Spring steel stock

[P.W.Berkuta]

For those of you that are in need of spring steel and are looking for a reasonable price try here
<NJ Steel Baron, LLC
newjerseysteelbaron.com
289 Wagaraw Rd, Hawthorne, NJ 07506>
I was running low on some of my 1075 spring steel and came across NJ Steel Baron who I have purchased O-1 tool steel from before. I found their prices to be about the best for the sizes and amount that I wanted. Each 12" piece was about $10. The width was 1-1/2" for the 5/32" material and 2" for the other two sizes. Thickness varied from the standard sizes but that did not affect how I was going to use it - see picture.
 

[Elnathan]

Website address is: https://newjerseysteelbaron.com/

I haven't used their 1075 (yet!) but I do like their 1084 for knives. They specialize in cutlery steel for small shops and hobbyist that don't want to a whole truckload of steel, so no minimum order. The oversized stock is to give those forging out blades a bit of extra thickness to compensate for scaling, hammer marks, etc, and the edges of their stock are pretty sharp and square, not rounded, if that is important.

[P.W.Berkuta]

As you can see from my picture the 1075 material has no scale and is annealed to a workable condition. It was advertised as "hot rolled" but as you can see it looks more like cold rolled. I purchased some 8-foot bars of 1084 years back from Admerial Steel that was hot rolled and it had scale on it and needed to be annealed first so that it could be sawed to length and shape before it could be worked.

[Joe Stein]

P.W., thanks for the information.

[J.D.]

I have bought steel from them several times. Always satisfied with dong business with them.

[Rolf]

I'm using their 1075 steel on the Staton/Alex Henry/Bob Roller locks I'am building.
It works like a dream. Much easier to work than the spring stock I got from Brownell.
Finished three locks, three to go.

Best regards
Rolf

[P.W.Berkuta]

Yup - it's good stuff - works well and easy for the average "Joe" to harden and temper.

[HighUintas]

I have very little knowledge on steel types. What would this 1075 be used for in building, other than for building locks like Rolf has stated?

Tools, like scrapers, chisels, checkering tools? Anything where a sharp edge is needed?

[rich pierce]

I have very little knowledge on steel types. What would this 1075 be used for in building, other than for building locks like Rolf has stated?

Tools, like scrapers, chisels, checkering tools? Anything where a sharp edge is needed?

Yes 1070 would work for chisels. Might have to sharpen a little more often but not a big deal.

[smylee grouch]

Meanwhile, back at the forge! Years ago I was gifted a " gang " of leaf springs off of an 1920s era truck and I have forged several smaller sized knives from this spring steel. Would this spring be any good for making set style triggers or lock parts?

[rich pierce]

Meanwhile, back at the forge! Years ago I was gifted a " gang " of leaf springs off of an 1920s era truck and I have forged several smaller sized knives from this spring steel. Would this spring be any good for making set style triggers or lock parts?

Extra work with the thickness, but yes.

[Eric Kettenburg]

When it comes to old steel off old leaf springs, hayrakes, springtooth harrows etc., the only way (imho) to determine what it can or can't be appropriately used for is to give it a go and find out.  I don't think that there were standards as to what type of spring steel was used, other than that it was spring steel.  I have had good luck with all of this stuff for knives, lock springs etc. and couldn;t tell you what the carbon content is in any of it other than that it's clearly high enough to be utilized for these things.  You may have to experiment and adjust your hardening/tempering routine.  One thing I will say that may attract some blowback is that when it comes to all of this old farm equipment or very old leaf springs etc., I harden with room temp water and not oil.  Lot less messy too.

I still have huge quantities of 1084 in various sizes I bought from Admiral Steel years ago.  Good steel and good seller - haven;t even checked to see if they're still around.

[mgbruch]

I use 1075, for the triggers in my double set triggers.  I use 3/16".  It's lovely to work with and easy to temper.

[Bsharp]

https://www.mcmaster.com/products/annealed-spring-steel/

1095 and 1075

From .015 to .187

I have some .050 but have not used them yet 1075 1nd 1095.

[Elnathan]

One thing I will say that may attract some blowback is that when it comes to all of this old farm equipment or very old leaf springs etc., I harden with room temp water and not oil.  Lot less messy too.

I still have huge quantities of 1084 in various sizes I bought from Admiral Steel years ago.  Good steel and good seller - haven;t even checked to see if they're still around.

I use brine for 1084 - it doesn't seem to harden with vegetable oil.

[Bob Roller]

I'm using their 1075 steel on the Staton/Alex Henry/Bob Roller locks I'am building.
It works like a dream. Much easier to work than the spring stock I got from Brownell.
Finished three locks, three to go.

Best regards
Rolf

Can you post some pictures of the locks? What we saw earlier looked good and the "4 pin" locks are not the easiest to copy. I have made the grand total of ONE left
hand style and it was paired with its right hand twin.The patterns you used as did I are the Stanton style and much easier than some of the Brazier styles seen on the
high end English guns.I made the "3 pin" style for schuetzen locks and 14 flintlocks using Davis external parts for their Twigg.
  I have used 1075 annealed for decades ( 1957-2019) and still have some.Uniform material from one bar to the next is a huge help and developing methods to suit
 your own ways of making whatever item will just about guarantee a good result.
Keep up the good work.
Bob Roller

[P.W.Berkuta]

I purchased some 1075 from McMaster-Carr about 4 years ago and the smallest piece that I could get was 8" X 12" and its cost was $65.74 (Easy-to-Form 1075 Spring Steel Sheet, 8" x 12" x 0.1870").  So NJ Steel Baron was MUCH cheaper to buy from and you can buy smaller amounts. I do like McMaster-Carr for some things but they are EXPENSIVE . If price is of no concern to you then by all means buy from them .

[Bob Roller]

As you can see from my picture the 1075 material has no scale and is annealed to a workable condition. It was advertised as "hot rolled" but as you can see it looks more like cold rolled. I purchased some 8-foot bars of 1084 years back from Admerial Steel that was hot rolled and it had scale on it and needed to be annealed first so that it could be sawed to length and shape before it could be worked.
[/quote

I am still using from  50 pounds of  1/8x1 and 1/8"x8 feet strips of 1075 for what little I now do..and the company was in Chicago but I don't remember the name.
I made sear springs from 3/16 thick 1075 because I don't like the folded loop for the screw and prefer the British style in both main and sear springs.
Here is an odd item.Last week I got the November issue of Muzzle Blasts.TODAY I got the OCTOBER issue and wonder how this happened.I still think that
it's a miracle that an unprotected magazine can survive in the mail.Good article on Hawken pistols and the one on the cover was made by Tom Dawson years
ago.The lock looks like a round tail Twigg I madein the late1960's.
Bob Roller
.

[Kevin Houlihan]

 When I needed steel for a frizzen spring I bought it from Bramley Custom Knives on Etsy.  1/4" Annealed 1075  - 1/4"x2"x12" 1075 high carbon steel.  $31.89.   
Kevin