# Fabricating projects



## 682bear (Jun 1, 2020)

I do a fair amount of fabricating in my spare time. I have been needing storage space in my shop, so I decided to build some overhead storage to clear up some floor space. I already had the material for a 4 x 30 foot 'shelf' across one end of the shop.



It turned out pretty well, so I decided to build another 4 x 30 shelf down the other end and then connect them with a 4 x 32 shelf across the back.

I needed a way to haul 20 ft long lengths of steel to build the other 2 sides, though, so after considering my options, I decided to build a trailer that would carry 20 ft lengths.




The trailer is actually 4 feet wide by 10 feet long (not including the tounge), but the tounge extends out to make the trailer 23 feet long overall...




It is not finished yet, but is functional... I'm planning to put a rail around it with a front that will lay flat. I can use it as a 10 ft utility trailer or a 20 ft 'material hauler'.

I used it to bring the steel home to finish my overhead storage.



View attachment 20200522_091201.mp4


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## Alcap (Jun 1, 2020)

What a great idea for a homeowner trailer !   I've seen extendable tongue trailers before like what we have at work for utility poles but so many times I wished my 5 x10' trailer was longer just for the situation you had .


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## RYAN S (Jun 1, 2020)

Looks great!


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## FOMOGO (Jun 1, 2020)

Nice job on the trailer. I love the extendable tongue, reminds me of utility pole trailers. Seems no matter how much space you have, you still need to get things up off the floor. I still have several loft areas to build in my new shop. Cheers, Mike


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## Asm109 (Jun 1, 2020)

Just be aware the extended tongue creates a hellacious bending moment in the tubing near the front of the trailer body.
You have to keep the tongue weight at least 10% and therefore the bending loads scale with how long the tube sticks out. 

Long winded way of saying you need to do some calcs t make sure the stresses in the tube are acceptable.


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## 682bear (Jun 1, 2020)

Asm109 said:


> Just be aware the extended tongue creates a hellacious bending moment in the tubing near the front of the trailer body.
> You have to keep the tongue weight at least 10% and therefore the bending loads scale with how long the tube sticks out.
> 
> Long winded way of saying you need to do some calcs t make sure the stresses in the tube are acceptable.



Its 3" square tubing, ¼" wall thickness, and only extends about 7 feet. I will likely never put more than 400 pounds on the trailer with the tounge extended, so I am confident that it is plenty strong. 

I modeled it after a trailer that my Dad built quite a few years ago. He used the same size material for his extending tounge, and he was a structural engineer on a bridge construction crew for 30 years, so I don't expect any issues.

-Bear


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## savarin (Jun 2, 2020)

I'm going down the road of adding overhead shelving in my new shed.
As I'm a cheapskate and its a steel built shed I'm using old internal doors fixed at the wall but suspended with cables at the front.
I use those plastic trundle bins to hold the stuff up there.


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