Brazing and heat treating

[Nick]

I have a question about brazing and heat treating, in relation to early barrel padlocks. I was looking at this picture in Bomlin's member gallery: http://www.iforgeiron.com/gallery/data/588/Roush3.jpg

The spring appears to be brazed onto the locking mechanism. But therein lies the Catch-22. Any hardening and tempering done before brazing would be lost during brazing, and attempting to harden after brazing would probably allow the braze to flow out of the joint. Riveting isn't an option because of the form the key must take.

Any suggestions? Am I completely off base thinking that the brazing will fail if I try heat treating the spring?

[habu68]

Since the tip of the joint is protected by the barrel, would it have to be hardened? The end that would be exposed to cutting could be hardened and wraped in a damp rag while the brazed spring was attached. Then again if this was an early iron (not steel) lock, would it have been heat treated at all? Locks only keep honest people honest..... neat lock

[ThomasPowers]

All steel has some springiness inherent in it and can be used as a spring *if* you keep it within the limits (lower than it would take a set). It won't be as good a spring as it would if heat treated; but many early springs met that criteria anyway...