Spring Steel for Chisels?

[Crunch]

I recently saw in an issue of WoodenBoat magazine how a guy made a slick (big shipwright's chisel) out of an old truck leaf spring.

I have seen quite a number of references to using old leaf springs for making wood-cutting tools, and I have had a lot of people on other forums suggest that I "hold out" for a piece of old leaf spring, rather than using other types of steel, for making wood-cutting tools.

My question is, why? What is so special about spring steel for wood-cutting tools?

Thanks for any insights.

[hill.josh]

I think what they are saying is to not use mild steel.. which leaf spring is superior to. There isn't anything "special" about it it just makes good tools and its cheap or free. You could just just buy some tool steel if you wanna spend a little and not wait, or go to the junk yard.

[Frosty]

Leaf spring has a lot of desirable properties the number one for the beginner is it's forgiving nature. You have to screw up heat treat in a major way to produce a dangerous blade.

My #1 suggestion for the beginner bladesmith is go to a spring shop and offer to buy drops. It is the unuseable (for the spring shop) new material after they're done cutting spring blanks.

It takes some experience (broken and otherwise failed blades) before a person can determine good used spring steel and even then it's much more prone to failure than new.

A slick is a good beginner blade once you've done a few smaller chisels, I wouldn't make it my first or second blade. The larger the blade being heat treated the more careful you must be practicing first is a good thing.

Leaf spring, typically 5160, takes welds well so you don't have to forge a socket or tang if you don't want to. It lends itself to stock removal quite well, you can torch or saw cut the blank and grind to finished shape. Anneal, harden, shine it up and temper immediately. Then do your finish polishing.

It's good stuff, I keep a quantity on hand.

Frosty

[KYBOY]

It is indeed a fine metal to work with..makes a pretty decent knife too..I always make sure and have some on hand..My shop would feel naked without leaf springs laying somewhere My hot cuts and many of my chisels are made from leaf spring and coil springs..

[ThomasPowers]

The problem being is that most steel out there doesn't have enough carbon in it to heat treat properly for a blade. Spring steel is easily and cheaply found and *does* have enough carbon to harden properly!

We get regular questions from folks who bought a piece of steel from Home Depot and spent 20 hours working it into a knife and only *then* ask how they can harden an alloy that is not made to harden. Generally they are not happy when we say throw it away and start over with a steel you can harden.

[Crunch]

Thanks for the information, gentlemen.

[brucegodlesky]

Keep in mind that "spring steel" is a pretty general term. Spring steel can be anything from 5160, 9260, 1095, actually most of the 10xx series plus many more.

[Dave Hammer]

Gentlemen? Really.........

[Frosty]

Gentlemen? Really.........

Hush. He wasn't talking to you.

Frosty

[David Einhorn]

Crunch, please pay close attention to Frosty's comment about used-spring-steel failure.

Because of the nature of a spring moving back and forth, they can develop stress lines and fractures. A number of smiths have said that they would make tools for themselves from used springs, but not make tools for other people because of the potential liability problems if a tools was to break during use. Please be careful.