Steel from old garage door springs

[Ronin66]

So I’m just getting into blade smithing, building a forge have the anvil (early 1900’s arm and hammer by Columbus) building a belt grinder and have collected a decent amount of scrap metal, some of which is a set of old .375 wire gate door springs that are about 70 years old, does any one here have experience using metal from garage door springs at all?

[ThomasPowers]

Many people have used them for making repousse tools.  Others fire strikers.

[Frosty]

At 70 yrs old they may not have chrome in them and so be easier to forge weld. Without chrome I believe old timey springs were in the 1085-95 range but don't quote me on that, it's a memory thing.

And yes, I kept the old overhead door springs I didn't use when putting in the shop door. A friend gave me two overhead doors and all the hardware. I don't recall the wire size in the coil but it's good stuff to have on hand. 

Frosty The Lucky.

[ThomasPowers]

And a little spring goes a long way.  I put a pipe vertically in my postvise and heated a spring up in the gas forge. Dropped it over the pipe, grabbed the end and ran across the shop, out the door and to the other side of the alleyway once.

[JHCC]

If you cut down one side to make a series of rings, chain mail is always an option. 

[MotoMike]

I've seen them used to make gravers.    

[Frosty]

11 hours ago, ThomasPowers said:

Dropped it over the pipe, grabbed the end and ran across the shop, out the door and to the other side of the alleyway once.

Yeah, one of the guys wanted to heat one section and uncoil it, it's about 4"-5" dia. x 6'+ coiled tight. We'd have to hook it to the pickup and go for a drive. I just cut short pieces.

Frosty The Lucky.

[OLD GARAGE]

Where can one purchase old garage springs. I need a minimum of two and as many are available. Please recommend where I can call and purchase...Thank you--

[Irondragon Forge ClayWorks]

Welcome from the Ozark Mountains.

It would help to know where in the world you are located, most places around here that install and repair garage doors usually have a bunch of them and are happy to give me all I care to carry away. We also have a scrap yard that will sell them at the going rate for steel scrap.

I can't control the wind, all I can do is adjust my sail’s.
Semper Paratus

 

[PaperPatched]

And if you can tolerate paying more any good hardware store will have new ones.

[yt12]

had i only known------ive bored this board with my auction finds, but, anyhoo-----you may want to check your local on-line auctions-----they range the gambit -----i have had good luck with one that usually handles personal/household items, but often has odd-ball industrial items. most auctions have an opening bid of $1 ----whether a 2 dollar screwdriver or a $ 20,000 forklift-----some items generating huge interest-----some zero. have ended up with half a dozen car spring sets ....all brand new all for a buck----did pay up $3 for a set of 4 springs with all the air shock hook-up------would have sent ya these door springs, but they moved on down the line......

[George Geist]

Usually they're 1/4" round. I used a lot of garage door spring to make toe grabs when I was around race horses. They're pretty plentiful in most scrap piles. I don't remember ever paying for them. 

George