Anyone using old steel bed rails for project builds?

[GregsRetroGarage]

I have a bunch of old steel bed rails and wanted to ask if anyone has used them to build something useful for the garage? I hear the steel is dern near impossible to cut but thought I would ask. Thanks for any input!

 

[mayday0017]

If I remember correctly there is a big thread with pics of projects people have done using them.... I have a stand for my blasting cabinet I made from bed rails, some really hard stuff....

 

[metaleltr]

Yeah it's a ***** to cut, use an abrasive wheel to cut, anneal before drilling.

 

[nine4gmc]

I have seen it used for everything from home made hot rod unibody framing to work bench stands. This thread should be interesting!

 

[Rolling_Thunder]

I made this welder cart from Bed Frames!!! Like others have said its hard to cut and hard to drill but easy to weld!!

 

[5lima30]

I have made several firewood racks using bed rails.

 

[DanCo]

My favorite building material I'm always looking for it on the night before the recycle pick up.

Dan

 

[srmofo]

Ive got some bed rail "stock" in the garage right now. I spent 5 minutes cutting the rivets out. The guys at work thought I was crazy but I hate throwing away perfectly good material.

Might have been even quicker if I just cut the sections with the rivets off, but I had no idea what project it might be needed for and knowing my luck I would have been 2 inches too short <---story of my life,lol

 

[neonnblack]

I work at a donation/thift type place, i cant get bed rails like no other if i need it. Its nice to use until you need to drill out the rivets eewww.

 

[lilredex]

Have made many projects from bed rails.

This is the latest. A three sided roll around cart with swing out tool boards.

The back.

The plan.

To enclose these and make them mobile.

 

[Ray-CA]

I'm looking for some to make a wall mount tire rack. Hard to find around here lately but that is okay, I don't have a wall to hang it on (yet.)

Ray

 

[crewchief888]

i never pass up a bedframe on garbage day.

made all kinds of brackets, mounts, ect out of them.

another thing thats come in real handy is the supports and hardware from old garage doors. i chopped down the doors on my s-10 blazer trail truck and used the U shaped channel (from the bottom of my old garage door) to form the new armrests and top of the door.

 

[bczygan]

Scrappers get all the metal around Detroit too quickly....even if it's still in or attached to your house.

 

[toymn6366]

i grab bedrails anytime i find them got a stash behind shop.the legs of my smoker is made out of bedrails. anybody think bedrails smell funny as your welding them are is it just me.

 

[kald]

Scrappers get all the metal around Detroit too quickly....even if it's still in or attached to your house.

Same here in FL. I took out the garbage a few weeks ago and noticed the neighbor just took out two sets of bed frames. I went back inside for few minutes because my 22 month old daughter was crying. I get her situated in the play pen and go outside to collect my score and low and behold a couple of methy looking scrapers were already loading it into thier truck.

Efing bastards beat me to SS grill a few months ago as well.

 

[nonhog]

Its not good for HD stuff but handy for small stuff. I used it for top rail on my utility trailer. Price is right!

 

[brianh]

I use it all the time, this is the only project I can think of that I took pictures of.

It is a ball vise for mounting wood on to chainsaw carve I have since made other adapters to screw on it gets used all the time.

The ball is a bowling ball.

 

[metaleltr]

Did you melt brass into the ball?

 

[ZRX61]

While there's no doubt that *free* steel is a bargain, in reality a 20ft stick of angle from the metal yard isn't all that expensive.

 

[kald]

While there's no doubt that *free* steel is a bargain, in reality a 20ft stick of angle from the metal yard isn't all that expensive.

Finding free steel is like getting a hot chicks number.

 

[brianh]

Did you melt brass into the ball?

No its epoxy with filler.

 

[metaleltr]

Ok it looked like brass from brazing

 

[Kyle86]

Yes, as a broke college kid it was all I used. Also since I lived right next to train tracks, metal track ties and spikes also got incorporated into the projects. Specifically I've framed 2 solid work benches with it as well as repairing a trailer and even built a car ramp with the 1/4" thick railroad metal.

 

[raddksn]

Dam my secret is out!!! dolly for my basment toolbox,spring compressor for snowmobile coilovers,and comming soon storage rack for my jack stands.

 

[sberry]

I really hate to use the stuff unless I am dead nuts sure I don't want to add to it etc. Its a problem to drill or self driller to, ran into a piece I had done the other day, ****, remembered built some from bed steel.

 

[airsanford]

Saw an article a few years ago that said bedframes were made from recycled railroad rails. My memory ain't much, but if I recall, the plant was in Georgia.

 

[tylerae40]

Has anyone used the old bed ends made of pipe and decorative cast bits, for projects?

 

[94legaleagle]

I've NEVER had a problem cutting or drilling it - a GOOD set of drill bits and Mystic Metal Mover will make drilling it a piece of cake - cutting wise, either oxy / ace torch, abraisive cut-off saw, hack saw, etc

 

[KTMrider]

Snowmobile dollies, a firewood rack and soon, a bear-proof garbage can cage!

 

[MScott]

Snowmobile dollies, a firewood rack and soon, a bear-proof garbage can cage!

That I would like to see. Be sure to post your build.

 

[MP&C]

Used some to make an anvil for shaping a large dimple on a wagon roof rust repair job....

Now to show the formation of the dimples. Once again, use what you have available, but here is a good use for old bed frame angles. Cut to size, weld together, and weld another strip around the top edge. This will allow more surface area as we radius the inside to prevent cuts in the metal. Don't forget a strip of metal across the open side to keep it from spreading..

The top edge gets trimmed down to size, our hammering will go easier without all that excess in the way.

I have a couple different sized "anvil punches" that I have formed radius ends on, we'll use the large one initially, and a smaller to fine tune the shape afterwards.

With the dimple formation, we are actually shrinking the overall length of the part in this area, as can be seen by the distortion in the top flange:

Some of this will be removed when we bend the offset in the flange, but in the end, it will need some stretching in both areas after the forming is complete, in order to restore the proper length to the part.

Here's the complete thread.....

http://www.trifive.com/forums/showthread.php?t=33963

 

[Hephaestus29]

Yeah it's a ***** to cut, use an abrasive wheel to cut, anneal before drilling.

Thats funny because I thought the stuff was closer to pot metal than being so " tuff ".

I did make some material racks out of an old bed frame I had.

 

[Provincial]

MP&C, nice Parker vise! Good to see it is still making a living.

 

[EvilEye]

Here are the adjustable rails from bed frames cut to length and painted.

the slots fit my quick couplers perfect.

 

[raddksn]

made this long ago for the table saw

 

[raddksn]

the new storage rack for the jackstands

 

[jhn9840]

I like the jackstand rack. Keeping the jack and stands all together is a good idea.

jhn9840
John

 

[41ratrod]

I used one to set my 41 ford body on to move it around and another one
cut up for stiffing up the body while the floor pan was cut out.

 

[GregsRetroGarage]

Here are the adjustable rails from bed frames cut to length and painted.

the slots fit my quick couplers perfect.

I like this one! I will try this in my garage!

 

[KMinAF]

I made this roll a round cart from old bed rails

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and a stool for the garage

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and a fan to keep things cool

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and last but not least I "upgraded" my HF trailer

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