New Project (for me)

[Mike Flea]

Decided to make a subframe out of steel for the trailer, so it's taking a little longer. I wanted to protect the 50 yr old plastic on the bottom of the trailer from getting beat to hell on the rocks.

[Mike Flea]

I added some styrene and brass tubing to the bottom of the trailer, epoxied it in, still working on a steel framework for the shackles to attach to.

Also, for those interested in the RR, some pics of the added benchwork. The benchwork along the fence was there already, but I reinforced it, it was sagging.

[cmbscx10]

Originally Posted by Mike Flea

I added some styrene and brass tubing to the bottom of the trailer, epoxied it in, still working on a steel framework for the shackles to attach to.

Also, for those interested in the RR, some pics of the added benchwork. The benchwork along the fence was there already, but I reinforced it, it was sagging.

Trailer looks awesome. Nice reinforcement.

I have no clue about trains but man is that track big. Looks fun. Any video of trains on it?

[Mike Flea]

No vids yet of the trains. I ran one of the battery powered RC trains the other night, just to see it run, I still have some track to replace, and clean the rails before I can run power through the rails.

[Mike Flea]

Put in a kicker on the inside back of the trailer to protect the 50yr old plastic, and a pic of the axle I made. The axle is a length of 10/24 allthread, inside a length of 3/16 brakeline, inside a length of 1/4" brakeline. Washers are between the nylocks and the tubing. Nylocks were tightened down enough to limit side to side movement, but loose enough to permit the allthread to rotate inside the tubing.

[Mike Flea]

This is for BigSki, I didn't want to clutter up John's thread: it was 12" on the layout Saturday, temp was 33 Sunday, and 35 today, so some melted down,

4 posts up, shows what it was 15 days ago

[BigSki]

Looks like it's time to get the MOW rotatory plow out!

[Mike Flea]

I don't have a rotary, but I do have a 3lb homemade blade plow, unfortunately, the track isn't clean, so the Dunkirk (8 wheel drive) won't run......I gotta get the engine switched over to RC!

[Mike Flea]

Happy Thanksgiving All !!

[Mike Flea]

I've taken a different direction with the trailer frame. I bought some 1/2" x 3/4" aluminum angle that I'm going to use for brackets to mount the springs to. I don't have a heated garage, so my time working outside is limited.

Winter is the time for me to work on my buildings for my railroad. So far, the wife has built the farm, complete with a diorama for the barn, a farmhouse, and a round chicken house, and for the last couple months, she's been working on the blacksmiths shop. I started working on a diner ( made from a Bachmann coach ), and I've yet to start on the local gas station and repair shop ( it's a kit).

[Mike Flea]

Made a couple rigid leaf spring mounts for the trailer, rigid, because to be a floating leaf spring suspension, the rear mounts should have been made with shackles to allow the springs to flex to absorb the shock of hitting a bump. As it is, it will still bounce, but not absorb. It's a start, and after I get it all together, and out on the trails, I can fine tune it afterward.

Working on mounting the axle next, picking up the locknuts tomorrow for the 3mm allthread U-bolts.

[Mike Flea]

Got the axle mounted, dumped the SC tires, and went with 2.8 Badlands mounted on Desperados. NOW the trailer sits level with the Jeep.

Next project for the trailer is to build a pop-up camper so Joe can get a little nookie!

[67mustang]

Did you stick a bearing in the hub? Or are the wheels solid connected together?

[Mike Flea]

No bearings in the hubs. It's put together with 10/24 allthread, slid inside a 3/16 brakeline, that's inside a 1/4 inch brakeline. The 10/24 allthread was packed with powdered graphite to act as a lubricant. On each end, there's a tiny O ring sandwiched between the end of the axle and a #10 flat washer, to keep the lubricant in the axle, and to keep it dry. Each washer is held in place with a 10/24 nylock, tightened down just enough to keep the axle from moving side to side, but not tight enough to stop it from turning in the tube. There's a small plastic bushing, ( that I found from and old lawn chair), that fits snugly on the allthread, but also fits inside the hex opening on the wheel. (Yes, I should have just used an appropriately sized hex nut for it, but it's what I had on hand, and it fit). And the wheels are held on by another nylock on each end, sandwiched between two #10 flat washers. Each wheel spins freely from the other.

[cmbscx10]

Originally Posted by Mike Flea

Got the axle mounted, dumped the SC tires, and went with 2.8 Badlands mounted on Desperados. NOW the trailer sits level with the Jeep.

Next project for the trailer is to build a pop-up camper so Joe can get a little nookie!

Excellent work Mike. Great fab and outta the box thinking.

Looking forward to the tent. I can sew but not with a machine so i never attempted one for mine.

A little Nookie? He is already too crazy and pulled her hair out. Dude just needs to go to sleep already.

[Mike Flea]

I can sew also, but I'm looking into 1 of 2 options here.

1) I have a friend that works for Cabela's. After the holidays, when things calm down over there, she's going to try and get me one of the display tents, (a scale model of the real thing, not sure what scale though, some look to be 1/6). Or,

2) My wife use to have a Barbie Pop Up tent, and she kinda remembers how it folded, and we would work on it together, and I would do enough sewing to hold the parts in place until I can get it to a co-workers wife that is a seamstress.

[Mike Flea]

Merry Christmas All !!

[pastimesteve]

Merry Christmas Mike! Have enjoyed your thread.

[Mike Flea]

Thanks Steve!

[Mike Flea]

Happy New Year, Y'all !!