1) Tinstar, that trailer looks FINE. It's a working platform. Actually looks better as it is, than painted to look "pretty". It's a beauty!
2) Consider this for the decking:
- Install your smooth sawn lumber and then give it a once-over with wire wheel on a grinder
- Try it out first on a single sample board
- Might want to be brass wire instead of steel, or maybe even one of the synthetic "scotch-brite" kind
Paying big bucks for custom milling is too steep, even if your middle name is BEZOS.
Just an idea.
That trailer is a gem!! And that restored Craftsman vise is sweet.
I have sanded the existing wood once and it looked fine but several boards have rot.
I’ll use regular wood if I have to.
Trying to duplicate the rough cut makes the board look horrible. Not going that route when wood prices are so high now.
I don’t mind used looking but this trailer needs a facelift.
The wheels are the worst.
In typical government fashion, trailer has one brand new wheel and hub that uses the worst worn out tire.
It has one brand new tire, on the ugliest wheel with 6 different coats of paint all coming off.
Since I knew a tire change, new wood and repaint was coming, I’ve been extremely lax about paint overspray from different projects.
It definitely shows it.
The vise was a fun project and I used the trailer deck for that as well.
I have a collection of old vises and all are USA made. Several are NOS still in box.
It was restored to be outside permanently.
All nooks and crannies got a coating of fluid film and all threads, behind jaws and spinning parts got a generous helping of anti seize.
The jaws and anvil face were blued and oiled.
It won’t be shiny forever, that’s for sure.
Just used it yesterday actually.
Not bad from a vise that’s at least 20+ years old.