Material for a flat spring

[Dennis Glazener]

I need to make a flat spring that will be used on a grease hole cover for one of my Gillespie rifles. It will work like the one shown on this Jacob Shetz's rifle. (7th photo down, on the capbox)
http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=2350.0

I plan on using a reworked large case hardened nail for the lid cam lever (not sure what its called) and wondered if I could also make the flat spring out of the same material.

The only springs I have made were for sliding patch boxes and I made from a door hinge pin or a 20 penny nail. Didn't have to harder either one. I feel sure this one will have to be hardened to give it the power it will need.

If you think the case hardened nail will work ok for the spring I will also need to know how to heat and quench it to make a spring.

Thanks
Dennis

[Ken G]

Dennis,
Are you talking about the spring that pops the lid open?  If so, hacksaw blades and reciprocating saw blades work great for that. 
Ken

[Dennis Glazener]

Ken,
Its the flat spring that bears against the top lever. I would think it needs to be thicker than any of the hack saw blades or Sabre saw blades that I have. Very short leverage here to hold the box top closed.

The case hardened nails make good small chisels so it looks like pretty good steel but not sure about using them for springs.
Dennis

[Bill of the 45th]

Hacksaw blades, are kind of thick.  I use 1/4" or 1/2" banding strap.  It works for lid springs, and such.  It's also free.  Get it out of the dumpster at Home Depot, or any place that uses it.  You can harden it easily with a torch, then temper.  Since you don't much to open a lid, you may be able to use as is.

Bill

[Dennis Glazener]

Not thick enough. I have some of the heavy banding straps that I use for lighter springs but the one on my Sheetz rifle appears to be almost as thick as a main spring on a lock. It needs lots of power to hole enough pressure on the short lever that holds the box closed. Maybe I can find that L & R main spring that I broke a couple of years ago!

Dennis

[Acer Saccharum]

I have some spring stock that is 1/4 wide x .035 thick, already heat treated. Tough stuff.  I send you some? You can anneal it, drill it etc. Re-harden with a bernz-o-matic.

[Rich]

Brownells sells an assortment of spring steel in a tube. It is annealed and ready to shape. Some of the pieces look right for the job. Although it's not as cheap as scrounging spring steel, it's a whole lot easier having an assortment of steel you know will make good springs. (Although, I do still use old hacksaw blades for small springs).

[Bentflint]

Dennis, I have an old main spring you can have if you want it.

Bruce Everhart

[ironwolf]

  Garden rake tines. If dat ain't thick enough, forge one from a pitch fork tine.

  Kevin

[Ken G]

Ace Hardware sells square masonry nails that you can heat, beat and bend to the shape you need.  They seem to be of high carbon steel. 

Ken

[Dennis Glazener]

Ken,
Now we are talking, that's what I call case hardened nails! That's what I want to use. I have a handful left over from some work in my basement.

Thanks for the offer Acer but they are too thin for what I need.

Bruce, thanks for the offer, if I don't find something that I already have I might take you up on the offer of the old main spring.

Kevin, rake tines I have, but they are still on the rake and hate to cut one off!

Rich, good idea on the spring steel assortment but I am a known cheapskate!

I am going to try the square masonry nails (what I call case hardened nails, they used to be really case hardened but now they are just hardened and called masonry nails)! Won't be the first time something didn't work for me! Will report on whether they are any good for springs.

Dennis

[Curt J]

An annealed section of an automotive leaf spring works great. One leaf spring will make enough small springs to last for years. Once you anneal it, you can saw it, file it, bend it, and machine it When you are done, just heat it cherry red and oil-quench it, then polish it so you can watch the colors and draw it back to the desired state of hardness.  Im thinking you'd want bright blue for your application, but you might have to experiment. I have also made some good flat springs out of annealed Swiss files, using the same general procedure.

[albert]

Another good source for spring metal. is a place that installs overhead  doors,some of the older manual opening doors had coil springs that were made out of about 1/4 stock,all you have to do is anneal, forge to what you want,and re- heat treat.another good spring was the ones on car hood hinges.

[Pete Allan]

Flat springs from cars and trucks are normally 5160 steel. That steel is VERY popular with custom knife makers and there is just a ton of information on proper heat treating of 5160 available on the knife making sites.

[rich pierce]

As Ken suggested, the square masonry nails are the best (I mean cheapest and most readily available) source of tool steel for many small projects.  Make great springs and chisels and awls and turnscrews and small knives and gravers and....

[JBlk]

Look at the task that the metal you are thinking about using was employed for originally and that should answer your question.Some metals are tough, but don't make good springs, others are soft and others have enough carbon to make good springs.Pitchfork tines, old lawnmower self starter springs, overhead door springs just to mention a few are good.The higher the carbon content of the metal you are using the quicker it reaches the cherry red and the easier it is to burn the material.The grinding sparks of the unknown metal will also give you a good idea of the carbon content.

[Dennis Glazener]

As Ken suggested, the square masonry nails are the best (I mean cheapest and most readily available) source of tool steel for many small projects.  Make great springs and chisels and awls and turnscrews and small knives and gravers and....

Thanks Rich, I knew they made good small chisels but wasn't sure they were good for springs.
Dennis