9 Essential Tools For Your DIY Shop
We’ve been asked many times about “What are the most essential tools for your shop?” Well, that’s a hard question, because frustration and wailing are the result when the right tools are not available.
Adventures
These are stories of Do-it-Yourself adventures. Some success stories, some humorous, and some stories of disaster. We like them all, and we’re calling to you for your tales as well. If you have a story of an interesting Do-it-Yourself adventure, especially if you have photos with it, please submit them here. We’d love to see and to share the accomplishments as well as the things you’ve learned. Enjoy! – See all the Mechanic’s Posts.
Which Welder To Buy?
I’m looking to build one of your trailers, but I need to know which welder to buy? What type, and do I need 110 or 220 volt? What about other projects from your site that may pique my interest?
A Tiny House Size Quandary
OK, so you want to Live Tiny. That’s awesome. What can you do without? What do you really want to have? And how about that claustrophobia?
Converting A Trailer
The concept of re-purposing or converting a trailer is absolutely awesome. My hat’s off to anyone who can find a way to reuse and convert something from end-of-life to new-again. We need more of that in our world!
Does Your Trailer Have Attitude?
When we think about airplanes as they fly, or boats as they sail, it’s not uncommon to imagine how they move. An airplane rolls some as it banks into a turn. A boat pitches up and down with the waves. So, how do these factors — Pitch, Yaw and Roll — apply to trailers and […]
Starting Yet Another Project
This is what the beginning of a new DIY build looks like. Of course, there’s the planning stages, the design stages and finally the acquisition stages where all the raw materials begin to come in.
Old Time Tiny House Trailers
The Tiny House Craze is cool and feels New, but it’s actually one of those things that has come around — though with a twist. There is a lot to learn from the past if we take a few minutes
How To Make A Trailer Longer
Sometimes I wish my trailer was longer. Is there an easy way to make a trailer longer? Is that even possible? And, what are the limits
Gantry Crane Failure Modes
There are a lot of ways to abuse a crane. We won’t go into those, but let’s do take a minute on crane failures and what they look like.
How To Make A Trailer Wider
So, I have this trailer, but it needs it to be bigger. Is it possible to make a trailer wider? Can I make it wider to carry more?
Do It Yourself _ Is Not _ All By Yourself
DIY is the common acronym for Do It Yourself, but there’s a misnomer in the expression. In some things doing it by yourself is awesome, for sure, yet DIY does not mean
Buying A Used Trailer – Surprise !!
People buy and sell used trailers all the time. Look on Craigslist or other sites and you’ll see a lot of them. The question, how good is the used trailer you’re thinking about buying? Oh, and what are the sneaky little details you might not notice?
Video – Testing Twin Torsion Axles
Time to look at the action by testing the Twin Torsion Axles. Video is a great way to see what’s really happening with the new suspension design, so we’ve mounted a camera!
New – Smooth Action Tandem Torsion Axles
Over and over we recommend: “Don’t use torsion axles in tandem because they don’t load-share”. Well, What if we make them share? Here’s a new design that brings the benefits of a torsion axle to the tandem axle party
Building A Better Folding Trailer Tongue
Intrigued by the cool potential of saving storage space, increased security, and removal of a shin knocker to step over, this new folding trailer tongue adds greater utility to a trailer.
Video – Trailer Test Ride!
When the rubber meets the road, that’s when the feeling of real accomplishment kicks in. This is the first on-road trailer test with our new frame and funky walking beam suspension design.
Trailer Build – Project Progress
Update on building a new design specialty utility trailer. The trailer build is going well, and we thought you might have interest in following the progress. Especially for some of the experimental new concept features.
The Economics of DIY Projects
“I want to build a new trailer.” That’s an awesome thing to say, and it’s even better to do. Yet, many such adventures don’t launch because of project economics? What does it cost to build?
What is Your DIY Legacy?
Who influenced your creativity and Do-it-Yourself enthusiasm? Was it your dad? A shop teacher? Or a neighbor that was into cool projects?
Creativity in a DIY Pack Trailer
The coolest thing I saw last week was this guy with a very creative DIY approach to a pack trailer — and, of course, his tow vehicle!