Could some of ya more knowledgeable gentlemen help me out here. I Found a leaf spring set, each leaf is about 3/16 inch thick or a bit thinner and about 2 to 2 1/2 inchs wide. Is this stuff decent steel to make cutting impliments from? I'm thinking a froe, maybe a hatchet or adz type thing. Not so much anything knife like or size but more the heavier wood working or gardening style stuff. Any help would be great. Thanks YMHS Birdman
Leaf spring steel?
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paulvallandigham
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Most of that will be Pre- WWII stuff, as the flat springs used in cars and trucks after WWII will be much thicker steels. Some of those steels are okay, some not. You have to cut and grind on them to see what you have.
I made a bowie knife from such a piece of flat spring, and everything was going okay until I was grinding one of the bevels for the blade. I ran into an piece of slag imbeded in the steel, and when I finally ground down past it, I had a bow or bend in the bevel so that the edge of the blade now curves to one side. It was my first knife, and I was using it as a learning project, as much as making a knife. So, I learned. If you really want to make a knife or something else that will be a keeper--- ie., something you would want to polish to a good finish--- then buy some modern steel stock, know what you are buying, and have some assurance of the quality of the steel you are using. If all you want to make is a froe, it should be great for such a tool. You will have to anneal the steel in order to bed one end to make a loop to put around the froe handle, and you will want to anneal the edge that is going to be beveled, too. Other wise, a grinder and file is going to make this very hard work. If you have a forge and anvil available, forge that bevel with your hammer, rather than make it with a file, or grinder. Once you have it to shape, you can heat it back up and harden, then temper it, and you will have a tool that will work well for many years to come.
You might be able to use a small piece of it to make an Adze blade, but how good an axe it might make is questionable. I would have a piece of modern steel to heat weld to the front edge, after folding the steel to make the loop for the handle, heat welding the two piece together, but leaving a " V " gap at the end of the two sides to wedge the strip of steel between. Then flux and heat weld the three together and hammer out the bevels. That way you are assured of having a good quality steel edge for the axe. Most throwing axes are made this way.
I made a bowie knife from such a piece of flat spring, and everything was going okay until I was grinding one of the bevels for the blade. I ran into an piece of slag imbeded in the steel, and when I finally ground down past it, I had a bow or bend in the bevel so that the edge of the blade now curves to one side. It was my first knife, and I was using it as a learning project, as much as making a knife. So, I learned. If you really want to make a knife or something else that will be a keeper--- ie., something you would want to polish to a good finish--- then buy some modern steel stock, know what you are buying, and have some assurance of the quality of the steel you are using. If all you want to make is a froe, it should be great for such a tool. You will have to anneal the steel in order to bed one end to make a loop to put around the froe handle, and you will want to anneal the edge that is going to be beveled, too. Other wise, a grinder and file is going to make this very hard work. If you have a forge and anvil available, forge that bevel with your hammer, rather than make it with a file, or grinder. Once you have it to shape, you can heat it back up and harden, then temper it, and you will have a tool that will work well for many years to come.
You might be able to use a small piece of it to make an Adze blade, but how good an axe it might make is questionable. I would have a piece of modern steel to heat weld to the front edge, after folding the steel to make the loop for the handle, heat welding the two piece together, but leaving a " V " gap at the end of the two sides to wedge the strip of steel between. Then flux and heat weld the three together and hammer out the bevels. That way you are assured of having a good quality steel edge for the axe. Most throwing axes are made this way.
Johnny Tremain
Silversmith in training
Files make darn good blade. Spring steel may retain its shape, if you make a long knife.
I just cut a piece out of a crawler track pad today. I was having trouble with the blade on the saw running out to one side, so I used the track pad as scrap to test my cuts on. By the time the blade was cutting straight again, it only took a couple of connecting cuts to get a nice thick blank. I have milled the edges even and started working the sides. I won't really know if it will take an edge until I get there, but I plan to enjoy the trip!
Leaf springs will make good axes and froes, etc. if they are simple steels, and the older ones are.
I have treasured a lot of old steel in my day and have burned a lot of coal working to make small items out of huge pieces of found steel. Unless you have a good way to cut the stuff, heating a big leaf spring to where it can be hot cut to shape can take a lot of time, effort and heats. I am all for recycling steel; it's been done a lot in rural and frontier areas for a long time. In some parts of the world it's still being done.
I have treasured a lot of old steel in my day and have burned a lot of coal working to make small items out of huge pieces of found steel. Unless you have a good way to cut the stuff, heating a big leaf spring to where it can be hot cut to shape can take a lot of time, effort and heats. I am all for recycling steel; it's been done a lot in rural and frontier areas for a long time. In some parts of the world it's still being done.
