Spring stock

[vance burleson]

I have a gun I need to make a spring for can anyone tell me were to by spring stock. :surrender:

 

[Roy]

If its not a huge spring Dixie Gun Works sells good spring stock.
[url] http://www.dixiegunworks.com/...&osCsid=ab469c48143984c5f6dd6db2e39a7960[/url]

 

[Desert Ratxx]

If you are looking for a flat spring I made one out of a masonary nail once for a release. Ground it down carefully making sure not to get it to hot quenching after every pass on the grinder. Took some time but to my knowledge is still working.

 

[chipper]

You can use any high carbon steel. I buy O1 drill rod and use it for springs. The trick is in the tempering. Heat the piece up and shape it. Normalize 3 times. On 4th heat, reach non mangnetic state and Quench in oil. Ok, here's the tricky part. Heat up a pot of lead. Throw the piece into the molten lead and keep it in there for an hour. Some folks do this twice. When your done, you have a spring. Pull it out before it cools of course.
If you don't want to buy stuff, simply find an old garage door spring, they work great. Cut off a chunk, anneal it back and work it into any shape you want.
Stop by my shop and we will fix you up. I just finished racking last years Huckleberry wine. It's awesome.
Regards
Loyd Shindelbower
Loveland Colorado

 

[vance burleson]

Thank yall all for the in put.

 

[CrackStock]

A trip to a junk yard could yield a an old garage door return coil spring which ought to make dandy spring stock depending upon the size that you need to make.

Old tines from a yard rake makes smaller springs.

Safety pins make tiny springs.

(I come from a long line of scroungers)

CS

 

[J.D.]

You can use any high carbon steel. I buy O1 drill rod and use it for springs. The trick is in the tempering. Heat the piece up and shape it. Normalize 3 times. On 4th heat, reach non mangnetic state and Quench in oil. Ok, here's the tricky part. Heat up a pot of lead. Throw the piece into the molten lead and keep it in there for an hour.

Cut the spring to shape and heat to a bright red to bend. Bending a spring cold will cause the finished spring to break, often at the most inopportune time.

Taper the spring in width and thickness for longer life. Springs that are not tapered will stress one part of the spring more than another, causing eventual faliure at the point of stress.

Normalize by heating the spring to just under nonmagnetic and allow to cool in still air.

Once is enough, but more won't hurt.

IMHO, it's better to put the still warm spring fresh from the quench in a warm but still solid pot of lead so's it slowly heats to tempering temp. Slower is better. Let the lead melt and push the spring under. Turn the pot off and let it cool enough for the lead to solidify. Turn the pot back on and let the lead liquify to the point the spring rises to the surface.

A second cyle of slow heating won't hurt, but isn't absoutely necessary.

Lead melts at 625 degrees, or so, but will reach much higher temps, so's ya wanna keep the temp down to 700-750 degrees, depending on who you talk to, and what steel you are using.

Temps of 700 degrees can, and often will be reached before the lead completely liquifies, so you don't want to leave the spring in the pot too long.

Some of the most accomplished gunsmiths that I know prefer 01, 1095, and 1084, but several swear by 1070. Personally I like 1080 or 1095 spring steels.

Check out some of the knifemaker suppliers for plain carbon forging steels. Some suppliers offer 1070, 1080, and 1095 at reasonable prices.
J.D.