Bedframe steel

[swinada]

I use bedframe angle iron to screw the steelpanels to at the top of the window.

Most of them work fine, however now I have run into a problem that I can not cut the frames with the Sawsall or drill any holes. The first few frames went without a problem, this is a different bed i salvaged. Is there something different in bedframe steel that makes them very hard to drill????
I know that I once read something on VONSLATTS page about bedframes, I however cannot find it on his site right now.
Anybody any knowledge on this? A way to prepare the frames so they can be drilled?

[the_experience03]

The stuff is hard. I've found that annealing it with a torch makes life much easier. Combine that with good sharp bits, a slow drill speed, and lots of cooling fluid and it works ok. You sure can't beat the price.

[Joseph97297]

Hello. What gauge metal did you use to skin those windows? Any special technique or just measure, cut, and rivet? We are debating about removing some of the windows this early in the conversion or just tinting them and leaving them for now?

Thanks

Joseph

[sportyrick]

A "good" bedframe is heat treated steel, tempered to be a springy so they can bend and return back to shape and still be light. This makes them hard to drill and they have enough carbon in them to present problems when welded (like a leaf spring). If you look at how they are put together they are rivetted, not welded. The best thing to use is regular low carbon steel you buy from a steel supply house. RR track is the same way, it has so much manganese in it you can't do much with it, too hard to drill, too much alloy to weld, makes great property corner markers. sportyrick

[Abbott]

Originally Posted by Joseph97297

Hello. What gauge metal did you use to skin those windows? Any special technique or just measure, cut, and rivet? We are debating about removing some of the windows this early in the conversion or just tinting them and leaving them for now?

Thanks

Joseph

I used 20 gauge on mine, it worked very well. Plenty of strength and no vibrations.

[swinada]

Joseph97297 wrote:
Hello. What gauge metal did you use to skin those windows? Any special technique or just measure, cut, and rivet? We are debating about removing some of the windows this early in the conversion or just tinting them and leaving them for now?

Thanks

Joseph

I used 18gauge steel, and used SelfTapping screws to fasten it to the bus. Cant tell you yet how it sounds driving down the road since I'm not done yet.
Start at the back of the bus work your way towards the front.
I used screws every 3"
used glazers putty between the frame and the steel panels. Comes in 30" rolls cost about $10 each.
I had the panels (4'x8') cut in half at the steel yard, dont know if that would work on your bus since window heights are different on buses. But having it cut at the steelyard is for sure easier then trying to cut it all your self. Measure twice, cut once.

[Griff]

Originally Posted by sportyrick

. . .RR track is the same way, it has so much manganese in it you can't do much with it, too hard to drill, too much alloy to weld, makes great property corner markers. sportyrick

. . .and a short piece of it makes a great anvil, too!