[SEL] Spring Steel

[Mark Shulaw]

HI Rick,
  I don't know he exact particulars but you will have to heat it and 
take the spring out of it (Anneal) do your changes and then retreat 
it into spring. A putty knife I think is what's called hardened 
and  tempered. You will probably have to anneal it and do the shaping 
and changing of the steel then  re-temper and harden. You should be 
able to find some specifics if you do a Google search on how to go 
about it.  Its a fairly complex or exacting science. Someone 
experienced at it makes it look easy.  Know a black smith in your 
area?  Get the time and temp wrong and you loose. You may have to try 
it on two or three pieces till you get it right. You will need some 
type of way to evenly heat the metal to probably about 1500 degrees 
and let it cool to anneal the metal. This softens it. Do your shaping 
and then heat again to about the same temp then quench in some type 
of oil or brine. That gives you a very basic idea of what's needed. 
Not hot enough and no spring, too hot and the metal gets too brittle 
I think.            TTYL,  Mark



At 12:33 PM 4/1/2010, you wrote:
>Need some help gang.  How does one cut/form flat plate spring steel?  We
>need one for the dog on the ratchet that advances the bolt of wood on our
>shingle mill.
>
>Pix at;
>
>http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2794526910039077051PBYOMo
>
>"Thanks for looking"
>
>RickinMt.
>
>PS:  Thinking about using the flat stock off an ole putty knife ????
>
>____


Mark Shulaw
454 County Road 33
Bluffton, OH. 45817
USA

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