Tempering a flat spring....It works!

[TedH]

Not having any luck finding a spring for my 1851 Navy put my wheels in motion. (Yes, that can be dangerous at times.) I got started making a new spring from an old feeler gauge that was about the same thickness. It's very hard brittle steel, so I figured it had a high carbon content which I believe is also necessary in spring steel. I have to soften it in order to get the shape right, but then I need to re-temper back to spring. I've read a couple methods online, but would like to know how you do it. Or, am I just wasting my time?

20131029_134533.jpeg

20131029_134619.jpeg

[Mescalero]

I don't think a feeler guage is the right base metal to start with.

[3leggedturtle]

Trying; whether you succeed, fail or have to retry is never a waste of time. I used a bench grinder to thin down a spring and got laughed out of a few shops for asking, but 20 years later its still working and only cost $ .49 cents at a hardware store and 30 minutes of my time. Shops quoted me $5-20 for spring and $40 or so for labor. Did try Ahlman's gunshop for a spring?

[pwl44m]

It is never a waste of time when trying to make Ur own parts. I found that out when ordering an extractor for My 73 in 32-20 and kept getting bad ones. So I made My own and tempered it and it works just fine. As far as metallurgy I am a complete Idiot. On trying to work that feeler gauge down. I would try to get it close to shape with nippers and then file for shape so as to Not heat the metal. All U can lose is time and one feeler gauge (what 20c) Good Luck.
Perry

[rgates]

I have replaced the same type spring using both ends of a hacksaw blade. Just grind out each side, stack and you have both arms. No tempering needed, and that single action saw thousands of rounds and never failed.

[BenT]

+ 1 on trying a hack saw blade first. Start wide and grind narrower until you get the correct flex.

[86er]

Well, if you want to be traditional you may need a quenching solution like I learned in England while studying to be a Gunmaker. Urinate in a metal jar and put the lid on it for about a month. Great for hardening and tempering. You probably want some tongs to get your parts out of it.

[Mescalero]

I have heard of this method before 86.
So I do not doubt you.
On the surface, it appears to be unseemly.

[Ben_Rumson]

The spring you're making looks like the one that tensions both the trigger and cylinder locking bolt...
First polish the metal bright... Make sure you polish lengthwise not the short way across to avoid leaving across marks that could lead to it breaking at one of them when it bends...To temper, heat, it with a low flame from a propane torch or any way you can devise to bring it up very slowly to dark sky blue... About the color of the bar where your name is where it says Author for your post. Quench in light oil immediately(Peanut oil has worked for me) Hint... Have the quench oil set as close as you can have it to the work piece so it stops the temper as fast as possible... After it's quenched take your Dremel tool and cut the slot that makes the individual fingers of the spring.. Be careful not to overheat the metal when making the slot... The reason to make the slot after the temper is to assure even temper on both the fingers.
If you want to hedge your bet a little, make a test piece out of that same feeler gauge to check for spring or brittle before you make the real one... if it bends and doesn't spring then go to a lighter shade of blue if it cracks a darker blue...Best of luck Keep us posted..

[Chuck 100 yd]

86er , Urin was also used to brown bun parts in the early days of America.
Making springs is not as hard as people make it out to be. The proper steel used is the main thing.
If you can find a spring that can be cut down you know you have a proper alloy to begin with.
It needs to be polished. Springs usually snap at stress points caused by deep scratches or sharp corners. Heat to critical temp,usually cherry red and quench. Draw (temper) to approx 400 deg. for 1 hr. in an oven. I draw knife blades and cutting tools like reamers to 350 deg. Car and truck springs are tempered to as high a temp as 700 deg. but they are not made of common spring steel.

Brownells has a spring stock kit they sell to make springs out of.

Many hack saw blades are made of mild steel with a thin piece of tool steel laminated on as the cutting edge.Make sure that you aren't wasting your time working one of those.

[92&94]

Bandsaw blades and drywall knives both seem like good sources of spring steel.

I'm going to change my bandsaw blade soon, want a piece of the old one?

[Nate Kiowa Jones]

86er , Urin was also used to brown bun parts in the early days of America.
Making springs is not as hard as people make it out to be. The proper steel used is the main thing.
If you can find a spring that can be cut down you know you have a proper alloy to begin with.
It needs to be polished. Springs usually snap at stress points caused by deep scratches or sharp corners. Heat to critical temp,usually cherry red and quench. Draw (temper) to approx 400 deg. for 1 hr. in an oven. I draw knife blades and cutting tools like reamers to 350 deg. Car and truck springs are tempered to as high a temp as 700 deg. but they are not made of common spring steel.

Brownells has a spring stock kit they sell to make springs out of.

Many hack saw blades are made of mild steel with a thin piece of tool steel laminated on as the cutting edge.Make sure that you aren't wasting your time working one of those.

That's basically how I do it. A good source for stock would be those springy putty knifes. Those are usually decent spring stock. You can heat it to a low cherry and cool it slowly (sand bath) to soften it enough to work it. Cut it out to shape, bend it, then polish before you bring it back to a low cherry. I usually try a water quench to harden it to brittle. Try a test piece first. See if it will go from soft and workable to quenched and brittle. If it works then make your part. Once it's brittle hard, then polish it again so you can see the color changes. To draw small parts like this back I like to use an electric stove burner/element. Lay the part on it, turn it on and when the part just starts to turn straw colored to light blue kick it off to cool. It should flex but not break.

[Sixgun]

I forgot how many springs I made from a lawn mower recoil thingy. Its the long spring that pulls the cord back in.--------6

[TedH]

Thanks for the tips everyone. I think I will start over with a new piece. I have a couple old puddy knives laying around with busted handles that should work nicely. I'll let you know how it turns out.

[Mescalero]

I did not think feeler gauge was the right base metal.

[Mescalero]

I did not think feeler gauge was the right base metal.

[M. M. Wright]

VTI gun parts will have the spring. If it's a Colt or close clone then that spring from an SAA should fit or be really close. Brownell's, Midway and a bunch of others will have spring and lower power kits that will fit. You can't possibly make one cheaper than you can buy one if your time is worth 50 cents an hour. While you're at it buy a set of Treso nipples for it too. Then your no. 11 caps won't fall off all the time and the chamber will be sealed by the tight cap.

[Rusty]

Might try Dixie Gun Works, they've always been my go to for anything in the black powder line.

[TedH]

I went ahead and used the feeler gauge metal I started with yesterday, figuring I'd just use it to practice on. I followed Steve's directions and it turned out perfectly functional. I don't know if it will last, but I rarely shoot this gun, so it's good enough for now. It's all back together and the cylinder indexes and locks up just fine.

20131031_132303.jpeg

[Buck Elliott]

VTI is my #1 Go To for Italian clone parts, from all the various manufacturers... They know their business..

Learning how to make springs is valuable, but you can't make ONE for the cost of buying one..

[Mescalero]

I AM surprised by that.

[TedH]

VTI is my #1 Go To for Italian clone parts, from all the various manufacturers... They know their business..

Learning how to make springs is valuable, but you can't make ONE for the cost of buying one..

I tried VTI. They were out of stock, and said 6-8 weeks till they expected any more. This one didn't cost me anything to make, and I learned a little something in the process.

[Little Doc]

45 gage piano wire will make that spring and will never break. you can adjust tension as desired.
m

[M. M. Wright]

Yeah Mike, the wire ones are what I use and I keep a selection of stock from Brownells to make them from though you can buy those too.

[Ben_Rumson]

Congrats!!

[Nate Kiowa Jones]

I went ahead and used the feeler gauge metal I started with yesterday, figuring I'd just use it to practice on. I followed Steve's directions and it turned out perfectly functional. I don't know if it will last, but I rarely shoot this gun, so it's good enough for now. It's all back together and the cylinder indexes and locks up just fine.

20131031_132303.jpeg

Although this is not a precise way to determine what the parent metal is, if you put it to a grinder and the sparks coming off also explode like a sparkler before they go out most like you have a higher than normal carbon content and it will most likely make a decent spring.