Stick and MIG Welding Repair Expanded Metal Trailer Tailgate

[@BrandonLund]

Evolution Metal Cutting Saw - amzn.to/3UQfkRo YesWelder Plasma Cutter - yeswelder.com/products/plasma-cutters-cut-55ds?_pos=1&_psq=cut-55&_ss=e&_v=1.0&ref=BRANDONLUND Rolled Over Trailer Repair kzbin.info/www/bejne/h36loaqpZt6eppIsi=UHO19DZ3tvUKLb_s $25 Aluminum MIG Conversion kzbin.info/www/bejne/fHjLhKJuZ7KDb7c MORE WELDING AND FABRICATION VIDEOS HERE:kzbin.info/aero/PLfbf78fMz9Vol0uX2-GNc6mLi75zpqb5f LEARN HOW TO WELD VIDEOS HERE:kzbin.info/www/bejne/d3XEYnxpZp56gJI AWESOME TOOL BUILDS! kzbin.info/aero/PLfbf78fMz9Vo2Cv3V5fmYlDZGpS8Hp98l

[@SimpleLife1971]

What a difference a little time and effort make making the tailgate safe and easy to use. Keep them coming Brandon!

[@BrandonLund]

Thanks man! I appreciate it!

[@olddawgdreaming5715]

Great job Brandon, I need to build a new sturdier tailgate for my trailer that I bought from a guy. Thanks for sharing with us, stay safe. Fred.

[@BrandonLund]

You bet! Thank you Fred! Have a great weekend!

[@V8SKULLS]

Good morning Brother, it's been a while, but I have to say NICE JOB BUD this is exactly what I have to do, plus the locking parts on both sides of my 5x10 trailer, just like that one.! You did an absolute amazing job. Love how you twisted the ends of the wiremesh, that's a great tip. I will be doing everything the same. Great Video my Friend, thanks for Sharing. Be safe and Healthy my brother ❤

[@BrandonLund]

Thank you so much and it's good to hear from you!

[@russll02]

Timely video, again just when I need it, I have a 16' trailer that I will be needing to do the same to the entire trailer so great time saving tips and as always thanks

[@BrandonLund]

It's not an overly tough tough job, just a little time consuming but so rewarding once it's done!

[@marcelknippers9591]

Magnificant job. Enjoyable to watch how many tools we need most no-technicians haven't got a clue of. What a great tool to get the welds off the mesh. Never seen this before. Should have such a pneumatic hammer too. Many thanks for this professional vid Brandon. Learned a lot again. Merci Brandon and greetz from Holland😃

[@BrandonLund]

Thank you so much Marcel!

[@earlcavenaugh6459]

Nice work as usual Brandon. Have a great weekend!

[@BrandonLund]

Thanks! You too Earl!

[@earlcavenaugh6459]

@@BrandonLund thanks!

[@johnwoody4905]

good video and job i have never got a trailer like that because of tailgate. you made it better than new and welded alway around it can rip open your hand. take care, be safe and well.

[@BrandonLund]

Thanks 👍

[@MinionsSmithy]

Nicely done, Brandon! The little details always make your work come out so nice! Thanks for sharing!

[@BrandonLund]

Thanks a bunch!

[@davidbegor8709]

My back is now aching watching you bent ovet that tail gate! 😁👍

[@BrandonLund]

🤣🤣🤣 mine was too the next day, literally. It doesn't come as easy as it once did in my younger years hahaha

[@joewhitney4097]

Nice Repair Brandon, customer should be very happy. Thanks for sharing.

[@BrandonLund]

Thanks man I appreciate it!

[@Goldwing1500rider]

One thing I never thought of is twisting the ends flat to weld, that’s something there. I have same kind of gate on my motorcycle trailer. Hope mine doesn’t wear out like that!! I was thinking building folding extension at the end later on. Nice sharing!

[@BrandonLund]

Thanks man! The owner has a landscaping business with heavy mowers and tractors. The new mesh is a little heavier, so it should hold up a little better.

[@Goldwing1500rider]

More heavier to fold up ! Lol

[@BrandonLund]

But still lighter than before with the wood on it :)

[@Goldwing1500rider]

Very true, back to lifting weights.

[@phillipkirbow8567]

Great job

[@BrandonLund]

Thanks! 👍 he should get a few more years out of it now.

[@rogertaylor8615]

You always do a great job on your work

[@BrandonLund]

I appreciate that!

[@photog1529]

Nice job. That little Evolution saw looks like a keeper. I have the larger Evolution chop saw, but at times that gets a bit too cumbersome to lug around. I also like your idea for the welding cart...gets me thinking about something similar.

[@BrandonLund]

That little saw for the money is pretty hard to beat in my opinion. I love it!

[@Duck4Evers]

It might be inappropriate to ask this but I'm super interested in knowing how you priced or would have priced this kind of job. Great upload as always!

[@BrandonLund]

It's not inappropriate at all. I actually enjoy sharing this information because it helps inspiring fabricators and DIY folks get an idea of how to charge. I also know that my customers watch this channel, so it helps to show transparency. Everyone appreciates honesty and knowing how the price was arrived. I take my material cost (metal, cutoff discs and consumables and add 20% to my actual cost. This covers small things like electric bill and gas to pick up the materials) so for this job, $120 then I estimate my time (5 hours @ 80/hr = $400) so this job is $520. Total. Time is always the u known. Sometimes you hit the mark, sometimes you finish in less time and others I'm way off (but rarely). I also have seperate rates for certain tasks, such as I charge $100/ hr to plama cut but if it's just a few cuts like here, than I don't carry that number. $80 labor rate covers wire feed welding, stick welding, fabrication, cutting and grinding. I charge 100/ hr to TIG weld and MIG aluminum.

[@Duck4Evers]

@@BrandonLund Thank you so much!

[@BrandonLund]

I'm glad to share!

[@HardwayRanch]

I have welded expanded steel on a few projects. You didn't mention this, but you executed the technique perfectly, the way to weld expanded steel is to start the weld on the base material and bring the puddle to the expanded steel. Starting the weld on the expanded steel rarely works - it will just burn away like a fuse.

[@BrandonLund]

I appreciate that and now that you mention it, I wish I would have talked about this. Sometimes it's those important details that so easily get overlooked because it becomes second nature, but your right, If you try to weld the expanded first, it evaporates. I subconsciously started to talk about it when I was pointing out to try and cut it on the centers of each diamond rather than leave a couple barbs, but the thought must have escaped me LOL. Thank you for bringing this up because what you pointed out is very important.

[@kylejans8160]

Looks nice good job on this repair!!

[@BrandonLund]

Thanks 👍

[@dc85337]

You left out ONE IMPORTANT UPGRADE. Moving the handles from the inside to the outside - MUCH better there. That is where both of mine are. Try it - you'll like it!

[@BrandonLund]

It's not my trailer. This is a customer job

[@dc85337]

@@BrandonLund Still doesn't mean you can't make it better, but your call.

[@09FLTRMM77]

MM77 Approved 👍🏻👍🏻

[@BrandonLund]

Thank man! 👍

[@rogertaylor8615]

You always do great work on your job's

[@BrandonLund]

I appreciate that Roger!

[@jimmacsuga2592]

As always, Brandon, great job. Stick weld vs. Wire Feed decision making is so good. Using both on a project like this really makes a difference. On doing the little bends to straighten where you cut......would a crescent wrench to do the twist might have saved some time???? Have fun and stay safe, be well, and most of all, be Blessed!!!

[@BrandonLund]

Thanks Jim and thats actually a great idea. I've never tried it but I bet it would save a little time. I will have to try that next time. Take care buddy and be blessed!

[@rudyrivera7426]

Nice! Brandon! Keep it up! Brother! 👌👍

[@BrandonLund]

Thanks! You too!

[@scottchastain1382]

Nice work! The plasma cutting video was the first one that I seen on your channel. That was a long time ago. I think you had two other viewers. LOL 😆

[@BrandonLund]

That was a long time ago! Your one of the original viewers!

[@1978garfield]

How is expanded metal labeled? You said that was #9, would #10 be thicker or is it like wire gauge? I have a tandem axel car hauler trailer that the wood has rotted off of. I would like to replace the wood with expanded metal but I don't know how to order what I need. Thanks!

[@BrandonLund]

Expanded metal comes in all types and sizes. You can get flat, raised and you can get different size openings. I used #9 3/4 which around here is the most common for car trailers and landscape trailers. The smaller you go for example, a #6 would be heavier than a #9.

[@1978garfield]

@@BrandonLund Thanks! I would like to go pretty heavy. I can never get a straight answer on is the wood in a car hauler just decking or is it structural. My plan is to take off all the rotten wood, see what I have to work with and go from there. Many people have resurfaced these trailers either with expanded metal or something like 1/8" sheet. I doubt most of them were engineers. I would not try to build a trailer. However I think I can safely reskin one. Thanks again!

[@BrandonLund]

I've done a bunch of commercial trailers. The long flat bed over the road trailers use custom milled oak that has a lap joint on each edge. For typical car haulers and equipment trailers, just regular pressure treated lumber from the big box stores works great. They both use a black oxide bugle shaped self threading bolt to fasten the wood to the metal framing.

[@nelsonglass6]

You going to have a new nick name…. Trailer man

[@BrandonLund]

I've been called worse LOL 🤣🤣🤣

[@Leo-bu3kj]

That's not #9 flat. That's raised expanded metal.

[@Michael-wq8qu]

I see you welding rods are made in Vietnam.

[@BrandonLund]

I wasn't sure and had to Google it LOL "Washington Alloy Co. is located in Lowell, North Carolina. They are a wholesale distributor of welding consumables, filler metals, and accessories. They also have warehouse distribution centers in Puyallup, WA, Charlotte, NC, Stafford, TX, Irwindale, CA, Rancho Cucamonga, CA, Avon, MA, and Houston, TX"

[@Michael-wq8qu]

@@BrandonLund On the end of the box with welding rods I think I saw "made in Vietnam ".

[@BrandonLund]

Huh. I didn't know that. I'll have to check it out.

[@torowazup1]

👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼😎

[@BrandonLund]

Thanks man!