Reader Rebuilds Storm-Damaged Cattle Trailer

Reader Rebuilds Storm-Damaged Cattle Trailer Roger Gutschmidt rebuilt an 8 by 22-ft. aluminum cattle trailer that had been picked up in a windstorm and rolled several hundred feet. “There were pieces scattered all over,” recalls Gutschmidt. “My neighbor wanted it rebuilt, so we gathered what we could. I’d done every kind of welding with steel, cast iron and other metals, but I’d never welded aluminum.” By the time the job was finished, Gutschmidt had learned more about working with aluminum than he could’ve imagined. “When it was all done, I’d gone through 30 rolls of aluminum wire,” says Gutschmidt. “I learned that the key to welding aluminum is having it clean. I used a wire brush to remove any oxidation or used a chemical cleaner. You can’t weld through oxidation on aluminum. It’s worse than rust on steel. If it isn’t clean, it won’t be a good weld.” Some smaller pieces, along with the flat roof panels, had to be replaced. Many of the larger pieces, including the roof hoops, had to be straightened or reshaped to their original curves. “The roof hoops were 2-in. aluminum channels, and some had to be straightened,” says Gutschmidt. “I also had to re-form the curved plate that is the transition between the vertical sides and the roof. That required pulling my metal press into the middle of the shop floor to have room to work with the 20-ft lengths.” While replacement curved plates could’ve been purchased from the manufacturer, Gutschmidt notes that extruded plates are very expensive. “I found that working with the plates was a 2-man job,” he says. “When aluminum gets bent, it’s very hard to straighten at the bending point. You would think it would be easy, but it’s not. We had to use a pipe wrench with a 3-ft handle to manhandle it.” Once the hoops and walls had been straightened and mended with aluminum-wire welds, the roof was rebuilt. “We purchased rolls of aluminum sheeting, unrolling them across the hoops and riveted them in place,” says Gutschmidt. “We used standard rivets instead of pop rivets, which made this a two-man job as well. One person had to hold the base inside the trailer under the rivet, while the other was on top using the tool to mushroom the head.” From the outside, the trailer looks as if it had never been rolled. However, the interior shows the many welds needed to patch pieces back together. While it may have been Gutschmidt’s first time welding aluminum, he’s set for future jobs. “Just like with steel, if you work with aluminum, there are always scraps left over,” he says. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Roger Gutschmidt, Gutschmidt Manufacturing, 202 Elm St. E., Box 311, Gackle, N.D. 58442 (ph 701-269-0537).

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