Fixing that bent old iron bed
Look at it this way……. if you’re fortunate enough to live to the ripe old age of 100 or more, the likelihood is that you’re not going to be standing as tall and straight as you did when you were in your teens.
Well antique iron beds have stood the test of time much better than most of us will. But they are subject to being taken apart, stored, shipped, etc. over 150 to 200 year period. And occasionally they may be laid flat on the ground and stepped on or have other heavy items set on top of them for storage. So although they are incredibly strong, iron beds can bend. Sometimes it’s a minor bend on the interior rods. When that is the case, fixing them is quite easy. Bent iron has a degree of “memory” to it. Often when you have access to a torch, simply heating the bent section will result in it going right back into place. But if you don’t have a torch, try using a hammer and some metal block, or something heavy and iron. As in the photo I attached, place the heavy metal piece behind the the bent rod on the iron bed. Then hit it with a hammer. The heavy metal piece will buff the blow and concentrate the force of the hammer hit , to the bent section only and not the entire rod. It takes a little finesse. But with a few tries , you’ll become a pro. This method is actually the same way auto body shops straighten car bodies.
Antique iron beds have been around for a long time. With your help ……… they’ll be around a lot longer.
