All aluminum trailer minus axle and springs

[Gliderskier]

I picked up a triton trailer a few weeks ago and figured I would make an all aluminum trailer out of it. Well everything minus the axle, leaf springs, lights and tongue. I polished the entire trailer before I started fabricating anything. Bunks are 2.25" tubing. Made my own uprights. The trailer can hold two stand ups or one sit down in the middle. A stand up will also fit in the middle; sitting on the outside chimes. All I have to do is make a box and weld on my gas tank rack that I welded up today

 

[Gliderskier]

 

[OCD Solutions]

Nice welds and good looking trailer! How long did it take to polish it up to that point?

 

[Gliderskier]

It didn't take long once I got going. I cleaned it all up with steel wool then polish an a pad. Just like waving a car or boat

 

[Yami-Rider]

Lookin good, you putting anything on the aluminum bunks?

 

[Gliderskier]

Yes I was planing on turfing them or some sort of hard plastic

 

[OCD Solutions]

How hard was it to get good penetration into the older aluminum? Did you preheat with propane?

I have been gathering aluminum to add some tie down points to mine and relocate my axle further forward for better weight distribution. I have the setup to weld aluminum but not the practice or the experience.

 

[Gliderskier]

Do you have a mig with spoolgun? I tig welded everything never even tried a spoolgun probably won't ever knowing how to tig. The frame itself I have no problem getting to penetrate at about 130amps on my machine. The back peace of channel is 1/4" this so I had to crank it up a bit to about 180 amps but once you get it flowing it runs real good just keep the heat heavy on the 1/4" side vs 1/8" tubing I welded on

 

[OCD Solutions]

I have a millermatic 211 with a spoolmate 100. At the time it was almost a grand more to go with TIG and it's much slower. I was going to tackle some big projects so I went with the MIG for speed and cost. TIG is just so much cleaner and precise though.

 

[Gliderskier]

When I was buying my machine I was in the same situation as you between the millermatic 211 and the tig machine I bought. Thermal arc 186. I mostly weld aluminum so the tig was te advantage for me especially with a lot of cast aluminum. Whenever I need to weld steel I can you switch the polarity and stick weld it. And if it's a big steel project that needs to look good I just borrow a friends mig since nearly everyone has a mig not many have a tig welder in their garage

 

[OCD Solutions]

All my experience was with stick and MIG so I went with what I was familiar with. Of course I had my eyes opened to what TIG can do shortly after I had bought my unit and have been kicking myself ever since.

I'll post up how I do with mine and we can see how they compare. I was hoping to get to it over the Christmas break but never even got close.

 

[Yami-Rider]

I have the LINCOLN Precision TIG 225 and love it. I learned how to tig on a LINCOLN Precision TIG 375 and that thing was real sweeet, wish i had the cash for one. The first machine i bought was a Miller Diversion 180 and i wasn't too pleased with it, so stepped up to the 225 lincoln and have been a lot happier. Tig is slower, but you can switch from welding stainless, to alum. to zirconium, to brass to etc etc etc. pretty fast/easily. If your just going to weld aluminum and steel then a MIG machines is properly just fine.

 

[BruceSki]

I hate you tom. That should have been my trailer! Bought a wave jammer and got a free aluminum trailer! Damn craigslist looneys!