Author Topic: patchbox spring (Read 1778 times)

bowkill · « **on:** December 05, 2018, 07:44:10 AM »

What is something easy i can make a patchbox spring out of. Say something from a hardware store or something?

rich pierce · « **Reply #1 on:** December 05, 2018, 08:07:04 AM »

Hacksaw blade

bowkill · « **Reply #2 on:** December 05, 2018, 08:10:10 AM »

I wondered about that.. Cut to shape heat up and bend?

rich pierce · « **Reply #3 on:** December 05, 2018, 08:16:22 AM »

If it’s a high carbon blade clamp in vise and snap off to length. Anneal and cut or file to shape, bend to shape at cherry red. Have you made springs before? It may be stronger than you need.

Rich · « **Reply #4 on:** December 05, 2018, 11:57:42 AM »

Are you making a brass box or a wood sliding box? For wood, a horseshoe nail can be used to forge one. Hacksaw blade or metal banding (from shipping packaging).

thecapgunkid · « **Reply #5 on:** December 05, 2018, 01:31:35 PM »

Is there a post, tutorial or source on how to do this?

bowkill · « **Reply #6 on:** December 05, 2018, 04:32:06 PM »

Brass

galudwig · « **Reply #7 on:** December 05, 2018, 04:51:41 PM »

Quote from: thecapgunkid on December 05, 2018, 01:31:35 PM

Is there a post, tutorial or source on how to do this?

Here is a recent discussion o the subject:
http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=51354.0

Then there is this one from the Tutorial section:
http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=2613.0

Bob Roller · « **Reply #8 on:** December 05, 2018, 05:16:12 PM »

Quote from: Rich on December 05, 2018, 11:57:42 AM

Are you making a brass box or a wood sliding box? For wood, a horseshoe nail can be used to forge one. Hacksaw blade or metal banding (from shipping packaging).

I would think the metal band/strapping would be easier to work with than the
whacksaw blades.This sort of thing was what made me seek out places to find
and buy spring steel of known quality.
Bob Roller

P.W.Berkuta · « **Reply #9 on:** December 05, 2018, 05:33:23 PM »

I agree with Bob -- by the time you "experiment" with unknown steel you could have purchased some REAL spring steel and ended up with a usable spring. Not all hacksaw blades have carbon sufficient enough to make a spring some have other metals incorporated into them (Bi-metal blades for example). Some folks can and have made usable springs out of "mystery steel" but I bet they had a lot of trial & error before they got something to work. I purchased some 1075 spring steel from Dixie some time back that worked well and I also purchased some 1084 spring steel from Admiral Steel for knife blades.

davebozell · « **Reply #10 on:** December 05, 2018, 05:38:56 PM »

McMaster-Carr is another place to purchase materials of known content. They have a wide variety of shapes and materials. They also sell in relatively small quantities.

Acer Saccharum · « **Reply #11 on:** December 05, 2018, 05:54:02 PM »

If the spring is going to be relatively long, and doesn't need to flex a lot, it can be made of plain mild steel. That's got plenty of spring.

If the spring is short, and has a lot of demand on it, or a lot of flex required, then it must be spring steel.

In the image below, the long patchbox spring is mild steel, and the small curled lid spring is made of spring steel.

bowkill · « **Reply #12 on:** December 05, 2018, 07:10:08 PM »

I like that style spring..Too late done drilled hole..lol

Daryl · « **Reply #13 on:** December 05, 2018, 07:28:35 PM »

rick/pa · « **Reply #14 on:** December 05, 2018, 09:34:46 PM »

Use a spring for a spring. I had a broken magazine spring from a Remington 700 that made good patchbox springs. It was W shaped, I used the bend for the latch and a straight piece for the lid opener. Latch was cut from a piece of 1/4" steel plate.

bowkill · « **Reply #15 on:** December 05, 2018, 11:55:04 PM »

Actually the hacksaw blade worked great..

curly · « **Reply #16 on:** December 07, 2018, 11:14:21 PM »

I use old automotive feeler gauges. Good spring steel. Anneal, shape, reharded, and draw back.

satwel · « **Reply #17 on:** December 08, 2018, 02:38:24 AM »

[quote uthor=rich pierce link=topic=51953.msg516979#msg516979 date=1543986424]
Hacksaw blade
[/quote]
I second this suggestion. Last week I found the spring that came with my patchbox kit way too strong so I put a cutoff wheel on my dremel tool and cut a duplicate shape from a hacksaw blade. Bent it with pliers and installed. Took about 15 minutes and it works perfectly.

Craig Wilcox · « **Reply #18 on:** December 08, 2018, 04:00:13 AM »

I will second McMaster-Carr as a source for spring steel. Earlier this week received 5' of 1" x 0.015 1075 steel, as well as a goodly bunch of W-1 and other tool steel. I've made springs from hacksaw blades and steel strapping - much easier with good spring steel. It cuts readily with aviation snips to the width and length that you might need, and also makes up into some nice "cutting in" chisels for various shapes.

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Author Topic: patchbox spring (Read 1778 times)

galudwig