been a while since ive been threatening to build my own power hammer! Well i finally have some spare time on my hands and got most of the parts together. Im going with a hammer based on Daniels Krusty plans. Only thing is after looking at the plans and due consideration i have decided to use the springs as they are...i could modify the plans a bit to suit my needs. I see no reason to straighten em!
Andre

Are you asking? I agree, no reason to straighten them if you design your hammer to accommodate them.

Thank you sir some feedback is allways welcome!

If you need to straighten leaf springs, the method, is take them apart, lay each leaf one at a time on top of the forge fire and take the whole leaf up to a temperature where a hickory hammer handle feels greasy when rubbed on it, this is the temperature where spring is tempered to. This is also the temperature that we set springs at. Do not go above this temp. The spring should now be easy to "unsett". The spring can be unset by laying it across a big anvil swage or using a swage block with a large hollow and hitting in the middle. The size of the hammer is dictated by the size of the spring.
Alternatively a hyd press could be used. This is how we set everything from car springs to locomotive springs, by using the greasy stick to guage the right temp, never failed in 30 odd years of blacksmithing.
Phil

When I built my hammer I went to a truck tire & spring shop they sold me 6 foot lenght of flat spring for I think somrthing like 40.00 a lenght .Hope this helps .