Drilling bed frame material

[Jeff Ivers]

I have read others commenting over the years on the difficulty of drilling bed frame material.

I have always found it more difficult than other metal to drill. However, I have had good luck with 2 techniques. With a cordless drill, I drill thru with about a 3/32 bit and then step up 1 or 2 sizes at a time until I reach the desired diameter hole. The other thing that works is using a good sharp bit of the desired diameter in the drill press and drilling through.

Over the past couple of days, I have been preparing a pair of bed frame rectangles that I welded up to use as leg stiffeners on my blast cabinet that I am enhancing/restoring. The first 24 holes went fine, but the last four are giving me fits. The last 4 holes are going through the material right where I welded the mitered corners. I don't want to discuss how many bits I dulled or broke today.

So here are my questions:
1. Is there something I should be doping before or after Mig welding this metal to prevent the drilling from becoming so difficult?
2. What is the best way to drill this - some kind of drill bit I may not know about?

Any and all help will be appreciated.

 

[Pntyrmvr]

I think bed rails are particularly high in iron content and iron is the worst on cutting tools.

Sharp bits and speeds much slower than you might expect are the keys. Like wow this is slow, but look at all the chips it’s making.

Also my secret ingredient for any metal drilling or cutting is Lenox lube tube. I wipe it on anything going into metal. It’s waxy and helps tools stay sharp. Even carbide sawzall blades.

Google “Lenox lube tube. Multi purpose lubricating wax for industrial use.”



“Talk is cheap. Whiskey costs money.”

 

[Gunfixr]

Wow, I didn't know they still made the Lenox wax lube, it's been so long since i've seen it. I'll second that it's good stuff.

Cobalt bits are better for harder materials than hss bits.

Speed and lubrication. As drill size, or material hardness goes up, speed needs to come down. While any oil is better than none, cutting oils are recommended.

You could try preheating the rails before welding, and see if that helps. Not real hot, maybe 300-400 degrees tops. When it first starts to change colors. It will reduce the drastic nature of the temp change. Let the welds slow cool.

 

[toolchaser]

Bed rails are surface hardened to reduce flex. Once through the hardened "skin" drilling should be easier, maybe spot grind at your hole locations

 

[American Locomotive]

Bed frames are often made from re-rolled rail road track! So they are very often high strength carbon steel.

 

[lilredex]

Use a sharp bit, slow speed and a good cutting oil. Keep the bit pulled into the work and don't let up, make it work. To keep the cutting oil on the bit, drill through a washer with a generous sized hole.

Drilling bed rails is much like drilling through spring leaves, keep the pressure on so it doesn't work harden.

 

[oldmachinenut]

Bed frames are often made from re-rolled rail road track! So they are very often high strength carbon steel.

This, the factory that re-rolls the rail used for the majority of the bed frames you will find is located 3 miles from me. Jersey Shore Steel, jssteel.com

 

[gorilla]

You started with a hard material and then made it harder by welding on it. Forget drilling blow a hole through it with a cutting torch or a plasma. How much $ did you save using that ****?

 

[Copymutt]

Wow, never new any of that, but also never noticed an issue drilling same.
Puts those garage/yard sale sources of bed frames in a new premium score category.

 

[Firebrick43]

The best thing you can do before welding to make drilling holes easier is buy some good angle iron. Life is to short to struggle and stress with welding and machining.

Its hard to remember but ~15 years ago i said enough to machining mystery metal and started buy 12L14 and Lasalle stress proof. Hell, i think I would rather drill and bore 12L14 than start with DOM 1020 for bushings and spacers.

 

[brianh]

I use a carbide tipped masonry bit in my drill press, if you sharpen with a diamond wheel it cuts great I use bed angle iron all the time, there is always some at the transfer station scrap pile. Good drilling lube is canola oil much higher burning point than dino oil.

I also have used carbide mills in the milling machine. Or the hand held plasma cutter if not too fussy on location accuracy.

 

[BD1]

Bed frame are junk steel. If you have to weld on or drill it, heating helps.
Farm disc blades are usually the same. I get red it red hot then weld.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Jeff Ivers]

You could try a center drill to get the hole started.
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=center+d...nter+drill,aps,238&ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-doa-p_1_12

For a regular drill bit cobalt will last longer before needing to be sharpened.
https://www.homedepot.com/s/cobalt%20drill%20bit?NCNI-5

Thank you for the suggestions. I will be looking for a center drill.

I think bed rails are particularly high in iron content and iron is the worst on cutting tools.

Sharp bits and speeds much slower than you might expect are the keys. Like wow this is slow, but look at all the chips it’s making.

Also my secret ingredient for any metal drilling or cutting is Lenox lube tube. I wipe it on anything going into metal. It’s waxy and helps tools stay sharp. Even carbide sawzall blades.

Google “Lenox lube tube. Multi purpose lubricating wax for industrial use.”

“Talk is cheap. Whiskey costs money.”

Thank you for the suggestion. Hadn't heard of that product. But, I was using cutting oil.

Wow, I didn't know they still made the Lenox wax lube, it's been so long since i've seen it. I'll second that it's good stuff.

Cobalt bits are better for harder materials than hss bits.

Speed and lubrication. As drill size, or material hardness goes up, speed needs to come down. While any oil is better than none, cutting oils are recommended.

You could try preheating the rails before welding, and see if that helps. Not real hot, maybe 300-400 degrees tops. When it first starts to change colors. It will reduce the drastic nature of the temp change. Let the welds slow cool.

Would one do the drilling while the metal was hot or after it cooled? If hot, what would that do to the drill bit?

Bed rails are surface hardened to reduce flex. Once through the hardened "skin" drilling should be easier, maybe spot grind at your hole locations

The indentation I have on these 2 holes was made by using a diamond burr in a dremel tool. Didn't make a difference in the ability to drill with cobalt bits.

 

[Jeff Ivers]

Use a sharp bit, slow speed and a good cutting oil. Keep the bit pulled into the work and don't let up, make it work. To keep the cutting oil on the bit, drill through a washer with a generous sized hole.

Drilling bed rails is much like drilling through spring leaves, keep the pressure on so it doesn't work harden.

Ah, that explains why using the drill press is more effective than hand held drill.

 

[Jeff Ivers]

You started with a hard material and then made it harder by welding on it. Forget drilling blow a hole through it with a cutting torch or a plasma. How much $ did you save using that ****?

Don't have a cutting torch, so that is not an option.

In answer to your question:

The closest place to buy steel is 20 miles one way, so I saved:

$10 in gas
$20 for the steel (min charge - may have been more for 20' of angle)
1.5 hours of my time

So, If I factor in the $12 of wasted bits, I would say I still came out ahead.

Plus - the satisfaction of repurposing/recycling something headed for the landfill - PRICELESS!

 

[Gunfixr]

You can drill it hot or cold, won't hurt the bit. Bit is gonna get hot anyways.

 

[Jeff Ivers]

I use a carbide tipped masonry bit in my drill press, if you sharpen with a diamond wheel it cuts great I use bed angle iron all the time, there is always some at the transfer station scrap pile. Good drilling lube is canola oil much higher burning point than dino oil.

I also have used carbide mills in the milling machine. Or the hand held plasma cutter if not too fussy on location accuracy.

Thanks for the suggestion! I used a carbide tapcon bit in my drill press to punch through the last 2 holes yesterday afternoon. Now I'm on to the painting.

 

[brianh]

Thanks for the suggestion! I used a carbide tapcon bit in my drill press to punch through the last 2 holes yesterday afternoon. Now I'm on to the painting.

Glad to help, be sure to post the blast cabinet when done.

 

[Stephenw]

Over the years...

I hear you do some welding and fabrication, would you like these free bed frames?

NO THANK YOU!!!

Mild steel angle iron is really cheap. Buy it at a steel supply, not the little steel rack at Lowes or Home Depot.

It is not worth the hassle dealing with cutting and drilling bed frames.

 

[c/o say]

I have had good luck drill a starter hole then use the cheap harbor freight step drills

 

[Bigblue&Goldie]

Is there really that many old bed frames floating around? I'm all about repurposing, and I never seem to throw any metal scraps away, but bed frames are not something I would keep for fab projects.

 

[Muckin_Slusher]

I use bed frames all the time for random ****. Drills fine, but then I know how to sharpen bits and am used to drilling stainless electrical boxes.

 

[oldmachinenut]

Bed rails are surface hardened to reduce flex. Once through the hardened "skin" drilling should be easier, maybe spot grind at your hole locations

The guys I know that work in the rolling mill say it is quenched with water as it exits the final rolling operation still red hot so it is case or surface hardened. I have no problem drilling it on my variable speed drillpress using low speed, constant pressure and cutting oil. Being near the factory there is a fair amount of virgin (never made into a bad frame) stuff available. It is never my first choice for stock but I was given a nice pile of it.

 

[csp]

Last time I welded bed frame pieces I swore I forgot to turn on the shielding gas.

Nope, it was just junk steel.

 

[Kenstone1]

I use a carbide tipped masonry bit in my drill press, if you sharpen with a diamond wheel it cuts great I use bed angle iron all the time, there is always some at the transfer station scrap pile. Good drilling lube is canola oil much higher burning point than dino oil.

I also have used carbide mills in the milling machine. Or the hand held plasma cutter if not too fussy on location accuracy.

Yep +1 on the carbide tipped masonry drills.
I have a cheap drill sharpener with a diamond wheel that I use to get a good/better edge/point on those masonry drills, they are really spade drills, not twist drills and need a sharper point for drilling bed frame steel.

I buy bed frames for cheap at the thrift store, pop out all the rivets and weld them into a rectangle, cut a piece of OSB to drop into it, and hang it from the garage ceiling for light/bulky storage.
Like the racks sold at Cosco for $150 a pop.
I have cheated on the last few though, and welded on HRS tabs to drill through

 

[gearhead1]

I have had 2 bed frames over the years that were a pain to drill. I quickly scrapped those. The others have been drillable. It’s not worth the hassle to me to keep the ones I couldn’t drill.

 

[Bretny]

All you guys knocking bed frames can send them my way please. I always try to have a nice stock of them and build all kinds of odds and ends useing them. Trailer tongue basket, angle grinder wall hanger even a small trailer drop down ramp..

 

[Jeff Ivers]

Thanks to the tips posted here, I finished the last 4 of 28 holes drilled on my 2 bed frame rectangles and bolted the casters and legs up.

 

[brianh]

Looks like they came with it.

 

[gearhead1]

All you guys knocking bed frames can send them my way please. I always try to have a nice stock of them and build all kinds of odds and ends useing them. Trailer tongue basket, angle grinder wall hanger even a small trailer drop down ramp..

I chuckled when I saw this, I made a trailer tongue basket out of bed frame angle iron also. The price was right.

 

[FTG-05]

All you guys knocking bed frames can send them my way please. I always try to have a nice stock of them and build all kinds of odds and ends useing them. Trailer tongue basket, angle grinder wall hanger even a small trailer drop down ramp..

I'm with you! My Everlast plasma cutter solves any drilling issues.

 

[mark-NJ]

ummm....what?

Heck of a first post!

@Jeff Ivers : I realize your project is done (looks great BTW), but for the future: 135 degree bits work better on these hard frames than 118 degree bits do.

 

[engineer2]

mmmm...

 

[Monza Harry]

This past weekend I drilled 24 holes @ 3/16" dia. I used a carbide cement drill big money $3 and then used a ~$4, 3/8" as a countersink I used the Bridgeport but a drill press would have done the same. About 1/2 an hour with cleanup. I used that as I didn't want to fight with my wore out HSS bit. If you have to buy one anyway, why not make it easy on yourself? Harry

 

[no704]

Glad to see ya got her done, nice job. FYI, get it cherry hot and let it air cool, especially in the weld haz. And u will have a better time drilling it.

 

[SteveH-CO]

Bed frames turn up on Craigslist and at thrift stores. I used a chunk to reinforce the front edge of my Japanese pickup bed trailer ('77 Ford Courier) and it works well. Stiff as all get-out, which is just what the crappy rolled sheet metal edge needed. Anyone with a Japanese pickup bed will know what I'm talking about.

I have tried heating (and cooling, to anneal) and drilling while hot, and there just is no easy way to get holes in a bed frame. It is, indeed, tough stuff. Torch or just fry a few drill bits.

 

[driftpin]

At this point in my life, time is too-short to try making bedframe holes. It's much easier to buy some steel stock from the local supply house, or to visit the recycling yard which still allows me the privilege of searching the yard. I've tried I think everything mentioned here: drill 'butter,' progressive holes, carbide drill bits, burning through multiple HSS bits, step-bits, drill press, heat... . It's much-more satisfying to attack a new piece of stock. No frustration, no extra steps, no agita.

 

[WoodsTruck]

I ended up buying a set of cobalt bits for some stainless steel work I was doing a couple years ago. Haven't tried them in bed frame steel but they were the ticket for work hardening SS.

 

[Von Psycho]

lilredex has it figured out, you won't get curls as it will only chip out ( I drill it dry).
I make a rectangle and screw it to the wall and have angled straps (1" x 1/8 x length needed)
welded to the front and angled to the wall and cut rough pine or plywood for the insert (shelf).

 

[Paco Pena]

I gave up trying to drill a piece of very old bed frame for a small project. Gave up but ended up making a few small knives from the steel. They hold an edge pretty well for a shop knife.

Paco