john
I finished the hitch for the trailer this past weekend and added 4 photos
so anyone can see how I did it. The "tongue" is pretty flexy and wimpy, so
do NOT copy that and then haul children in it ! .
it is very tricky getting the right length and angle for the tongue. I
forgot to weigh it, but the whole trailer is pinky finger light ( i can
lift it with pinky finger)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jmsbikeeng/
http://www.mcmaster.com/?m=true#catalog/119/1186/=n5ur7b
the 5/16 quick disconnect is a nice size !
On Thu, Jun 6, 2013 at 2:25 PM, john wrote:
>
> Wow I don't think I like Google + or picaso anymore what a complicated
> mess.
> Guess I'll Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jmsbikeeng/
> On Thu, Jun 6, 2013 at 10:21 AM, john wrote:
>
>> Coincidence, I built a trailer on Saturday. since we are moving to
>> hillsboro and will be further from grocery. made a simple steel frame out
>> of square tubing. then built a cedar box to go on it (size it for four
>> grocery bags ). I planed down some cedar fence board, but you also just
>> use plywood and cheap pine, depending on how wx resistant you want it. If
>> i had the time i would have done fancy finger joints and use glue only, but
>> instead used poly glue (latex glove are smart when working with poly glue!)
>> and nail gun. Only took me a couple hours. Well granted I am not
>> done, still waiting for some quickrelease tierod connector from mcmaster
>> carr (only like ~$5). Initially I was going to put the hitch to the bike
>> rack, but that adds quite a bit of tubing, so now I am going to hitch to
>> the left side quick release rod, like burley does or etc. Yes I will have
>> redo or bend my tongue.
>>
>> Had some 20" rims they were 36 hole but I skipped every 2 and its 12
>> spokes wheels (really way strong enough for such small wheels ! ) It's
>> fairly light and could have made it even lighter. Needless to say, the
>> drilling for the 10 mm axle (i used some cheap used old freewheel hubs) has
>> to be precise. An accurate drill press is good(to get the hole square to
>> the tubing..), and I think I ended up doing the last drill with a 25/64ths
>> drill bit. needless to say you have to be incredibly precise when aligning
>> the square tube with the axle hole in it, to the cross tube. But this is
>> One advantage of using square tubing (if its straight :) . But I also
>> turned the tube on a lathe first so that it butted perfectly square,
>> clamped it hard, before I tacked it. I just used a mig welder.
>>
>> So if you are going to make one, try to be as precise as possible but
>> also know that you can bend stuff around also after to align if need be.
>> You want the wheels to track straight, but if its visibly straight, well
>> that probably good enough.
>> uploaded some pictures (hope it works..)
>>
>> https://plus.google.com/photos/104683290967294984490/albums/5886412784715019329
>> I still have some spare 20 inch rims, they are on craigslist right now,
>> but no takers yet.
>> I also order 4 of those couplers from mcmaster, so if you want to buy one
>> of me.
>>
>> In the future I will probably build a super light trailer for touring
>> using very light rims, and thin round bicycle tubing and very light cedar
>> "box" (grid it or etc...), but no sense going nuts, until i know how this
>> "prototype" works.
>>
>> have fun, from John
>>
>> On Wed, Jun 5, 2013 at 2:45 PM, Chad Butler wrote:
>>
>>> Educate me about trailers. Tomorrow I'm starting a one-year renunciation
>>> of motor vehicles just to see what changes manifest from slowing down. I
>>> live 14 miles from the nearest grocery store/ hardware store, 30 miles from
>>> recycling, etc. so I assume I'm going to want a good trailer. I'd prefer to
>>> buy or build just one rather than go through several searching for that
>>> right combination of features. I know I'll want something light enough to
>>> not be bothered dragging it up long steep hills, and it'll have to somehow
>>> be adaptable to carrying long boxes (that are fairly light).
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>>
>>
>