How to make a semi dump bed

[Scottyboy436]

How do make a semi dump bed ? What materials do you use to make it?

[Lil Giants]

I make mine from .125 plastic styrene from Plastruct 12x36" sheets.. easy to work with.

[Scottyboy436]

How do you glue the plasti card together?

[siuvinson]

this stuff:


except it doesn't actually "glue" it, it sort of welds it together. Or melts it together. Much stronger bond than simply gluing it.

[Scottyboy436]

Thanks i have found the welding stuff but no plastiic styrene

[fhhhstix]

Originally Posted by Scottyboy436

Thanks i have found the welding stuff but no plastiic styrene

Try searching you local businesses for a plastics supplier or a sign shop. I buy styrene in 4ft x 8ft sheets from my local supplier and as long as I am not in a hurry they will cut it into smaller 2ft x 4ft pieces which are easier to work with. You will also be surprised as to how cheap it is compared to buying small pieces from a hobby supplier.

Here are some exampls of beds I have built from styrene.





























Travis

[Lil Giants]

I use Testor's model glue.

[Scottyboy436]

I finally found a supplier and all of them models are brilliant

Thanks Scott

[fhhhstix]

I use the Plastruct Bondene as well and just by luck I picked up another case of it today. The Bondene has other ingredients in it to make it work better. Just to be clear this stuff is not MEK. MEK is the main ingredient of Plastruct Plastiweld which is more suited for combining different plastics where Bondene is made for like materials.











Travis

[Cammo]

Scotty,

Dont know if it helps, but here is a vid of a dump trailer I made a few weeks ago, took me about 20 hrs. It only has a screw drive, but seems to work quite effectivley.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=syoxV5SVbOc

Cheers

Cam

[Scottyboy436]

Thanks for all the help and i still cant fine plasticard theres none the size i need at the local hobby shop

Cam how did you manage to make the dump body ?

Thanks Scott

[Goose19]

ive bought from these guys(not styrene) and had good service. not sure if its big enough.

http://http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-P...item5aeafcd062

also this, but its a bit pricey:

http://http://www.ebay.com/itm/High-...item35c19662ec

[Goose19]

Originally Posted by Lil Giants

I use Testor's model glue.

how has it held up to the wear and tear of your operation?

i know testors glue does melt the plastic a bit, but has it gone brittle over time?

[Lil Giants]

It's all as strong today as when I built both the green & yellow dumps 12yrs ago. No cracks, nothing coming apart.. 5yrs ago the green KH dump broke a driveshaft near the top of the 1st ramp with a full load of dirt & took off backwards, striking the wall near the bottom. Quite a bit of damage to the back of the box, including destroying the hinge! Glued it all back together with Testors & it's still working perfect to this day.







Keeping both hidden from the sun is probably what has helped to keep them from becoming brittle.

[Lil Giants]

I order my 12x36 plastic sheets directly from Plastruct in City of Industry, Ca.

http://www.plastruct.com/