Cutting up old spring mattress

I ended up having to deal with a kingsize mattress - and used some cutters (can't remember exactly which ones but pretty tough), and saw. Eventually managed to get it into small enough pieces to take to the recycling centre.

Hard work.

Next time I had the problem, I made sure I was using a van which could take the whole thing.

If you don?t mind investing in a new tool, I imagine a bolt cropper will make fairly short work of the springs.

Something like these perhaps?

Bolt cutters work well. Most cars it'll fit on the roof in one piece no problem - cost £1 rope from poundland. And 12p to wash the blanket.

NT

That's similar to what I used to get one down a spiral staicase.

Not on her car - the roof already leaks a bit and is taped up. Bolt cutters look good - thanks Tim+ - might get some. Only reluctance is that I've never needed any and can't think of another use for 'em.

I find them useful for removing ?love-locks? that periodically appear on a local bridge. ;-)

Tim

I thought the "Snibbo" answer to any query on this group was use a disc cutter

Things are slipping it took eight posts before someone suggested an angle grinder.

even a smart it could be tied onto.

mini bolt cutters then. Smaller cheaper.

NT

The other thing no-one has mentioned, not particularly practicable for a mattress perhaps but valid if you need to sever a smaller number of springs. Heat the spring at one point to red heat with a propane torch and allow to cool slowly. This annealed region will then cut easily with hacksaw, side cutter, or bolt cropper.

The council doesn't do bulk waste collections for such items?

No idea of value but I bet a Gumtree listing would soon find a new home for them.

True, but depends on the diameter and temper of the springs. Minis will cope with typical fencing wire, I think they might struggle with a mattress spring.

Wont it roll up and tie fairly small? I fitted an entire mattress in my small hatch, rolled up.

It took all my might, a bolt-cutter to snap some 1/4" rods around the edges and two ratchet straps to roll-up a king size mattress, I wouldn't say I got it anything like "small".

She could do with selling them - every little helps!

Which is easiest and quickest, with some use of piano wire cutters, but for a genuine DIYer an old mattress is a great source of spring wire (just chuck most of the coil springs)and you end up with a lot of straight wire of two main diameters

Well, keeping some just in case... Still got to cut it though. If I could reomve yhe edge wires it'd be a lot easier to handle. The sides are easy as there are rusty clips easily removed with pliers but the ends have scores of wound bits. I did mention in the OP that an AG wasn't really on. Needs somebody to hold the springs and the other person has no experience of such things and isn't strong enough.

Bolt croppers are way easier & quicker. Also a good bit safer, AGing through springs can go wrong.

NT

I wouldn't worry too much about cheap bolt croppers not getting a lot of use. I managed to snap a pair. And this isn't a humble brag to show how strong I am. I'm not strong, but neither were the bolt croppers.