Erfurt 1894

[Old44]

I'm working on a revolver for a friend, it's an Erfurt model 1894.
What I need to complete it is a spring for the loading gate.

It's a flat spring with a hole on one end for the mounting screw and a nub on the other so the gate can cam into place.

Help is needed to locate this spring before I attempt making one.

tia,

Mark


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[44man]

Should be easy to make from tool steel. Harden it and float in your lead pot at 600* for an hour, remove and put on the pot edge while it cools down.

[john hayslip]

I don't know about the nub - perhaps a blob of silver solder - but I have several feet of either a clock or timer spring I keep around for similar projects. If you want some send me an address and I'll send you enough to fit in an envelope. It's about 1/2 inch wide.

[Frank46]

This is really gonna sound stupid. How about a hacksaw blade, already springy and use some heat stop paste to keep the temper while silver soldering the nub?. Frank

[44man]

NO, never heat a section only. Steel must be fully hardened and tempered all over. I made a mistake once with a transfer bar I made, had to heat one side and shape for a better fit and failed to re-harden and temper, it broke.
I have made mainsprings and frizzen springs for flint locks, try THAT for fun. Never had one break.
The hardest thing to do is to start with spring steel temper to make any spring. Any heating will require full hardening and tempering again.
That nub should be bent in first while steel is soft. Or filed in with thicker stock. Tool marks need polished off, never leave a scratch on a spring.
Once a piece is hardened, never test it either, temper first and the lead pot is the very best. Never use flame to turn steel blue.
For tool steel hardness I use the kitchen oven. 300* for an hour and a cool down in the oven. For tough I use 350*. Spring needs 600*.

[Old44]

So now we're getting some good options .Tool steel I can get and file and polish to fit.
I'm still a little grey on the hardening. I have the solder pot for tempering, But can you detail the hardening a little more.
Heating, quenching, oil, water, etc

Enclosed is a drawing of the spring. It is .075" at it's thickest and 1.150" long. .215" wide where the hole is and .090" wide at the nub end.117700

[44man]

So now we're getting some good options .Tool steel I can get and file and polish to fit.
I'm still a little grey on the hardening. I have the solder pot for tempering, But can you detail the hardening a little more.
Heating, quenching, oil, water, etc

Enclosed is a drawing of the spring. It is .075" at it's thickest and 1.150" long. .215" wide where the hole is and .090" wide at the nub end.117700
Easiest is oil hardening. I use auto transmission oil to dunk in. I use aircraft safety wire on the part to hold and heat with a torch, for a small item, propane is good. Get cherry red and hold it there for a little time, then dunk in the oil. That will make it very hard and brittle. Toss in your lead pot set to 600 and let it float for an hour, fish it out and set on the pot edge to cool slow when you pull the plug. Very, very easy.
You will get trash on it when out of the oil, you can wire brush if you want. Just a quick clean up. Pretty does not make it better in any case.
Do all shaping and bending with the steel soft.
You will be fine.
I broke an Italian mainspring on my flinter while deer hunting Long ago. Went to the store and bought rubber bands to put on the hammer, stretched to the rear sight and taped. Got my deer and when home, everyone in the state of Ohio knew about the "rubber band guy." I made a spring and it has been going strong for over 40 years.
Springs are real easy if simple but folded ones are tough, yet you can still do it.
All can be done without a hardening oven.