March 27, 20179 yr Picked it up at a Peddler's Mall. It is coiled much tighter that a normal coil spring and it is thicker. i cut a piece of and beat it into a bar. It seemed really tough to shape but a lot of that could be me since I'm pretty new. Can anyone tell me what it might be off of and if I should anneal or anything before I forge? I know you typically don't need to with coil springs, right? Thanks!
March 27, 20179 yr It looks really similar to a piece I picked up from train remains (in a legal way). I only have about 1 full turn, but it looks practically the same, so it might be related to something Train-like. About annealing: That is only useful if you will be working it cold. If you are forging it, annealing does nothing (as all heat treating effects go away at forging temps). Just make sure you are hitting it while it's hot enough.
March 27, 20179 yr I agree that it looks like the kind they use with RR equipment. At one of the ends, it might say the steel type. Probably 5160.
March 27, 20179 yr Welcome aboard Cedarghostglad to have you. If you'll put your general location in the header you might be surprised how many of the Iforge gang live within visiting distance. Coil springs are used in a LOT of things, I have one that's 12" Dia. made of 2 1/4" "wire" and is about 22" long, weighs about 350lbs. It came off a: crusher, shaker table, etc. The diameter measurement above is from the center of the wire, not overall. It took two of us to wrestle it into a fairly low SUV and it has a brother rusting slowly in the same yard we got that one. The coil you picked up is as normal as a compression spring gets. Treating it like 5160 is a good place to start, it may be something else so make a couple test coupons if you're going to use it for something where heat treatment is critical, say blades. What's the Dia. of the wire? If in the 1"+ range it's perfect hammer stock and makes dandy hot cuts. (Top or set chisels) Makes dandy hardies and other bottom tools hopefully it's large enough around you can just square the shank up and forge the rest without having to upset it for a good shoulder. Another prime use for that baby is as trading stock. It's not an uncommon size but they're not behind every tree so other smiths are going to find a piece attractive. (Attractive nuisance says Mrs. Smith) Frosty The Lucky.
March 27, 20179 yr Author Thanks Frosty. I'll update my profile tomorrow and get a measurement on that spring but it's definitely 1" plus. i cut a piece off and beat it out into a nice little square stock. Im really green at this and this site is a great learning resource. I started knife making about a month ago with a coffee can forge and just upgraded to a 2 1/2 gallon air tank with a burner I built using your PDF. I took your suggestions and put a full length .030 tip in there and she roars like a dragon and gets stock real hot, real fast! I'll definitely be able to try forge welding in there sometime down the road! I'm going to try a .035 tip as soon as I can pick one up.
March 27, 20179 yr How long did it take to heat up a piece of that spring stock? Rather than trying to hammer it straight bending is easier, faster and does less distortion to it. You may need to find a couple cheater pipes but it's surprisingly easy. Heat the coil section, slip a pipe over the ends, lay it on the floor and push down. If you're on asphalt you'll need a plate to keep the floor from bursting into flame. You can get away with doing it on concrete if you move fast. If you get concrete too hot it will spall explosively and blow chips around the shop. Nothing like little steam explosions throwing HOT chips on you to make a day. Frosty The Lucky.
March 27, 20179 yr I have a spring that came off a large dirt mover, it's 1.5" diameter spring stock. Picked it up when they were cutting up the ex-dirt mover for scrap. I generally cut it with my large angle grinder and then straighten the subsections as needed. Too heavy for me to Unroll easily though I have the 6" vise bolted to a utility pole and the cheaters in various lengths and sizes to hand...
March 27, 20179 yr Author 29 minutes ago, Frosty said: How long did it take to heat up a piece of that spring stock? Rather than trying to hammer it straight bending is easier, faster and does less distortion to it. You may need to find a couple cheater pipes but it's surprisingly easy. Heat the coil section, slip a pipe over the ends, lay it on the floor and push down. If you're on asphalt you'll need a plate to keep the floor from bursting into flame. You can get away with doing it on concrete if you move fast. If you get concrete too hot it will spall explosively and blow chips around the shop. Nothing like little steam explosions throwing HOT chips on you to make a day. Frosty The Lucky. I didn't time it, but it didn't take really long. Now previously I was using a paint can forge so "not really long" is relative to that. I'll have to record the time it takes the next time I do it. Now that you mention using pipe, I think I will get a bigger floor flange and mount it to the concrete floor and put a piece of pipe on it and use that for bending! 29 minutes ago, ThomasPowers said: I have a spring that came off a large dirt mover, it's 1.5" diameter spring stock. Picked it up when they were cutting up the ex-dirt mover for scrap. I generally cut it with my large angle grinder and then straighten the subsections as needed. Too heavy for me to Unroll easily though I have the 6" vise bolted to a utility pole and the cheaters in various lengths and sizes to hand... Thanks Thomas!
March 27, 20179 yr Greetings Cedarghost, Big springs make great anvil tools for cupping and dishing.. That much less to unwind. Forge on and make beautiful things Jim
March 27, 20179 yr As mentioned above, that does look like a spring from a railcar truck. Purely as a curiosity, they come with a smaller one nested inside it in use. Keep you eye peeled at that market and you may find its mate! It would be interesting to see what use you put it to. Scott
March 28, 20179 yr On March 27, 2017 at 3:57 PM, Jim Coke said: Greetings Cedarghost, Big springs make great anvil tools for cupping and dishing.. That much less to unwind. Forge on and make beautiful things xxxx, that's a pretty good idea. Why didn't I think of that?
March 28, 20179 yr 2 hours ago, Nodebt said: As mentioned above, that does look like a spring from a railcar truck. Purely as a curiosity, they come with a smaller one nested inside it in use. Keep you eye peeled at that market and you may find its mate! It would be interesting to see what use you put it to. Scott Sometimes they have an even smaller one inside of the smaller one.
March 28, 20179 yr 2 minutes ago, C-1ToolSteel said: Sometimes they have an even smaller one inside of the smaller one. Russian spring coils?
March 28, 20179 yr Matryoshka - Wooden nesting dolls from Russia so nesting coil springs mimics the dolls...
March 28, 20179 yr 16 minutes ago, C-1ToolSteel said: Thanks for the clarification, Thomas. Now, how am I supposed to know that stuff? It's not about what you know it's what you remember. Someone someday will say something about nesting somethings and YOU'LL be the old guard guy who "KNOWS" things. Frosty The Lucky.
March 28, 20179 yr Either that, or I'll say "That's like those Russian coil springs....I mean....raiload dolls..."
March 28, 20179 yr 28 minutes ago, ThomasPowers said: What's the airspeed velocity of a Swallow in Flight? African or European?
March 28, 20179 yr Sometimes they have an even smaller one inside of the smaller one. I have never come across this. I wonder if these smaller sprangs might be on narrow guage cars. Facinating. ¥》☆
March 28, 20179 yr Author 10 hours ago, C-1ToolSteel said: Either that, or I'll say "That's like those Russian coil springs....I mean....raiload dolls..."
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