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The Outpost This forum is dedicated to all who share a love for, and a desire to make good knives, and have fun doing it. We represent a diverse group of smiths and knifemakers who bring numerous methods to their craft. |
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#1
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Cold rolled steel, bed frames
Would this be any good for knives? I was wondering if 1070, or bed frame steel would be good for knives. Maybe with a superquench if the carbon's too low, or something. It was suggested to me by a friend, and it seems much easier/cheaper than leafsprings. Any info would help, thanks Anthony |
#2
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If it is, in fact, 1070, it would be ok for knives. I would spark test it--put a piece against a grinder and see how bright, complex and bursting the sparks are. It they are profuse, and bursting (exploding) on the ends, then that's a fair indication that there's enough carbon to make a knife. If the sparks are dull, lifeless little lines, then probably not. One other thing, the spark test is not 100%. A steel may have high enough carbon, but may be alloyed with other elements to a degree which would make it not worth the trouble to forge. When I first began forging knives, I collected anything and everything that resembled steel. I learned a valuable lesson in that not all that is steel is good for forging knives. Now I stick with what I know works, and seek out those steels specifically. I like 1095, 1084, W1, W2, and 5160. They are commonly found new from steel distributors, or can be scrounged in the form of springs (vehicular coil and leaf) old USA made metal files (W2), new USA made files (1095), plow points, hay rake tines, etc. You might try cutting a piece of bedframe steel and forging it into a blade. Harden it and temper it to your liking and see how it performs. Will it hold an edge? Is it flexible at the spine? If so, then it worked! If not, it will always serve as a decent letter opener. I have mucho letter openers in my collection from my beginning days. Good luck. |
#3
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Anthony, Are you talking the part that holds the bed up or like the box springs and mattress. The last bed I bought I was told that it was run threw heat treat twice. Never thought I was sleeping on knife steel before. You could be the first kid on the block to come up with bed spring damascus. You think about it, a beds got to be pretty tuff. Let us know what you find out...Ray |
#4
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yep 1070
I knew they were 1070, just wondered if 1070 was worth forging. Guess it is, woohoo, you have no idea how many times I have driven past bed frames being thrown out. Now that I am going to start forging I gots me stiuff to forge. : I love the fact that any of you guys cam turn landfill and junk into works of art. Ray, it never occurred to me to try damascus at my time, or out of that material. Maybe one day I will make a bed-knife, like bedposts for handle, frame for blade, or bolster, and damascus for blade, and ferrule. I could use both, make a really cool knife. Hehe, got me thinkin' there Ray. Hard to do, but you did. : |
#5
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Re: yep 1070
Hey Lamnia, (how do you pronounce that anyway?) what kind of bed frames are we talking here, timewise? Any modern kind of bed or older ones or this has been common for many years? It actually makes sense to me that a carbon steel would be used. 1070 should make a pretty good knife. What about those folding frames on wheels they put under box spring sets? ghostdog |
#6
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Re: yep 1070
Keith, I would think the frame is just mild steel. Its just there for support... |
#7
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Bed Knives
I cut up a bed spring frame for the rim steel just the other week. I figured it to be low carbon, the part I used was the 3/8 diameter rod that formed the rim around the top edge. It was one of those spring sets that go under the mattress. I made a coat rack from it, it forged fairly easy, but I did find it was a high carbon steel once I got into it. The bends won't lay flat and it's really springy. I guess I'll have to anneal it to be able to straighten it out so it fits flat on the wall. I would say any part that would be expected to flex and still support weight might be med to high carbon. Thinking about it, I did chisel cut some of the angle iron and it broke more like high carbon than cold rolled. Hummmmmm, Perhaps there is more good steel in my trash pile than I thought. Jim |
#8
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Re: Bed Knives
I'm not so sure about cold rolling high carbon steel. It seems like it would be to hard and brittle, even in the anealed state. I know that mild steel is cold rolled, but it requires a more pure/maleable material than the stuff they use for hot rolling, which is mostly junk. The bed frames are probably pressed, if they are high carbon. Bed springs on the other hand are definately good steel. I've used them whenever I needed a small wire like piece of hardenable steel. They make great scribes, needles, nails, and I even used them to make the springs for jaw harps. I suppose you could bundle up the springs and forge weld them into a solid mass, to make a blade. It might show an interesting pattern too. |
#9
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Re: Bed Knives
Ya, I am forever picking up the coil spring sets from beds and couches. Seems to be some kind of cult around here that takes them out in the bush and burns the beds up and leaves the spring sets. Fool moon parties? I dunno. But the steel is great. I have been making candle stick holders and hooks from them. Hey Moldy....how ya doin? ghostdog |
#10
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Re: Bed Knives
If you have actual 1070 then it might make a fine knife, lending itself to an Oriental clay pack hardening with a brine quench. At full hard 1070 shouldnt be as brittle as, oh say 1095. But then again bedframes, even if 1070 are probably made of a low grade steel, liable to be full of inclusions nad dirt, internal flaws. |
#11
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Re: Bed Knives
Hmm, bed springs are sounding better and better than the frame. Is forge welding any harder than heating it to semi-solid and beating together? If so tell me how to do it, I also think the pattern would be worth the work. Besides the steel would be free. Thanks all, for your excellent help and suggestions on this post. By the way my name is latin, pronounce lamb (silent b) nee-uh ar-ti-fexx kind of snake-like at the end. hope that helps. It means blade maker |
#12
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Re: Bed Knives
You ain't your typical kid. |
#13
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Re: pronounce
Lamnia thanks. I was pronouncing it correctly but it was only by a good guess. Tai, I don't know any kids that are typical. Its us old guys that get typical. ghostdog |
#14
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Re: pronounce
Lol, what schools don't teach latin anymore? It's sad, my school teaches French and Spanish. Here I am thinking to myself, when was the last time I met a french speaking person, let alone one who doesn't know english. I can kind of understand with the whole spanish thing, I mean, I live in Florida for kripe's sake. But still, why would I talk to a spanish person who couldn't talk with me? If they don't want to take the initiative to speak the national language I probably don't want to talk to them. Now if they taught latin, I could at least communicate (semi-limitedly) with both french and spanish speakers. Italian too for that matter. : American schools are run SOOO well. :snicker: Our country is a joke. |
#15
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Joke
Lamnia, If you think our country is a joke I would suggest you do something about it. If you get the opportunity to see some of this big ole world you'd appreciate how good living in this joke is. If I sound pissed, I am. I'm a soldier currently deployed to Kosovo, missing all my kid's birthdays, another anniversary (actually in 10 years of marriage, I've only been home for one) and another Christmas. I'm leaving Kosovo soon, but to read some kid is calling the greatest country on the planet a "joke" ticks me H### off. Will Legionnaire for Pax Americana |
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