[TheForge] spring steel thread

[David E. Smucker]

Why should I be easy on Dan?  We are about the same age.  My point is that 
Dan has been telling folks this for years -- "using springs for 
blacksmithing tools works very very well, even if Francis didn't think so. 
The point on not heat treading them -- just letting them air cool is that 
even if you do heat threat them, you will draw that temper when using them 
on hot metal.  Better to have them normalized with max toughness.  Now if 
you are making edge tools such as wood working chisels, that is another 
story.

Dave Smucker

--------------------------------------------------
From: "Ron Childers" <munlaw2 at hcsmail.com>
Sent: Friday, May 09, 2008 7:57 AM
To: "'Blacksmithing List Sponsored by ABANA'" <theforge at mailman.qth.net>
Subject: RE: [TheForge] spring steel thread

> A tempered truck spring was the upper blade in a friend's guillotine and 
> it
> shattered. He re-ground it, heated and let it air cool- no more problems.
> Easy on Dan; I have a few years on him.
> Ron C
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: theforge-bounces at mailman.qth.net
> [mailto:theforge-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Andrew Vida
> Sent: Thursday, May 08, 2008 9:10 AM
> To: Blacksmithing List Sponsored by ABANA
> Subject: Re: [TheForge] spring steel thread
>
>
>
> David E. Smucker wrote:
>> Lee,
>>
>> Many springs are 5160, others maybe 1095 or other alloys.  New auto
>> springs are "who knows what" but since you seem to be talking about
>> older springs --  assume they are 5160.
>>
>> 5160 is a chrome steel with 60 points of carbon or 6 tens of 1 percent
>> carbon.  5160 is oil hardening.  If hardened it should be tempered -- 
>> and I would do that in a oven at 400 F for 1 hour.
>>
>> BUT -- for most uses as blacksmithing tools you do not need to heat
>> treat this steel.  Just forge your tool and let it air cool.  Dan Tull
>> has been doing this for years and he is older than dirt.  Some of his
>> tools maybe older than dirt too.
>
> Finally someone else speaks the truth too.  Until this moment, I
> felt
> so alone.
>
> -Andy <sniff> <sniff> V.
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