Master carpenter Nathan Gilbert takes us along as he heads back to his Navy Seabees base in Mississippi. Nathan meets with the officers in charge of Seabees training and tours the base to see if anything has changed since his time in the Navy over 10 years ago. After touring the base, he talks with base staff about how Navy training prepares sailors for careers in the trades.
Next, host Kevin O’Connor takes us to the shop’s driveway to talk about trailer hitches with general contractor Tom Silva. Tom teaches Kevin everything he needs to know about trailer hitches, including ball sizes, drops, tongue weights, and more. He even shows Kevin a heavy-duty trailer hitch that helps smooth bumpy rides.
Finally, paint expert Mauro Henrique pays a house call to help a homeowner with their flaking railing. After realizing it’s a prep issue, Mauro and the homeowner scrape the paint from the railing before cleaning, priming, and painting the railing for a perfect finish.
Where Nathan Learned Carpentry
Even when he was just a child, master carpenter Nathan Gilbert knew what he wanted to do with his life. After graduating high school, he joined the Navy and became a member of the Seabeas—the Navy’s construction force. Today, he takes us back to the base he called home throughout his career.
Where to find it?
Special thanks to the Naval Construction Battalion Center in Gulfport, Mississippi
Trailer Hitches 101
General contractor Tom Silva teaches host Kevin O’Connor everything he needs to know about trailer hitches. From tow weight to adjustable height, Tom breaks everything down to make matching a hitch to a trailer a breeze.
Where to find it?
Tom introduces Kevin to the straight trailer couplers. These hitches often clamp over a hitch ball.
Tom displays hitch balls to Kevin, explaining that they mount onto trailer hitch mounts.
Kevin asks Tom about the tri-ball hitch/mount. The tri-ball hitch allows individuals to switch quickly between ball sizes.
Tom introduces a ball mount hitch that can be used as either a drop trailer hitch or rise.
Tom introduces an adjustable ball mount as squared steel pieces with ball hitches mounted at adjustable heights.
Tom explains how a loop connector works to Kevin in regard to differing trailer hitches.
Tom displays a trailer light wiring adapter to Kevin.
Tom further explains the importance of hitch pins to Kevin and how they secure a ball mount.
Tom presents a 6” adjustable tow hitch to Kevin.
How to Repaint a Galvanized Steel Railing
Galvanized steel can be a tricky substance to paint. Without proper prep work, the paint will inevitably flake and peel. When a homeowner’s galvanized metal railings were flaking heavily, paint expert Mauro Henrique knew it was caused by a lack of prep. Together, Mauro and the homeowner chip off the existing paint, clean the railings, and prime them before painting for a perfect finish.
Where to find it?
Prep
Remove Old Paint
- 1” and 1.5” putty knives
- Painter’s multi-tool
- Carbide paint scraper with knob
- Safety glasses
- If the paint hadn’t come up easily, Mauro would have used a power sander with a high grit (220 to 320). But that increases the chance of taking off the zinc coating from the galvanized steel, so sanding should be avoided if possible.
Remove Residue
- Denatured alcohol
- Container
- Final stripping pad
- Nitrile gloves – denatured alcohol can irritate skin
Prime and Paint
- Gray water-based interior/exterior primer—gray colored primer works better for dark paints, white primer for light paints.
- 4” x ¼” paint rollers
- Synthetic 2” paint brush
- Paint tray
- Paint wood sticks
- Benjamin Moore high performance DTM acrylic enamel 3310 – Semi-Gloss
Original Air Date: Nov 6, 2025, Season 24; Ep. 7 23:42
Products and Services from this Episode
- Special thanks: Naval Construction Battalion Center, Gulfport, Mississippi
- Paint supplier: Benjamin Moore & Co
All other tools and materials from this episode can be found at Home Depot and Amazon.
