Crunch Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 OK, being the scavenger and TIG welding hobbyist that I am, when we trashed our mattress and boxspring, I tore out and saved the steel spreaders inside the boxspring that the springs clip to. I figure that the steel spreaders will be good for something somewhere down the line, even if it's only practicing my TIG welding. Now, what's left inside the boxspring are all the steel springs that used to clip to the spreader bars. They're made from wire about 5/32" thick, and if they were straightened out, I suppose they would be maybe 15" long and there are about 50 of them. I understand springs are normally made of high carbon steel, so ... are these springs worth cutting out and saving? Is there any use for them? Can they be forge welded together to make heavier pieces of high-carbon steel? I'm just a newbie blacksmith so I don't know...would this just be a waste of time and cutoff wheels? Or is it worth doing? Thanks in advance for any feedback. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 As you are just starting out I would say that the coil springs will not be very useful for you and will take up space. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregDP Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 I dunno, at the risk of giving away my ideas.. shoot, I've borrowed so many I aught to. I haven't got around to heat treating any of mine yet, but I use them to warm up. I make little razor blades and a couple other tools like you might find in one of those cheap-o wood carving sets. They'll probably be trash even if I ever get around to heat treating and putting a handle on 'em.. I annealed them in a bond fire pulled them apart, straighten and cold cut 'em to size on an axe.. Have fun, and remember even if it moves cold, I'd heat it up to anneal it and treat it like any other knife if I were you. I save everything I can though, metal especially.. these days I guess thats a medical condition. My grandfather would've called it being poor though. I'd like to try some box Damascus with them if I ever get my hands on a press. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkrankow Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 Good for practicing bundle welding and basket handles. Phil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Yates Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 Crunch they are medum carbon steel worth the saving and good for a bit of pratice and simple knives when forged into damascus or folded steel as many like to call it . Free is just that Free and one thing don't let every one know it they will want 2oo for a worn out bed LOL ... Best Regards Sam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
r smith Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 Sounds like a good way to get good at bundle welding welding, like phil said. Add in some other wires, give it a twist and you have your own "cable" to make cable damascus blades of whatever size you can manage. Sounds like great practice and learning. The good thing about having so many is you can perfect the procedure and repeat it many times :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 I prefer election signs for basket handles myself, straight wire is easier to bundle up. Picked up a couple after the spring election out here even though I have a gracious plenty already---found an unused box of them at the scrap yard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MOblacksmith0530 Posted June 13, 2012 Share Posted June 13, 2012 They are usually meduim carbon but not always some are harder. We had a piece that had been straightened to make another shape of spring out of and the left over end sat around for quite a while until my partner found it and took it to my cold cut hardie to cut it, and it put the prettiest little half round groove in the tool that has cold cut up to 3/4 Hot rolled with nary a mark. This piece had been heated and straightened and then tossed in the pile on the floor with out any heat treat so it got hard enough air cooling to damage a very substantial tool. Having said all that they could certainly be welded up unto a "cable" damascus blank. You might even try to find some other high carbon of a different flavor to mix in the bundle and make something interesting pattern wise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crunch Posted June 13, 2012 Author Share Posted June 13, 2012 Thanks, fellas. I ended up cutting them out...used one 69¢ cutoff wheel and yielded maybe 10-15# of steel...the boxspring was over 30 years old so maybe the steel was something exotic! :P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcostello Posted June 13, 2012 Share Posted June 13, 2012 Very possibly it is "work hardened." :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crunch Posted June 13, 2012 Author Share Posted June 13, 2012 Very possibly it is "work hardened." :) Maybe that's why there were all those broken ones! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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