Started Welding Frame to Trailer

 I started welding the side rails to the old trailer, but ran out of gas.  We're going into town tomorrow so I've loaded the cylinders in the car and we'll get them refilled.  I'm planning to only weld about 1/2 the total distance along the sides.

The next big task will be to weld on the old boat trailer fenders.  These tires are larger but they look like they will fit.

Boat Trailer and Plane Trailer are Joined

 I cut off the old tongue to fit inside the cross member of the boat trailer frame.

The end needed to be shaped a little to fit inside the cross member.

I'll weld it to the cross member.

 With the frame clamped back to the old trailer I needed to make sure the hitch was centered on the trailer and perpendicular to the axle.  I assumed the axle is square to the old trailer frame and just need to get the hitch on the centerline.

I placed a magnetic laser at the center of the rear of the trailer.  Then aligned it with the center of the front of the trailer and the cross member where the tongue will be welded.

With one side of the frame bolted to the trailer the other side was moved slightly for and aft until the hitch was within 1/16" of the centerline.

 The free side frame was then bolted to the old trailer.  I'm ready to weld them together.  We're getting there.

Welding Done on the Front Frame for the Trailer

 With everything aligned I started welding the splices on the side frames.  I didn't weld the full length of the top seam because was worried it would cause the frame to bend up slightly.  I'll flip it over, weld the bottom then finish the top.

 Before I unclamped it from the trailed I also welded the cross member together in the center.

The frame is now on it's back.

To keep the side rails from moving I clamped them together with a 2x4 at the rear end.

The bottom of the side splices were welded.

 While I had it upside down I also welded a piece to the cross member flange where I cut it.  It tied the cut flange together and to the side frame.  I just forgot to take a picture.

 The frame was turned upright and the top splice welds finished.

 I clamped on a 2x4 at the cut line for the side frames so I could measure the length.  I cut off 31" from each side.  I sure hope I measured right.

 The front frame is clamped onto the old trailer, again.

One thing I didn't notice before is the tongue goes slightly uphill.

The cross member in the middle of the tongue looks like it is bending up slightly in the middle.  Maybe once I cut it off I can push it down to the middle of the cross member, then weld it in place.

Fly Baby Trailer - Rebuild

 Two years ago I brought home what was left of the trailer my Dad and his brother made for the Fly Baby in 1966.  I also bought an old boat trailer to use for the steel to lengthen the trailer to again fit the Fly Baby.  If I'm ever going to get the plane back to the airport I need to redo the trailer.

 I started on the Fly Baby trailer by removing the plywood in the middle and cutting off the extension added to the front for the RC Model storage box.  Dad could get about 6 large scale RC models in the box.  We're talking planes with up to 10 ft wingspan.

 I was able to prop it up with a saw horse to work underneath. There were the remains of some diagonal braces for the old long tongue, which had been cut short when the tongue was shortened.  They needed to come off so I could weld the new steel under the angle iron on the sides of the trailer.
The tube one came off easy.  I thought I had cut loose the angle iron piece when I discovered it was welded to the frame under the diamond plate.  I was able to cut through the angle iron from below, right along the weld line, with the cutting attachment on my Dillon torch.

 Next I removed all the boat related hardware from the boat trailer.

I cut off the fenders and the 2 rear Vee shaped braces.  This is looking like it might work.  The front Vee brace I cut loose enough to bend it up to make a flat brace.  I'll weld it back together once the frame is built.

 The axle was next to go and that front brace was shortened.  This trailer frame is 67" wide and the Fly Baby frame is 60 1/2" wide, so the boat trailer needs to get narrower.

 The idea was to cut off the side rails along the triangular front section at a point where I can weld them back on and they will be 60 1/2" wide.  This point left about 10" forward of the bend on the side rails.  Plenty to overlap them with the forward section and weld it all back together.

Lots of careful measuring before making the cuts.

 I did a trial fit up to make sure I had done the cuts correctly.

 To make the overlap I used the cutting attachment to remove the flanges in that area and then trim the remainder as close to flat as possible.

A little grinding with the disc sander and the overlap tab is ready.  This could really work.

 Another fit up to check we're still doing this correctly.

 I realized that the Fly Baby trailer on the ramps was almost the same height as the boat trailer on blocks.  This allowed me to use the Fly Baby trailer as a fixture to hold the rear ends of the side rails in the correct position.  They'll need to get shortened about 30" once the front is all welded.

I clamped the rails to the trailer using the forward spring bracket as a stop on each side.

 The overlap tab was clamped, drilled and bolted together with 1/2" bolts.  This should give a little extra safety if my welds aren't perfect.  The plan is to weld around the tab and weld the flanges together on the side rails, as it was done originally.  It's really looking like a trailer.