The ‘RAITH Party Cart….

[Rick W]

A thought came to mind and you may have already answered it. How do you plan to secure this thing to the trailer? Bolt it to the deck or strap it down?

I’ve been kicking that around in my head, it will definitely be bolted down, but I’m not exactly sure how yet. I definitely want to see the bottom of the casket first and how it’s made, hopefully this weekend, that might affect my decision. I haven’t even seen the inside of the bottom because I haven’t pulled that Styrofoam up yet.

My original thought was to sit it directly on the aluminum frame cross pieces, and then put some kind of deck between it and the fenders or edge of the frame - me being cheap and trying to save a little bit of diamond plate.

Then I had the thought, since it’s such thin raw steel, I may have to do something to the bottom to keep it from kicked up road debris, rust and rotting out too quick. When you see this thing, you’ll understand that if I ran over a rock or a piece of metal laying in the road, it could punch a hole in it fairly easily. The concern with that would simply be moisture access to the inside and corrosion. It’s separated from the galvanized tub by an inch of Styrofoam, and the galvanized tub is much thicker steel.

That led me to thinking about building a solid deck across the trailer, and sitting it on top of the deck. A worry there is trapping moisture between the casket bottom and the diamond plate.

And that led to the thought, would I ever want to take it off and use the trailer for something else? And then, if I make it where the casket comes off, it only makes sense to be able to remove the gas grill as well.

I tell ‘ya, there are no quick answers when you’re taking your second hand casket/soda cooler and converting it for beer, and using it as in the centerpiece of a traveling kitchen…

I throw all this out because this is a build thread, and I wanted to share some of my thought process as strange as it is. The main part of the discussion is not how to secure it, it’s about rust prevention.

After I see the bottom, hopefully this weekend, I’ll make a final decision, but right now I’m leaning towards a complete deck across the trailer, spacing the casket up off the deck a little bit with whatever so it can breathe and dry, and holding it down with either a solid piece of aluminum angle around the perimeter, like a flange that I can bolt down, or I may just put little angle pieces in several places in the same fashion to bolt down. If I simply paint the upright part of the angle the same color as the casket, they should disappear. I thought of bolting through the floor to avoid that, but I want the casket to be an independent unit that can be removed in the long run. If I bolt through the bottom, you’d have to take the whole thing apart again to unbolt it.

Now brace yourself:

This may be one of the rare occasions where I coat the bottom with something other than Rustoleum.

Another thought, I’m planning on some electronics. A battery, a power inverter, a simple sound system, and maybe a CB mostly for the PA system. If that ends up inside the casket, then I’ll be poking holes for wires, and such, which would make it even more permanently bolted down. I haven’t got that far yet on my thinking. I am planning on dividing the galvanized tub into three watertight sections. There is a drain valve out the back end now.

So, bolted down, yes, but everything else still in flux….

 

[Rick W]

I took a very detailed look, before the rain drops today, for body damage. It’s in pretty good shape, just a few little things in the roof. I sanded the surface of each to identify them, and to take the slick away so the Bondo had something to stick to.

Then Lincoln and I went to the local Hobby Lobby, and I was able to buy a Krylon can of spray paint in Rose Gold to touch up the flower accents on the handles.

It’s the smallest can of Krylon paint I’ve ever seen. It’s like a fat salt shaker. Current thinking is I will spray that into the lid of a cottage cheese container, and use an artist’s brush to touch up the bad spots, and then put clear urethane over those panels. I’m afraid if I just spray paint them, even if I clearcoat them, then I’m going to have a problem with peeling and ongoing maintenance.

During the trip, I left the trim pieces and handles soaking in a bleach bath, and then I scrubbed them when I got back and set them inside the garage in front of a fan to dry. I plan on painting them this weekend, rain or no rain, it will take several coats and several steps because of the way I want to detail them.

 

[Rick W]

 

[Rick W]

I almost didn’t do it, but I decided to take the Styrofoam out and check the bottom on the inside. I am and I am not happy I did that now. What a f’n nasty job!

This whole thing is near perfect outside, but between the tub and the Styrofoam, and the fact that there’s no drain holes, no way for the inside to breathe (no pun intended), the inside on the bottom was pretty rusty with some pretty good pits, and a few pinholes.

After wire brushing and pressure wash:

Let this be a warning to all you guys to do the routine maintenance on your caskets.

Then I stood it on the end, and put a 24 inch casket drying machine in front of it.

Let me jump ahead to the bottom on the outside. In my previous discussion I was talking about options of how to mount it. I’ve come full circle, and I’m pretty sure I’m just going to bolt it to the aluminum frame before I put any decking around it. If you look at the structure, from the inside, there are all kinds of pockets that would trap water if water got into it. So I am going to drill drain holes in every one of those pockets/low spots. Hence, if something hit it from the bottom and poked a hole, it would be academic.

What do you think about that Christian Louboutin pink/red? I’m thinking the women are going to love it. For the real country boys, Christian Louboutin makes play shoes. This pair was listed at $2600, which doesn’t include the Young Lady. I’ve got a feeling she is much more expensive…

His trademark is that red/pink on the bottom side. Really catchy, huh? (I don’t want anybody to think that I’m using that color on the bottom and then the inside around the tub simply because I had four extra cans of it.)

The dark strip down the middle is a sacrificial aluminum anode (cathode?). For what I’m doing, the design may seem crazy, but it’s actually designed to be buried in the ground, and that sacrificial anode keeps the steel from rusting. It’s not supposed to have liquid on the inside, with the outside exposed to the elements.

I did the first coat 50-50 with mineral spirits. Like I’ve said before, it’ll seep and wick into all of the little nooks and crannies. I also put two 100% coats on it. Drying in the sun now.

If you look at that structure closely, the sides fold underneath, and then the bottom actually sits inside on those folded-in pieces. Inside, you can tell that that was originally caulked with something. Half of that caulk is gone, and that is some of the worst rust.

Fortunately, it’s surface rust with a little pitting, there’s no real structural damage, nothing that needs to be repaired. I mention it because I’m going to mix up a super thin maybe a 70% mineral spirits/30% rustoleum mix, and pour it in /force it into those gaps. Second coat will be the 50-50, and then one or two coats of the pure stuff. I plan on literally mopping the bottom with it. The sides just have a little surface rust. All of that red/pink will be on the bottom, and all around the inside, but behind the tub, nothing you’ll be able to see unless you lay on the ground.

Gotta run now, sweet pea needs a driver to go get some bushes and fertilizer.

Hopefully I’m going to have the box all painted tomorrow, but the handles will never be ready by then to put it back together.

 

[sgtsandman]

Those holes on the bottom. Is the metal thick enough to install some threaded rivnuts and use those for bolting the casket to the frame or deck?

 

[Rick W]

From my extensive research, I think those four bolt hole things are to hold the Casket on top of one of those accordion dollies they use in the funeral home.

The bottom sheet metal is a hair thicker than the sides, but it’s like tinfoil. I wouldn’t trust any of it if there was a load of soda and whatever inside going down the road.

EDIT: Hence my plan to put angle all the way around or in pieces, a structure that will keep the box from moving and breaking loose.

 

[Rick W]

I did think of running bolts through the bottom, with big backing plates on the inside to reinforce the thin sheet metal. But I don’t know where the frame cross pieces will be yet.

I’d actually prefer your idea or the backing plates so there are no brackets showing, but again, I’d have to leave it all apart until I could set it on the frame.

Keep those thoughts coming….

 

[Uncle Gump]

I'm just wondering when you became a woman's shoe expert?

Wait... I don't wanna know.

 

[RobbieD]

It's not a good idea, to wear your $2600 high heels when welding.

 

[Rick W]

It's not a good idea, to wear your $2600 high heels when welding.

Hey, if I’m wearing them, no one notices my crappy welding!

 

[Rick W]

For the technically oriented:

Looking at the steel column

Most metal caskets are 22 gauge. You can literally put a dent in 22ga with your thumb by pushing hard. Quality goes up by even numbers. A premium casket is 20 gauge. A super duper top of the line Casket is 18 gauge, and after that would be a completely custom built.

You can’t get the 18 gauge unless you also get a bunch of other deluxe features like premium handles and trim, the sacrificial anode, better sealed, welded corners and bottoms, an enhanced full bed, etc., etc., the way you would like to go if you have to go.

When I was inspecting this thing, I figured out it’s a Batesville casket. That’s like the Mercedes-Benz of caskets.

I’m trying to run down the model number and the original cost, but the 140 year old company was sold just this year, and when I called them, they said they could help me, but all the records and everything are being re-organized with the merger at the moment

The guy I talked to recognized the corner pieces and he did say that it was a very limited production, a very high end item (YAH!!), probably around late 90s or early 2,000s.

Yeah, and I’m going to paint it like a circus wagon and put beer and burgers in it! All the other owners will be spinning…

EDIT: For the inquiring minds, I think the shell probably weighs about 130-150 pounds. The handle pieces in a box seem to weigh about 20 or 25 pounds. I think the whole thing put together is more like 250 pounds. It’s all I can do to lift one end while I’m pivoting it somehow or other to move it around. If I can find my casket scale, I’ll get some more accurate numbers got y’all.

 

[Rick W]

Those holes on the bottom. Is the metal thick enough to install some threaded rivnuts and use those for bolting the casket to the frame or deck?

I took a closer look at these brackets on the bottom. I think the bottom sheet metal might be like 16 gauge, a little heavier than the sides and top (but it has been weakened by corrosion). These brackets look like they might be even a little heavier than that, but…

They’re only held on with four teeny tiny spot welds, and then the makers didn’t even trust those, so when they welded up the corners of the box, they did a quick mig spot on the two outside corners of these brackets. It almost looks like it’s designed for a big screw clip.

The inside of the box is about 24 inches wide and maybe 20 inches deep. And then it’s a little over 7 feet long. Thinking of it as a cooler, 50% full of soda, ice and water, that would be about 12-13 ft.³ of water, or about 750 pounds, and that would be in motion. I just don’t see those clips holding it if I had to hit the brakes hard.

The next thought might be to weld them on more securely, but again, it’s like welding to tinfoil. Even if I could do it with my crappy welding skills, the only way you get strength would be if you almost replace the whole bottom with something thicker.

It did lead me to a thought of putting backing plates around the bottom of the box wall, and extending some bolts from the inside out. Then I could put an angled brace outside that’s bolted through the skin and then the aluminum frame. I’m planning on aluminum frame cross pieces at each end of the casket, but I don’t know exactly where any in between will be, they will be set by the spring mount locations.

Another thought I just had was to put an aluminum angle inside around the bottom of the box. Then wherever I put my hold down cleats, I could drill through from the outside, and put in some of those self tapping 1/4 x 20 bolts. I’ll have to think that out, because I only have like 2490 bolts left.

EDIT: note that the folded in part of the side is seam welded to the floor pan. I just noticed that from this picture.

Heading out to paint…

 

[sgtsandman]

View attachment 107953

I took a closer look at these brackets on the bottom. I think the bottom sheet metal might be like 16 gauge, a little heavier than the sides and top (but it has been weakened by corrosion). These brackets look like they might be even a little heavier than that, but…

They’re only held on with four teeny tiny spot welds, and then the makers didn’t even trust those, so when they welded up the corners of the box, they did a quick mig spot on the two outside corners of these brackets. It almost looks like it’s designed for a big screw clip.

View attachment 107954
The inside of the box is about 24 inches wide and maybe 20 inches deep. And then it’s a little over 7 feet long. Thinking of it as a cooler, 50% full of soda, ice and water, that would be about 12-13 ft.³ of water, or about 750 pounds, and that would be in motion. I just don’t see those clips holding it if I had to hit the brakes hard.

The next thought might be to weld them on more securely, but again, it’s like welding to tinfoil. Even if I could do it with my crappy welding skills, the only way you get strength would be if you almost replace the whole bottom with something thicker.

It did lead me to a thought of putting backing plates around the bottom of the box wall, and extending some bolts from the inside out. Then I could put an angled brace outside that’s bolted through the skin and then the aluminum frame. I’m planning on aluminum frame cross pieces at each end of the casket, but I don’t know exactly where any in between will be, they will be set by the spring mount locations.

Another thought I just had was to put an aluminum angle inside around the bottom of the box. Then wherever I put my hold down cleats, I could drill through from the outside, and put in some of those self tapping 1/4 x 20 bolts. I’ll have to think that out, because I only have like 2490 bolts left.

EDIT: note that the folded in part of the side is seam welded to the floor pan. I just noticed that from this picture.

Heading out to paint…

I can see why you don't want to trust them. Normal duty for a casket is no where near that weight and is expected to be a one time use and at a slow, dignified speed.

My guess is some kind of securing bar is meant to go into those slots to hold the casket in place while being transported to the funeral and final resting place. Holding ice and drinks for a party or celebration of some sort was never in the planning and design.

 

[Rick W]

Agreed. I know hearses have clamping mechanisms, so it’s not that (I think), and I come back to the dolly. But you may be right. If we all get liquored up and drop it, it’s a little different than if it’s dropped during its intended use….

 

[Rick W]

But check this out! Two quarts mixed with one quart of thinner. I literally poured it around the edge, and then worked it in with a long bristle three inch brush.

When I go, this is the way I want to go! It’s like wearing red underpants at Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Grammar School in North Bergen, NJ in the 60s!



Er, Not that I would know anything about that…..