wire was Orange..... But thats OK I think the original extension cord was 14 gauge wire..... The replacement we had to have any sort of "length" too was 12 gauge. So, a little heavier wire!
SO, the model detail reflects a lot of this, specially the color! The wire is black thread, that I gloss coated on the reel! The orange reel is machined on my Unimat to size.... The holder that it hangs from is made from multiple scraps I had, as well as this who works "swivels on that black mount on the ladder rack frame work. If you look, I have the reel "plumbed" to a gray electrical box just like the real one with a "Wet location" electrical box that was waterproof in real life and then plumbed through the steel frame work and bent to fit a lot of locations, where it enters the downward support of the ladder rack that was a slot cut into the steel tubing in real life, and then the conduit used was bent to go all the way down through the ladder rack frame, into the stack pockets of the trailer and plumbed out the boot on the stake pocket, as you'll see in updates to come.

Up-side-down, you can see the conduit I made with other types of wire that was galvanized type stuff, for industrial use from a garage/shop my Uncle did the "Mill Wrighting" too and got some leftover stuff from the job... This is why he kept/held onto all that leftover stuff, very little to buy when he had projects of his own to do!

As you see, I got the Extension cord end, depicted, I have yet to add a "plug" to the end of it, BUT I have to figure out HOW I am going to hang that from the ladder rack edge, and be semi-removable, "looking"........ IF NOT removable! -We'll see..... BUT, I don't want to make all that and have the end, to deal with if I need to put the "cord" through a slightly smaller hole then the plug is!
Thats it for now! Stay tuned, MORE as I am able...... As always, comments welcome, & enjoyed -Thanks of following along!

Haven't looked here for a while because of the photo dramas. The pic issues have sorted themselves to reveal an awesome build. Great stuff!!!!!!

Thanks Tim! -I'm not sure what was going on with the pics (I did nothing to try and "fix" anything, I had thought it may have been the site. maybe, maybe not I don't know! Glad they cleared up and you can now see it! Thanks for coming back and having a look and posting on it!

Much appreciated! More WILL follow in a few days!