Frame Masters

[Juneaudave]

Aw...what the heck...you can always use the bedsprings in the next concrete pour!!!

[TomS]

I used a bed frame to support my rear leveling jacks. They were rock hard. I couldn't drill through them. My son welded them in place for me.

[Joanne]

I used a bed frame to support my rear leveling jacks. They were rock hard. I couldn't drill through them. My son welded them in place for me.

Tom,

I had the same problem when I used bed frame for an icechest mount on the motorcycle trailer. It welded just fine, but I couldn't drill through it to save my life. I already had it welded to the trailer so I went out and bought an expensive cobalt drill. It drilled the holes but the bit was pretty dull after just four holes. I wonder what they are made of.

Joanne

[Scooter]

Obviously, all bedrails are not created equal. Had no trouble drilling through mine with a good set of Craftsman drill bits.

[GeorgeTelford]

Hi

Bedrails. That toughness is the higher carbon content.

[Guy]

George,

Besides making the steel harder to drill, how does higher carbon steel effect the suitability of the material for a frame?

[Arne]

It makes it more prone to cracking under excess stress, instead of just bending...

[GeorgeTelford]

Yes less Carbon means a milder steel ( ie it will go to bars but not get involved in fights) But its also a function of the quenching method used and the tempering, Remember bicycles are made from Hi-ten Carbon steel too

And yes it would be more likely to shatter rather than take a knock, if its got a really high Carbon content a good whack with a lump hammer (engineers No 1 Tool) will cause a break rather than a dent. All steel as some carbon though.

Your bed frame is unlikely to be marked up with the info required to make an accurate assesment. It may be absolutly perfect for framing, but how would you know?

You could try drilling a small sample, High carbon will destroy ordinary HSS drills pretty quickly, also forming it (put some in a vice and give it some whacks to turn it 90 Degrees)

If a pce can be drilled easily and repeatably with same drill and the sample can be formed into a 90 degree bend without snapping, its likely to be OK for chassis framing.

BUT steel is pretty cheap, is it worth the saving?

[goldcoop]

Guy-

I have this wonderful old Farm Mechanics Text that has a good description of identifying carbon content by observing the sparks given off while grinding:

Low Carbon Steel

Sparks color-white. Average length of stream with power grinder-70". Volume-moderately large, shafts shorter than wrought iron and in forks and appendages, forks become more numerous and sprigs appear as carbon content increases.

High Carbon Steel

Sparks color-white. Average stream length with power grinder-55". Volume large, numerous small and repeating sprigs.

I don't know if this helps or hurts, but the book has illustrations as well...

Cheers,

Coop

[Guest]

Guy,
A few people may say this frame is not built for it's intended use, but I I'm not here to enter that discussion... I built it the way I wanted too.
I'm here to talk about paint... Protection for the frame. I just shot two coats of Rust Bullet on it and I'll tell yaa... Tenacious Adhesion. (Website says it will take about 10 days for overspray to wear off of my hands)
I'm top coating with two coats of dark brown Hammerite today to get the color I want...

[Guy]

Hey Dino,

Now I understand your description of putting that puppy on sawhorses. You are lucky you did not get a hernia.

BTW, the tongue stiffener came out really nice.

[cracker39]

I've also used a couple of bed frames for various non-structural things I'be built, or for bracing. I even made a wheel puller for my Nissan truck out of a piece of bed frame. Just a few days ago, I was thinking of trying to find one to use for my "non-structural" floor supports rather than buy angle iron. I'm just not sure where to look for used frames.

[madjack]

Dean, is it legal to haul a TANK down a state hi-way in Ca.
...looks good there buddy, I know you are glad to get it painted, now you can get it outta the way of that glass...
...don't worry, inna week or two, you won't even notice that overspray on your hands
madjack

[Guest]

Guy,
I'm not going to take it off of the saw horses by myself...

Jack,
It's not a tank, but the trailer will have ballast that's for sure.
Maybe I'll stand a better chance of weathering a hurricane, should I ever get back to the South East.... Yaa, that's a Hurricane Frame.
Well, It's not silver anymore... It's now dark brown.
Shooting Hammerite through a gun was a trip... Kinda like shooting cotton candy.
(It didn't give me over spray, more like what I'd call over web)
Pics coming soon...

[madjack]

Dean, I didn't mistake the trailer for a tank...it's too heavy , I thought maybe you were gonna haul a tank on it...the hurricane excuse is a good one though
madjack