Video Archives – Mechanical Elements

National Association of Trailer Manufacturers – Oops?

March 18, 2023 by Mechanic

I really thought I was done with posts about safety chains. We have several of them on the site, but I found a video that begs for comment. I really like the video and subject matter – from the Compliance Director of the National Association of Trailer Manufacturers. This is a good organization because they … Read The Article

NATM Answers : Are You Trailer Safety Aware?

March 18, 2023 by Mechanic

What do you see wrong with the way the safety chains and other trailer safety equipment are set-up in the image? That’s the question we asked in the previous article. The image is a screenshot of a YouTube video by NATM, the National Association of Trailer Manufacturers.

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Dump Trailer Plans – And Build Video

October 4, 2022March 24, 2022 by Mechanic

Need Plans to build a better built Dump Trailer? How about a 7′ x 14′ dump bed with 14,000 lbs trailer capacity. I can tell you where to get them, and we know the plans are great, because Synthesis Engineering did them.

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Trailer Sway – Video Review & Discussion

July 15, 2023September 25, 2021 by Mechanic

Understanding Trailer Dynamics like Sway is a really important. If you look for it, there are many articles and some great YouTube videos discussing and demonstrating the many factors and issues.

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Reasonably Accurate Way To Bend Metal

June 15, 2021August 18, 2020 by Mechanic

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

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Drill Matching Bolt Holes

February 9, 2022August 3, 2020 by Mechanic

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

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Tricks To Weigh Heavy Things

November 9, 2022June 18, 2020 by Mechanic

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 huge or super heavy duty scale? Answer: With some physics and a little math.

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Building A Trailer — Customer Video

June 17, 2021December 23, 2019 by Mechanic

We’ve been working with the great folks at Johnson Trailer Parts for a while. Their business is primarily selling trailer parts, but they understand the greasy hands-on Do-It-Yourself paradigm!

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Trailer Folding Tongue – What I’d Do Different

November 23, 2022November 4, 2019 by Mechanic

On a recent trailer, I experimented with a new folding tongue design. Now it’s time to review — What do I like? What would I do different if building another?

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Why Shouldn’t I Use Torsion Axles In Tandem Or Triple?

May 23, 2023August 12, 2019 by Mechanic

Torsion axles are awesome, so Why not use torsion axles in tandem? It’s a frequent question, along with the corollary “Why shouldn’t I have torsion axles in triple?” Good questions, especially in light of all the misinformation

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Solutions! Found A Cool Air Chuck

June 18, 2021July 26, 2019 by Mechanic

Ever find something that wasn’t really a big deal, but you got pretty excited about it anyway? Me too. Found this fun tire inflation air chuck kind of by accident

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The Walking Beam Trailer Suspension For Smaller Trailers

July 4, 2023October 18, 2018 by Mechanic

Walking Beam Trailer Suspension With Twin Torsion Axles

Plans are now available for the Twin Torsion Axle Walking Beam Trailer Suspension. Please see the early build in 2018, with a couple articles (links below) about the trailer including a video of the suspension in action. Plans are now in

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Video – Why Do Some Trailers Tow Stable?

July 15, 2023December 19, 2017 by Mechanic

Why Do Some Trailers Tow Stable and Others Not?

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 misbehaves by swaying is rather intimidating

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The Right Tools – Metalworking Files

June 23, 2021September 4, 2017 by Mechanic

Often misused and not very well understood — so goes the life of many metalworking files. Yet, they still do things other tools can’t. That makes them a tool worth knowing!

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Video – Mig Welding Fire

April 23, 2021December 3, 2016 by Mechanic

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. Yet, metal is different, and welding beats glue in the fun department any day! And Mig Welding is just one path to the fun.

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