We have a 1999 Trails West steel horse trailer, and the back door has rotted through.The door is basically square steel tubing welded together in a frame with a sheet of steel over the frame.It's easy enough for me to just build a whole new door instead of trying to fix this one or buy a door from Trails West, but I don't know what thickness of steel I should be using, and the door is so rotted and has flaked off shavings of rust to the point that I can't tell what thickness the original door was made out of.What thickness steel would you use for the sheet of steel? And what wall thickness would you use for the square tube?I considered making the door out of aluminum to save weight, - so if I were to go that route, again, what thicknesses of aluminum sheet/square tube would you go with the maintain the same strength that steel would offer?Bare in mind that, if going steel, I don't want to go thicker gauge than the original door, because steel is heavy, so please don't be conservative LOL.
Silver or copper polishFailing those, a brisk scrub with salt and lemon juice will help - but not as much as a good metal polish.
for the silver make a paste of baking soda, take a rag and rub it around in small circles,rinse in water and repeator use toothpastefor the copper get some white vinegar add a little salt wet a rag and wipe it on, it takes time this wayyou can also use mag wheel cleaner which is faster but it is caustic and you don't need to breath it too much that will knock it off very very fast.(use with caution) and don't try it on the silver it will destroy it, however the tarnish on copper( called Nobel rust is highly prized and removing it de-values whatever you are cleaning.
Thick enough the horse doesn't fall outI would not use less than 1/8 that would be a good start for the tubeAssuming it is a swing gate cover it with 22 gauge sheet metal on the outside and maybe plywood or rubber on the insideIf you use aluminum you will have to protect it from the dissimilar metals (steel and aluminum don't like each other especially in that type of atmosphere, wet and poo)You would need stainless steel hinges and fasteners alsoIf you go aluminum hope you have the equipment to weld it, bolting only won't hold.
