Trailer Hitch, Coupler and Tongue Damage: What Can Be Welded Back?

Trailer Hitch, Coupler and Tongue Damage: What Can Be Welded Back? The coupler wobbles on the ball, or there is a hairline crack at the weld where it meets the tongue, or the tongue itself has a bend nobody can account for. Search trailer hitch coupler weld repair and the threads split three ways: weld […]
Do You Need to Preheat Steel Before Welding in Cold Weather?

Do You Need to Preheat Steel Before Welding in Cold Weather? The steel has been sitting outside all night, the forecast says 20 degrees, and a weld is on the schedule. Should you preheat steel before welding in cold weather, or is that a thing welders do to look careful? Search the question and you […]
Rusted Trailer Cross-Members: Repair, Plate, or Replace?

Rusted Trailer Cross-Members: Repair, Plate, or Replace? One cross-member under the deck is orange and flaking, or a screwdriver sinks into it, or the deck boards over it have started to sag. Search trailer cross member rust repair or replace and you land in forum threads that agree on one thing: replace it if it […]
Does Your Porch Need a Railing? What Triggers the Requirement on an Older House

Does Your Porch Need a Railing? What Triggers the Requirement on an Older House The porch has been there since before you bought the house, and nobody ever put a rail on it. Then a buyer’s inspector mentions it, an insurance form asks about it, or a grandchild starts running across it. Search when is […]
Damaged Steel Bollard: Repair It, Cut It Off and Re-Weld, or Replace It?

Damaged Steel Bollard: Repair It, Cut It Off and Re-Weld, or Replace It? A truck backed into it, a forklift clipped it or a snowplow caught it, and now the bollard leans, bends or has snapped at the base. Search damaged steel bollard repair or replace and the sellers tell you to replace it while […]
Cutting Holes in an Existing Steel Beam: What a Trade Can Do and What Needs an Engineer First

Cutting Holes in an Existing Steel Beam: What a Trade Can Do and What Needs an Engineer First A duct, a conduit run or a new doorway has to get past a steel beam, and the schedule is already tight. Search cutting holes in existing steel beam and the answer is spread across forum replies, […]
Welding to Steel Under Load: What Happens to a Beam That Is Already Holding Something Up

Welding to Steel Under Load: What Happens to a Beam That Is Already Holding Something Up The beam is in the building. It carries a mezzanine, a rooftop unit or a run of racking, and someone needs a plate, a bracket or a repair welded to it. Search welding to steel under load and the […]
Balcony Railing Height Code: Why Your Rail Is 36 Inches and the Village Wants 42

Balcony Railing Height Code: Why Your Rail Is 36 Inches and the Village Wants 42 You measured the rail. It is 36 inches. The inspector, the condo board or the insurer says it needs to be 42. Both numbers are real, and both come from the same family of codes. Search balcony railing height code […]
What Can Actually Be Welded in the Field, and What Has To Go to a Shop

What Can Actually Be Welded in the Field, and What Has To Go to a Shop The loader bucket has a crack through the ear. The trailer’s ramp hinge has torn loose. A rack upright has been folded by a forklift. The first question is not who can weld it. It is whether the thing […]