DrDucati
06-02-2019, 11:17 PM
I had good luck in the past with Brownells spring steel, which is listed as 1095 cold rolled.
But, the sizes they have are not big enough for the mainspring I am making so I got a piece from a company online, 1095.
After shaping, I hardened it though even getting it orange it did not cease to be magnetic. I tempered it to a blue with torch and installed it.
The result is that it deforms some and becomes a loose fit. I repeated the process with the same result. Then I realized that it was still functioning as a spring with repeatability, just not with the curvature needed to do the job properly.
First I thought it was a failure to harden. But later I decided that maybe it just "set" at a point I don't want. If it were too soft I would think it wouldn't continue to function at all.
Maybe I have to anneal it, bend it beyond the curve needed, and heat treat it again so it will set where I need it when it's flexed the first time.
Any opinion of whether I'm on the right track, or is this just wishful thinking?
But, the sizes they have are not big enough for the mainspring I am making so I got a piece from a company online, 1095.
After shaping, I hardened it though even getting it orange it did not cease to be magnetic. I tempered it to a blue with torch and installed it.
The result is that it deforms some and becomes a loose fit. I repeated the process with the same result. Then I realized that it was still functioning as a spring with repeatability, just not with the curvature needed to do the job properly.
First I thought it was a failure to harden. But later I decided that maybe it just "set" at a point I don't want. If it were too soft I would think it wouldn't continue to function at all.
Maybe I have to anneal it, bend it beyond the curve needed, and heat treat it again so it will set where I need it when it's flexed the first time.
Any opinion of whether I'm on the right track, or is this just wishful thinking?