replacing plywood bed to small trailer

Any suggestions on how to line up new 4X8 plywood on bed of small (4X8) tra iler so that new holes do not need be drilled in frame. I want to use origi nal holes. Original fasteners are 1.5 inch selftapping sheet metal screws. If needed I'll use next larger diameter screws.

Reply to
Frank Thompson
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Any chance of using spray paint from the underside of the trailer to mark the spots?

Reply to
Dean Hoffman

railer so that new holes do not need be drilled in frame. I want to use ori ginal holes. Original fasteners are 1.5 inch selftapping sheet metal screws . If needed I'll use next larger diameter screws.

Use the original plywood as a template and pre-drill holes...

Reply to
BenDarrenBach

Put the trailer on jack stands/blocks, get underneath and mark the hole locations from below.

Consider enlarging the holes in the trailer and using carriage bolts and nylon locking nuts. That's probably easier than trying to exactly line up numerous small holes for sheet metal screws.

Reply to
DerbyDad03

This will sound weird but... Buy a tube of cheap lipstick and put a dab on each hole. Carefully put the new panel in place. I'd put on a couple of clamps so it won't shift. Then work your way around the perimeter tapping with a soft hammer to make sure you get a transfer. Unless someone just eyeballed it with the original, the hole probably are more or less on centers.

The stuff is pretty handy for inletting stocks too.

Reply to
rbowman

Hi Frank,

I rebuilt my small utility trailer a few years ago. I used pressure treated plywood to help avoid rot. I also used carriage bolts instead of screws.

I clamped the plywood sheet down where I wanted it, then drilled up through the existing holes into the plywood from below. You might need to use a long drill bit to get the angle you need.

Good luck!

Anthony Watson

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Reply to
HerHusband

Much simpler to just drill the holes from below, if the frame is accessible.

Reply to
clare

Sidestep the problem entirely by not using screws.

Use a black plastic roofing cement or a latex caulk as a glue to glue the new plywood in. Have a helper apply caulk to the trailer frame while you apply caulk to the plywood and then drop the plywood into the trailer frame. Clamp the plywood down to the trailer frame for a few days while the caulk sets up.

When the time comes to replace that trailer bed, just cut most of the plywood out with a circular saw or jig saw and then use a pry bar to separate the remaining plywood from the steel. Then use a paint scraper to remove most of the old caulk from the steel. (Follow up by cleaning the remaining acrylic caulk off with MEK or toluene or lacquer thinner or acetone if desired. Remove the old plastic roofing cement with mineral spirits.) Otherwise, you can just caulk in another new plywood trailer bed exactly the same way over the existing caulk.

Reply to
nestork

Sidestep the "problem" now and make it all the more difficult to do again in the future.

How hard is it to drill a bunch of holes in plywood for carriage bolts? Been there, done that. Trailer came out quite nice. Both times.

Reply to
DerbyDad03

On Sunday, June 29, 2014 10:48:39 PM UTC-4, DerbyDad03 wrote: .....> How hard is it to drill a bunch of holes in plywood for carriage bolts?

Problem is access to be able to drill vertical (90 degree) hole. The metal frame members are square with only one side (in side) open. I could drill new hole in bottom from below & aim bit through top hole, but that goes against my purpose of not drilling more holes in frame.

Reply to
Frank Thompson

Use a short soft-lead pencil to mark all the holes????

Reply to
clare

or spray paint.

Reply to
Pico Rico

I think I understand, but let me explain further in case I don't. I'm basing my suggestion on how I attached the deck to the 4x8 folding trailer that I had many years ago. (After 6 years of use, I sold it for the same price I paid for the trailer plus the wood for the deck and removable sides. The solid sides were made from 1x6 material, each plank bull-nosed with a router to give them some character. I got lots of complements. 6 years of use and I got all of my money back.)

Fast forward to about 3:25 of this video and look at the hex head bolts that guy used. I basically did the same thing, but I use carriage bolts, drawn down into the plywood, for a smoother deck. No tripping hazard and items slid right over the slightly recessed heads. The only issue would be if your frame members aren't laid out like the ones in the video. Mine were.

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I don't know how many holes you currently have, but I'm assuming you won't have to drill _more_ holes, just enlarge the existing ones from the top, then lay your plywood on top and mark the holes from below. Drill the marked holes, put the deck back on, insert the carriage bolts and tighten up the nuts through the side opening of the frame members.

Would that work?

Reply to
DerbyDad03

Obvious Pico has not tried his solution. Getting paint into and through a 1/8" nominal hole , at an angle, to accurately lay out holes on plywood is not a trivial matter.. Hard enough when you can spray straight on. My personal experience is it is easier to mark the wood with a nail through the hole. Draw pencil lines along the edge of the steel channels as a reference so you don't have to search the whole sheet of plywood, and put "tic" marks on the lines close to where the screw holes will be to help locate where the nail mark will be.

But pencil lead leaves a better mark than the nail if the pencil is sharp enough, the hole big enough, and the metal thin enough to allow the pencil to penetrate far enough to mark the wood.

Reply to
clare

I guess I am just better at it than you are.

Reply to
Pico Rico

Well, I figure that you can always remove plastic roofing cement or acrylic caulk. But, you can never remove the holes drilled through the trailer frame.

Reply to
nestork

Why would I want to? There are already holes in the trailer from the original screws. I'm suggesting enlarging the holes, marking the plywood through the holes and then using carriage bolts.

I think that is better than trying to use the holes apparently formed by the self taping screws. Hitting those threads with new screws sounds more risky than using bolts. The bolts will allow for multiple deck replacements with relatively little effort.

Reply to
DerbyDad03

carriage bolts are definetely the better way...

wonder if these a material like decking that wouldnt detoriate over time?

Reply to
bob haller

Coat the plywood with a good, two part polyamide (non water based) epoxy paint in a color of your choice before installing (both sides). I'm partial to Benjamin Moore, but there are other brands of similar quality.

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Reply to
Arthur Conan Doyle

HWWPE - but it is pricy and heavy. Or a sheet of 6061T6 checkerplate. (fastened with urethane windshield mounting adhesive to prevent electrolitic corrosion)

Reply to
clare

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