From The Mechanic

Join the discussion with the Mechanic on all sorts of DIY Project topics, including news, tips and much more about building things. DIY is our specialty, so please enjoy the reading and images, then comment on things that catch your attention. To filter the posts, just select a category from the top line. (Use the X to go back to the full list.) Also, if there is something you’d like to see, please request it. This site is for you.

Storage Tip With Trailer Tongue Hinge

Convenient Trailer Tongue Hinge For Storage

Store your trailer in a smaller space? Consider adding a trailer tongue hinge like these. It’s helpful, for sure, but has some definite things to consider.

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Why Do Some Trailers Tow Stable and Others Not?

Video – Why Do Some Trailers Tow Stable?

The way a trailer tows makes a big difference in the ownership experience. So, Why do some trailers tow stable, while others do not? Even a small trailer that does not behave is intimidating

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How We Make The Plans

How Do We Make The Plans?

What goes into the engineering of do it yourself plans? When you purchase and download project plans from Mechanical Elements, you get a TON

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Learn To Calculate the Axle Position

Trailer Build: Where Does The Axle Go?

Trailer axle position? This is a good question. Unfortunately, there is some popular, but misleading information around.

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Twisting Trailer Safety Chains

The Low-Down On Twisting Safety Chains

Should you twist trailer safety chains to make them shorter?

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Trailer Hitch Safety Chains

Trailer Safety Chains?

Do they accomplish the intended purpose? Or are trailer safety chains just a legal pain in the rear?

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DIY Legacy Tools

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?

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Metal Working Files In Action

The Right Tools – Metalworking Files

Often misused and not very well understood — so goes the life of many metalworking files. Yet, they still do things other tools can’t.

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20ft Deck Tiny House Foundation Trailer Plans

The Wise Man And The Tiny House

There’s an old song about the wise and the foolish man. Goes something like …

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when-customize-the-plans

When is it Safe to Customize the Plans?

At Mechanical Elements, we encourage customers to modify and customize the plans. That’s how you build the perfect project. So, what things can you customize? And what shouldn’t?

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Compare Steel vs. Aluminum in Gantry Crane Beam

Comparison: Steel vs Aluminum – Part 2

In the debate about Steel vs Aluminum in beams like trailer frames and gantry cranes, there is one big piece of the equation you don’t often hear so much about.

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Aluminum Trailer Frame Underside

Compare: Steel vs. Aluminum Trailer Frames & Beams

Aluminum is such a great material. It’s light, strong, and looks sweet to boot. So, why is there a debate about Aluminum Trailer Frames and other beams?

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Example of DIY Trailer Construction Mistake

What’s Wrong With This Picture?

Learning good trailer construction by examining bad examples is a great way to focus on the details. This photo actually shows 4 points of “less that careful thought”

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Good Trailer Design Article Updates

Updates On Trailer Design Articles

The most popular pages on Synthesis about Trailer Design now have a fresh revision. They include more content, more pictures, and a mobile friendly web design.

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Applied Force vs Movement With Shop Tools

Force, Displacement & Bloody Knuckles

Is there anything more annoying (painful and frustrating) than busting a knuckle when working on things in the shop? To many of us, blood sacrifices are just part of getting a project done, but

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Should I Build A Trailer Or Buy One?

When Should I Build? When Should I Buy?

Interested in a new utility trailer? Or ATV Hauler? We have plans for those, but when should you build a trailer? And, when should you just go out and buy one?

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Makeshift DIY Truck and Trailer

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!

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Failure -- Trailer Hitch / Unhitch Crash

The Little Things Make All The Difference

The trailer hitch and surrounding hardware are Oh so important — safety is priority. Here are examples illustrating one success and one horrific failure.

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May Is Build Month - DIY Plans Sale

May Is Build Month!

May, the time of new flowers after April showers, is also the time for building that project you’ve been stewing on over the winter.

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Welding Pre-Stressed Steel Fabrication

Pre-Stressed Steel Fabrication

The concepts of pre-stressed steel fabrication have been around for ages, but they are not often applied for simple welded structures like trailer frames or crane stands.

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Visa Gift Card Winner

Visa Gift Card Winner!

We have a winner of the $100 Visa Gift Card! We sent out the Photo request, and you responded. Now the drawing, and the winner.

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Trailer Tandem Axles

Choosing Tandem Axles (and Triples)

It all rides on the trailer axles, so get them right. Here are some common technologies (and misnomers) for tandem axles and other multi-axle trailers.

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Trailer Axle Choices

Trailer Axle: Use Springs? Or Torsion Axle

In the discussion of trailer axle leaf springs versus a torsion axle, let’s put some engineering behind the debate.

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A Story Of The Right Tools

Do It Yourself, And Use The Right Tools !!

Fun side story about finding the right tools for a do-it-yourself repair.

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I-Beam Clamp Introduction

Gantry Crane I-Beam Clamp – Free Plans

Introducing a new gantry crane product to the Mechanical Elements family of Do-It-Yourself Plans — as Free Plans in our launch celebration!

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Nuts and Bolts Project Fasteners

Save Big Buying DIY Project Nuts and Bolts

Have you ever wondered why fasteners like nuts and bolts are so expensive? You would think that something so standard and manufactured in such high volumes would be cheap, but in most places, they’re actually pretty expensive. Why?

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Share Your DIY Project Story

Did you build it?

Do you have photos? – Do you have a story? We’re interested in your DIY project. If you purchased plans at Synthx.com or MechanicalElements.com, we would love to see what you built.

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Drill Fixture Zoom In

Creative & Cheap, That’s How To Fixture

Oh, I need to drill holes in 8 parts, all in the same place. What a pain! And, I need to cut these 5 pieces all to match. What a hassle to measure, mark, and cut each one!

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DIY Steel Cutting Options

DIY – 7 Ways To Cut Steel

So, you need to cut steel for a DIY project (like a crane or trailer). Easy, Right? What’s the best, easiest, cheapest, fastest way of cutting steel?

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Don't Look at the Mig Welding

Video – Mig Welding Fire

I grew up with a fascination for metals. My father was a woodworker, and taught me young, so I have always built stuff from wood. Metal is different, and welding beats glue in the fun department any day.

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