There are a million tires out there with a ton of classifications and designations. What tires do I choose for my trailer? That is not a silly question at all.
Articles – From the Mechanic
Join the discussion with the Mechanic on all sorts of DIY Project topics, including news, tips and about building things. DIY is our specialty. Enjoy the articles, then comment when things catch your attention. To filter the posts, just select a category from the top line. If there is a topic you'd like to see, please request it. This site is for you.Successful Threads With A Die
While the Tap & Die go hand in hand as threading tools, they’re very different in the way they work. There are also different tricks for success. So, let’s talk success tips for making external threads with a die.
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.
Engineering: Welding Trailer Spring Brackets
There is some disagreement in trailer building about how to weld-on trailer spring brackets (also known as spring hangers). Some of you have sent questions about which techniques are best, especially
Get Thread Tapping Straight
A Tap and Die set is a near must for a DIY fab shop. While the thread creating functions are pretty easy to visualize, sometimes getting the tread to start straight and run true is a different matter.
Reasonably Accurate Way To Bend Metal
There are a bunch of ways to bend metal for a bracket. Do a search on YouTube and you’ll likely find several techniques. Well, we don’t want to dis any of those because
Drill Matching Bolt Holes
So many times we need to make matching holes to bolt something on. You purchased something to mount on your trailer or your workbench or some other project, but now you need the exact
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?
Threaded Rod For Custom Bolts
You can use threaded rod (often called All-Thread) for a million things. Make a long bolt, or just the right size fastener. It’s also good for special brackets if you weld to it. And, if you’re not careful, you can make it fail in a million ways too.
Tricks To Weigh Heavy Things
Do you need to weigh something really heavy but don’t have access to an industrial scale? How can I weigh heavy things — like a trailer frame — without a special super heavy duty scale?
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?
Which Trailer Plans Should I Buy?
I want to build a trailer, but there are so many possibilities — and some are mutually exclusive. How do I narrow my needs, and how do I choose which Trailer Plans to buy?
4 Pressing Issues
A shop press is a fantastic tool, and when you need it, there’s not much that can really substitute. On the other hand, we need to keep things in order because when things go bad, they can easily go really bad in a hurry.
DIY House Crane
A reader submission showing creativity in his lifting Solutions! A big Thank You to “A Treehouse Dweller” for this story about building a house crane to access his tall home. Of course, this is pretty cool in my opinion.
Escape From COVID In DIY
What more can we say about Coronavirus? The daily press updates are full of horrible news! There’s so much concern and sadness everywhere. Then there’s the “Stay at Home” mandates. I need an emotional escape from COVID !!
More Trailer Plans For Torsion Axles
More New Product Announcements: The Mechanical Elements line of DIY Trailer Blueprints has just expanded – AGAIN – with more trailer plans for torsion axles. These new trailer plans fill
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!
Do You Have Plans In Metric?
Virtually everything on the internet is by definition “World Wide”. Even though Mechanical Elements (Synthesis Engineering Services) is physically located in the USA, we have a world audience, so it’s a fair question
How Much Will It Cost?
Before starting a project we always want to know — or at least have some idea — how much will it cost to build? If you’re like me, resources are limited, so knowing how much you’re going to sink into a project is smart.
Does Your Trailer Have Attitude?
When we think about airplanes flying, or boats sailing, it’s easy 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