Strength of pipe??

Hey folks,
I'm brain storming again.. Always trying to conjure up ways to haul and unload horse manure and unload easy.
Ran across and should be able to aquire pretty easy an axle w/ wheels. Am schemeing a simple dump trailer.
Material I have on hand that's been in the way for a couple years is 6ft lengths of 2" galvanized pipe that is 1/8th inch thick. Think it would be strong enough to support a ton (+/- a little) with a 4'x6' box? If so, I can empty a corner and save some shovelling.

Dave

how close together are you going to put the pipe? maybe try a steel strength chart

Pipe laying down is very weak. Standing up very strong. made a trailer one time bent real easy.If you run a gusset under it might be alright.

It would actually be doubled in a way. I would start with a 4'x6' frame w/ the axle welded across the middle and a couple 6" long(?) collars from the next size bigger slipped on the back rail.
Then, another 4'x6' frame with a crossmember in the middle set on top and welded to the two collars for a dump pivot.Piece of 3" box tubing I have laying for the tongue and then scratch my head about how to tip it (winch/pole or hyd cylinder). Don't know if I'd understand a chart if I found one :roll:

Dave

Pipe is soft, intended to be bent. Easily.

Bending strength is all in the metal at the upper and lower extremes of a structural member, like the top and bottom flanges of an I beam. Or a rectangular tube. For a given thickness top and bottom or solid the bending strength is proportional to the height cube. e.g. double the height, gets 8 times the strength and thickness. Pipe is poor at getting metal at the top and bottom. Square tube or I beam is a lot better for the weight. Most chassis use channel because its a lot cheaper than rectangular tube but it ought to be loaded with angle brackets off the flat face to cut down on the twist. Cross pieces help hold down the twist too when there are two sides to a frame.

Gerald J.

As a Kid at home, we used a simple wagon chassis to haul stone and gravel.
It was a bare chassis, with an upright by each wheel, Poles were laid in loose across the bottom, then up along the uprights. Then this was loaded. pulled to the site, then one at a time the pieces were pulled up and out, the load would tumble out, the bottom pieces were slid aside, until it was empty. I think that would work for you.

It ought to be plenty strong enough if you cross brace it considering your only going 6'x4'. 1/8'' = .125 wall, which, if 2'' o.d. should be roughly 2.5 pounds per foot pipe. Since you said galvanized it is most likely seamed pipe, using the weakest standard grade listed in the API manual and a 20% safety factor the collapse is still over 1800 pounds per square inch. Pipe cannot bend without first yielding internally or collapsing although it may be nearly unnoticeable. If you are interested in a straight dump why not put your pivot points straight to the axle, offset from center and put a trip latch on the tounge, let gravity do the work, although one problem would be you could not unhook from it when loaded unless you put a block under the back of the wagon bed.

That 4' x 6' box with those pieces running the long way of the box would give you only 3' sticking out over the axle each way and I dought very much that you could load it that heavy with manure on 2 pipes that you would have any problems. What would be good is for to put one down the middle for you to put the dump latch on to fasten to the toung. On each end of the center piece put a tee there with a 2' piece to each side with an elbow to fasten to each side piece and you will have a solid bed frame. Now if you were going to have 6' to each end of the trailer from the axle like I think most posters are thinking of then yes you would need several pieces to get any strength but for 3' out no problems at all with strength. And fot tipping the trailer just mount a small jack between the toung and bed. I have seen 18' tandam axle trailers that were factory built that used a modified 2 ton floor jack for the tipping. If there over there in Germany are small sizer jacks with a crank handle to raise and lower your car to change a tire one of those would work good fore tipping that trailer. The higher the bed the easier it will be to tip to unload.

everybody said i was nutz using some OLD 2" galv. chain link fence corners for ramps on a trailer...
they are 4' long and support up to a Ford 4000 so far...go for it.

For a box size of 4x6 that pipe will be plenty strong. 4psc 6ft then 4ft end pieces will cary more than a ton. 24Sq ft holding 2000 lbs go for it. Tires and axle will need to carry same load. Get a long hy cycl that has the built in jack for the dumping like the ones used on a cherry picker. Hey ddid ya get the bolts yet?

(quoted from post at 10:06:07 12/13/09) Hey ddid ya get the bolts yet?

Click to expand...

Think so.

Thanks.

Funny, the tractor is made in the land of metric but has sae bolts.

Dave

You want sides on the trailer, don't you? Weld pipe uprights the height you want the side to be to the 4 corners. Weld 2 more uprights along the sides and 1 in the front center. Weld a rail on top of the uprights on the sides and front. This makes a truss and should carry whatever the axle will. If you close in the sides by welding sheet metal it will be even stronger, but wood will be ok. Make tailgate to suit.

KEH