Foden J type trailer

I have got the main frame together at last. It is built from 40x18 channel made by splitting 40x40 box section in half. This is probably a little under sized but I wanted to keep the whole thing as light as possible. In this context a very stiff frame of 20kg is light.  I have bent over tags on the cross members and welded them up, each joint then has two 4mm stainless bolts, but I also put welds on the top and bottom to make sure. The angle that carries the plank ends has been bent round with 'coffin cuts' and re-welded, fortunately its not seen and the planks will cover my less than perfect welding and for those who predicted massive twisting and distortion, it stayed perfectly flat.


Frame bolted up

Round end

Back end

Vallences bolted on

Coffin cuts

Underside of the front end

The whole underside

Next job is to weld the side valences on and make the pockets for the stakes.  All the bolts on the outside will be removed and the holes welded up.  Steve's photos of the original trailer show that it was almost entirely welded together, but I am going to leave the bolts on the inner framing for security.

Now its off to the timber yard for 20 metres of 6" x 1" sawn ash.

Mike

Looking good Mike, it's certainly going to be unique, nice to see something a bit different on the rally field.

Thank you Sir.

Timber is now cut to length and waiting to go through the bandsaw. Nice clean white Ash, £70 for 20 metres, will do the job nicely.

Mike

Made a start on the fittings, a set of rope cleats to go on the arms of the underframe.




12mm steel turned



Milled



Fettled and drilled



Hot bent



Home made bender


Next job machining the hinge blocks.

Mike