Bed frame steel?

I just dropped an email to my bedding frame and innerspring supplier. As soon as I get a reply I will post it here.
 
ib2v4u said:
You probably have a better shot at having decent steel using old car springs than bed frames. I think bed frames would be a real crap shoot. You would have little to relate one frame set to another. Some of it is probably decent steel, but saying bed frames are usable is like saying mushrooms are eatable. If I was going to use salvaged steel I would go find an old truck with some hefty leaf springs and either spark test and experiment with the HT until I had it down or sent a piece in for testing.
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I understand there are probably some bed frames that are junk steel but, apparantly some are made of good carbon steel, like the one I am using. Saying some bed frames are usable would be a more accurate statement. I successfully hardened the one I have and my buddy also got good results from a bed frame he has when I told him about this.. anyway, I'm just getting into making knives and it's what I had laying around so I'm going to see what I can do with it.
 
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ib2v4u said:
You probably have a better shot at having decent steel using old car springs than bed frames. I think bed frames would be a real crap shoot. You would have little to relate one frame set to another. Some of it is probably decent steel, but saying bed frames are usable is like saying mushrooms are eatable. If I was going to use salvaged steel I would go find an old truck with some hefty leaf springs and either spark test and experiment with the HT until I had it down or sent a piece in for testing.
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When one picks a wild mushroom and it can't be identified it is put it in a separate bag so that it doesn't contaminate the known edibles already foraged. When at home, the unknown mushroom is carefully handled. Attempt is made to physically identify it from the library of books containing illustrations and photagraphs of all the identified and documented
fungi in one's geographical location.
If it can't be identified physically it's thrown out. No big deal. If it can be matched to documentation then on to the next step. A spore print.

My family and I eat a lot of mushrooms. Boletes, horse, field, puffballs, matsutake, shiitake and the latest find "delicious Lactarius". Not that delicious but what the hell aye. About half this year were wild only because it was a dry season. Last year we ate 90% wild.
It is amazing what you can find out there. :)

Scott

http://www.caribooblades.com
 
mnyshrpknvs, I was not taking offense, but supporting your professional advice.

Too many folks say all bedframes/car springs/files/crowbars/.....etc. make good knives. ( I like the mushroom comparison)
The truth is that some will and some won't. Knowing what you have (as per the specific manufactures specs. ( Knowing the Serta frames are good doesn't mean that Seally frames are good) is where the decision to keep it or chuck it lies. If it was out in the alley, and is unmarked as to the manufacturer, then it is a mystery steel, and will make great plant stakes for the garden.
Also, as has been pointed out, just because it gets harder and will skate a file doesn't mean it is any specific alloy or that it will make a good knife. 1030 will get hard, break like glass when bent, and skate a file, but I seldom see it touted as a good knife steel.

Stacy
 
caribooblades said:
When one picks a wild mushroom and it can't be identified it is put it in a separate bag so that it doesn't contaminate the known edibles already foraged. When at home, the unknown mushroom is carefully handled. Attempt is made to physically identify it from the library of books containing illustrations and photagraphs of all the identified and documented
fungi in one's geographical location.
If it can't be identified physically it's thrown out. No big deal. If it can be matched to documentation then on to the next step. A spore print.

My family and I eat a lot of mushrooms. Boletes, horse, field, puffballs, matsutake, shiitake and the latest find "delicious Lactarius". Not that delicious but what the hell aye. About half this year were wild only because it was a dry season. Last year we ate 90% wild.
It is amazing what you can find out there. :)

http://www.caribooblades.com
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I pick and eat mushrooms also. If I can not ID it I won't eat it. Just because it looks kind of like a Morel doesn't mean I will eat it. Same should go for knife steel. Steel has a whole lot less to ID with. Yes, you can do spark tests and harden it, but, both those test are subjective and leave a lot to chance. Even a PMI (a particle gun) test will not tell you the carbon content. If someone wants to experiment with bed frame steel that's fine. I was just pointing out that if one wants to use a found steel, a method you could get a large quantity of a single type to work with. One old 2 ton farm truck would yield a couple hundred pounds. With bed frames almost every time you get another frame you are at square one of the ID process. Like going out to a forest burn in an area I know is good for Morels and collecting. Better than going to some cow pasture full of psilocybe :eek: and looking for lunch.
 
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bladsmth said:
mnyshrpknvs, I was not taking offense, but supporting your professional advice.

Too many folks say all bedframes/car springs/files/crowbars/.....etc. make good knives. ( I like the mushroom comparison)
The truth is that some will and some won't. Knowing what you have (as per the specific manufactures specs. ( Knowing the Serta frames are good doesn't mean that Seally frames are good) is where the decision to keep it or chuck it lies. If it was out in the alley, and is unmarked as to the manufacturer, then it is a mystery steel, and will make great plant stakes for the garden.
Also, as has been pointed out, just because it gets harder and will skate a file doesn't mean it is any specific alloy or that it will make a good knife. 1030 will get hard, break like glass when bent, and skate a file, but I seldom see it touted as a good knife steel.

Stacy
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Even a novice smith should be able to determine the difference between 1030 and 1065, a good piece of rail steel from a bad piece and/or a good blade from a bad one.. Without any outside help. If not, how could they ever judge their own finished product with any degree of accuracy whether from bought known steel or salvaged.

None of it is hard to do, if you just give it an honest try. :)
 
Good thing I have a pile of bed frames in my "materials yard"(tell that to my wife :rolleyes:).Honestly I was collecting it for a small green house but it might not weld the same as mild steel with all that carbon....nah I have enough fun with 1084
 
It won't weld like mild steel. There is enuff carbon in most bedrail to have weld failure if welded and not pre/post heated. then stressed in some way. BTDT
 
There is a mill outside of Pittsburgh, PA that specialize in reshaping railroad track. I got a hold of a piece of 11/8" round bar that was supposedly made with a load of Russian R/R track that they got from overseas. I spoke to the owner of the place who told me that the carbon runs between 60 and 80 and that the newer stuff is coming through with added chrome to .5.

It's also commonly known that the Japanese were using it ti make Officers swords with it towards the end of WW2.

I'd say that making bed frame out of it would make good sense. It's strong steel and probably economical to use.

Aldo
 
I tried to harden a chunk that I had... No go. Well, maybe it hardened a bit but I could still file away at it with no problem.

If I had to guess I'd say this stuff had maybe 20 to 30 points of carbon, judging from the smell from grinding and the spark test. That choking carbon dust/smell was there, just not like a known high carbon steel.
 
You guys bring up some real interesting points. I was going to make my dad another small lumber rack for his wood working shop out of a couple of old bedframes he got from a friend (I just saw it as free angle!)... But if it's going to present the typical issues of welding med-high carbon it might not be worth the free part!

Steel sure is getting spendy though, I bought a stick of 1X1X 1/8" wall square tubing on Friday and it was $50! I think it was only a few years ago I got the exact same size for a $20 bill. :(
 
I'd have to make a phone call. I spoke to them on the phone last time I was out to see Mr. Eggerling. I''ll try and call him this PM and get the address.

Aldo
 
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