Spring treatment

[klickitat]

Hey guys, I am having a problem with puting the proper treatment back into springs. Most of the time I am either getting them too soft or too hard. What is the proper procedure when heat treating springs? this trial and error thing is bugging me.

[ThomasPowers]

Well it would depend on the particular alloy and use requirements right?

Thomas

[ApprenticeMan]

I also wonder about this, wouldn't a light blue or purple be adequate?

[Mills]

klickitat how about getting it as hard as it can be then drawing it to where you want it? You'll have to decide if oil, water or air is the best quenchant. I'd start with oil.

[sandpile]

Are we talking about knives or springs??

Chuck

[ApprenticeMan]

Springs, not spring knives(I think?).

[klickitat]

I am talking about springs. I am trying to build some hardies and swedges using a spring to hold them while mounted in the hardy hole. this allows me to hold the piece with tongs and use the tool with out having to have a second person to rely on. The problem is every time I try to make one (using recycled coil springs) I have to use trial and error and this is very time consuming and some times frustrating.

[Woody]

Every time you make a spring, record exactly what you do that way when you finally get the results you want you will be able to easily duplicate it. I would start by heating to critical temperature and quenching in oil, then drawing to a dark blue and work from there.

Woody

[HWooldridge]

I don't completely understand your end requirement but here are some comments. Maybe a picture would assist us in providing suggestions.

For flat leaf springs such as the type found in post vises, mild steel works pretty well as stock material. Forge to shape and quench in one of Robb Gunter's SuperQuench variations - either the salt version or the lye (but be careful with the latter one). No tempering required as plain old A36 will take around 1/4" to 3/8" set and then return to its memory position. This is a fairly reliable way to repair old vises or other tools that need flat springs because A36 is already around 30 points carbon and approaches the lower end of spring steel.

Coil springs of the type found on cars/trucks can usually be quenched in oil and tempered to 500 degrees or so. In the absence of lab equipment, what has worked for me in the past is to get the steel to a consistent, non-magnetic austenitizing temp and quench in oil. Wipe the oil clean and immediately take the piece into the house and put it in the oven, which has been preheated to 500. Put the piece on a cookie pan and let it soak for at least an hour per inch of thickness. If it will be a highly stressed part, repeat the tempering process once more. Turn off the stove and let it cool naturally then remove the piece. The reason to temper the part immediately is that the stresses of the hardening process can sometimes cause surface cracks or outright breakage if the part is left overnight.

Please feel free to ask more questions if these suggestions don't help...H

[Tyler Murch]

http://www.iforgeiron.com/Tricks/hea...eat.shtml#0006

This link shows a good way.