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Thread: Adding a Cage to my Trailer
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19th Aug 2019, 11:57 PM #16Diamond Member
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- Jun 2010
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I am hoping to position the RHS/angle under the wheel path, and I think I'll visit my steel supplier to get a handle on expanded metal mesh. While I've got plenty of machines about the place with buckets and forks that could be pressed into service, for the modest scale of a 2t trailer, I kind of like the idea of being able to wrangle it by hand, within reason.
The mulch trailer is functional, I want to move the side-feeder back a little bit, and given the time, I'll get a load or two of mulch delivered and try it out. There's some incentive to do this as the winter rain has been pretty sparse, which means the aquifer that feeds the bore hasn't been fully recharged, which could limit how much we can pump come summer, so mulch could become pretty important.
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20th Aug 2019, 08:32 PM #17Diamond Member
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Testing Time
I decided to do a simple test to find out what kind of deflection I'd actually get. I used 2 pieces of 50x50x1.6 RHS set up on 35mm blocks spaced 1200mm apart, then applied the rear wheels of a Dingo to the approximate midpoint:
IMG_2819.jpg
I then compared the deflection at the mid point to a 35mm block:
IMG_2823.jpg
Which I'm going to call 3mm.
The test isn't perfect - the front wheels are resting on the same section, but past the blocks that define the 1200 span, however it was pretty clear that with a Dingo that weighs about 250kg at each tyre, it was coping just fine.
I should note the other side:
IMG_2822.jpg
Deflected a similar amount, and there's a join that was done many moons ago using the much-maligned gassless MIG process (you can see the spatter marks radiating past the paint). Holding up just fine.
So I think I'll redesign my ramp to use all 50mm RHS and angle and see how it behaves. If there's a problem with excessive deflection, I can easily add extra stiffening elements to the underside.
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28th Aug 2019, 01:09 PM #18Diamond Member
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Anyone know what spec expanded metal is typically used for a ramp? I've been looking at FM14 - it has a 135 x 45 eye with a 5x8mm strand and weighs 14kg per m2. Without looking at it in the flesh, can't work out if that is the right kind of thing to use...
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29th Aug 2019, 11:06 PM #19Most Valued Member
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- May 2011
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- Murray Bridge S Aust.
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FM14 should be perfect for the job, particularly if you run bracing where the wheels will run.
KrynTo grow old is mandatory, growing up is optional.
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30th Aug 2019, 12:51 PM #20Diamond Member
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Just went and had a look at the mesh in the steel shop - also called WK4514 it seems. Looks the part, the holes look pretty big, so shouldn't catch too much wind. I was going to use 1.6 wall RHS under the wheels, as I've got heaps in my steel rack, and I want to keep things light, but I might go a bit thicker, as the 5mm thick strands might be a bit challenging to weld to thin wall tube.
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