In which I build a bed: Part 2

Let's start!

The first thing we need to do is take apart the old bed.  The bed consists of assemblies each consisting of 3 L bars of steel connected at a pivot point.  We only want the long side bars, not the ones with the legs.  In the image, the top one is still assembled while the bottom, I have taken apart.

The arm pieces are held onto the side pieces by what I am going to call a rivet.  Someone more qualified will probably have a better name, but it is obvious that it was put through a hole and then something was done to it on the other side so it couldn't pull out.  If that's not a rivet, I don't know what is.  The two pictures show the two sides of the rivet.  The left one shows the head, the right one shows the side where it was molded or something to make it stay.  Why am I talking so much about these rivets?  Because they are the devil.

Hacked through the rivet and it wont come apart!

 Unqualified as I am, I figure all I have to do is saw off the tail end of the rivet and the whole thing will fall right apart.  So I went out and bought a hacksaw...  and I hacked... and I hacked... I hacked.  And eventually, the tail fell off the rivet. Yay!  And the thing held together like I hadn't done anything.  Boo!

With that first one, I tried a couple more things, more hacking, drilling, pounding.  A lot of energy and a broken drill bit later, I had removed the rivet and got it apart. I couldn't afford to keep ruining bits, so I started searching for a new solution.

I bought a reciprocating saw.  I have wanted a reciprocating saw for the last 15 years, and I never had the excuse to drop $70-100 on one... even if it is the only saw you hold like an AK47.  Now I needed one, and Lowes had one for 30 bucks.  Let me repeat that. Lowes has a reciprocating saw for $30.  Go buy one now!

Man's best friend

As awesome as the reciprocating saw is (and it really is awesome), it really didn't help much.  It let me cut trough rivets much faster than the hacksaw, but I still could not get the bed apart easily.  Until I figured out the trick.  You only need to get the arm off, not the whole rivet.  This is where you should pay attention if you are taking apart one of these steel framed beds.

How to get a bed frame apart:
1. Saw off the end of the rivet with a reciprocating saw or a hacksaw
2. Fold up the arm so it is parallel with the side piece you want to keep (This is part I was missing)
3. Grasp the end of the arm for maximum leverage and pull it straight from the side piece.  Do not rotate around the axis of the rivet.  Apply a firm constant pressure and it will come right off.
4.  Cut off the remaining nub of the rivet with hacksaw of reciprocating saw.
5.  Emery cloth until smooth

The nub.  And Victory!

It's amazing how easy it is if you know how.... and now you do.

Next up we will build the wooden frame of the bed.