suggestions for holes in bed frame.

[SPYDERLK]

Here's something interesting. It's punching small holes in a stainless strip in this pic that I used for holding the plastic fender skirts on my cab. Pretty sure the guy in the shop said it'll do 1" holes in 1/2" steel. Other parts of the machine can chomp off large angle and flatbar. There's even a jaw at the other end that can act like a big nibbler.

View attachment 299899

1/4" holes in 1/8" semihard stock is a bit more difficult. Should be still doable, but at even lower diameter it gets iffy.
larry

 

[Gary Fowler]

I have drilled bed frames using self tapping screws without difficulty and those aren't the best quality drill bits and then even the screws went in without any problem. Maybe my bedframes are better quality, softer material or something than what you guys are getting. I sure wouldn't think they have had an expensive heat treatment and for sure not a Chromium alloy which would have to have some Cr and manganese to be hardenable. Regular carbon just hardens by cold working not heat treating and I suspect the only working that they get is in the forming and that should be hot formed. As someone mentioned, maybe there are hard spots and soft spots due to higher carbon and manganese content in areas because the ladle was not well blended before the ingot was poured at the steel mill. According to a documentary I saw, Most steel now is made from recycled materials as most of the iron ore deposits have been depleted world wide and its cheaper to recycle than make from virgin ore whether making steel or aluminum. On good steel products, the ladle contents would be analyzed and trace elements added to make the proper mixture where as cheaper products like perhaps bed frame material, might be made from the raw melt of what ever scrap that they put in.

 

[9fingers]

I use a propane torch where I want to cut or drill. 30 seconds each side does it for me.

 

[sparc]

It's curious to me how there are so many cheap, fabricated metal gizmos that come out of China when I can't even buy the raw steel at the same cost to make the same thing. And where do the Chinese get the same orange paint for everything?

When you buy decommissioned warships at a dollar a ton its easy to save money on raw materials.

The paint color comes from mixing all their waste products into the paint, giving it that universal orange color that they recognize in their country as containing waste products. nothing sold in China has this orange color, only export products.

These are both purely guess answers and for entertainment purposes only, but in reality may not be far from the truth.

Remember reading about the toys coming out of China with toxic paint on them?

Remember Uncle Sam selling decommissioned warships some years ago for pennies on the dollar? I remember them being towed out of the Inner Basin at the Philly Navy Yard where the Navy had a number of ships mothballed down the Delaware River heading overseas to Korea or China, don't know which.

See the basin below labeled Philadelphia Navy Yard? It used to be full (over 60) of ships 15 years ago, now you see only about 16.

 

[the old grind]

There's lots of good advice above, tips scattered here & there. Bed rail is typically hot rolled and the rough surface is from cooling in air as it comes off the rollers. It work-hardens easily when heated (as by drilling or sawing). Heating both sides to red before (and a bit outside of) the drilling area does work to draw down the temper, as mentioned. If 'burning' with a 60xx rod, DC and neg polarity on it seems to work best.

Things to note from previous mention about drilling: High pressure, low RPM, and a dab of coolant in general, esp if minimal tools/ergonomics are at hand, ... or working literally in your lap as some small jobs can go. Piloting with a 1/8" helps with thicker drill bits (> 3/8") due to the 'web' of a bit having to 'push' vs the cutting that the lips do. btw: Use bits 1/32" - 1/16" larger than the bolts to be used.

Metal cutting depends on proper 'feeds & speeds'. In the trade we rely on the chip to tell us if a drill/tool is cutting properly. An old rule of thumb is 500 rpm for 1/2" drill bit or milling cutter on steel with HSS. Go proportionally slower as tool diameter increases and higher when drilling smaller. (12-1500 rpm with that 1/8" & the right pressure.) Double the rpm for aluminum, or with carbide on steel in the drill press. Double again for CBD on aluminum.

A power drill does not know the right speed/rpm to work at, we have to learn the ropes as we go. Use extra pressure to slow the motor if/as needed and keep the tip wet. Chip quality will let you know you when hit that sweet spot. That said, carbide in a hand-held drill is often a tough call, as a bit of wobble can easily chip a drill's corners or snap it off. No prob on a DP even at the higher speeds carbide likes to work at.

 

[okclumberjack]

WOW this whole post is over my head ???

 

[senecak19]

WOW this whole post is over my head ???

I'm with this guy. Like the OP, I use this stuff all the time. As a matter a fact coworkers religiously bring the frames in for me. I probably have 20 or so frames stacked for random use. I don't use them for anything of great importance, but when some light duty angle fits, free is best. I have not had a problem drilling holes with the Harbor Freight step bits.

 

[jimgerken]

Plasma cutter. Plasma doesn't care what it is, if it is conductive, it will be melted instantly.

 

[BukitCase]

I'm with you, Jim (PM45, love it) but you may have missed the opening statement by the OP - "I am a poor person" - although there are less expensive plaz's, I don't recall seeing just HOW poor we're talking here Steve

 

[jimgerken]

Yea, sorry. You never know about people though. I watch these shows about the "poor" people in Texas with $12M homes and $5M swimming pools and wonder how they feed their kids.