This book to make percussion lock shotgun calls for spring steel. I know I can get 1/16-3/8 thick 1095 from brownells, or blacksmith forge site. I can’t find a clockmakers flat spring steel. It says buy 1mm .037 clock makers springs steel. Does anyone have any information on where or how I could get this material?
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Where to find 1mm or .037 flat spring steel
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I just replaced a sear spring on my KY rifle. I used a piece of scrap steel band material from the local feed store. It's about 1mm thick and can be found in different widths.
The piece I got was 3/4 wide. I cut to shape, then rust blued. Tapped 1 end around a nail to fit the screw then used a gentle bend where needed to get it on the sear. Works great!
Wouldn't be strong enough for a lock spring. I have also used springs from inside a measuring tape.
I get broken springs from my local outboard (OB) motor place, as the recoil starter on smaller OBs use long (6 feet+) heavy wire flat spring steel coils.
FWIW McMaster-Carr has flat 0.032" spring wire, but their prices are PROHIBITIVE as you need to buy 25' at a minimum!
https://www.mcmaster.com/products/spring-steel/wear-resistant-1095-spring-steel-sheets-and-strips/
FWIW McMaster-Carr has flat 0.032" spring wire, but their prices are PROHIBITIVE as you need to buy 25' at a minimum!
https://www.mcmaster.com/products/spring-steel/wear-resistant-1095-spring-steel-sheets-and-strips/
Holy cow. 25 ft!
This is the part….
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Does it go to the hammer or the sear?
It looks like a sear spring I made. I used the banding material. But a cheap measuring tape from the Dollar Store may have the material you need.
They call it a plunger spring in the book. It’s not for the hammer.
Either one should work then. It's not perfect, and it's not correct. But it should work.
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You are probably aware that you can use slightly thicker spring stock not as wide as original for the same tension loading.
I have also draw filed flat spring stock to desired thickness as it comes annealed.
Like 1095 and just file it down?
No, I’m not aware. I haven’t been able to find anything other than an 1/8 inch thick. I figured without a mill flattening it consistently would be tough. I have a lathe. I could figure out how to fiixture it and face it that thin I guess.
ck dixie gun works they have sheet spring material n full size to compare your size.
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Your old leaf rake tines work very well too
Ok, I’ll check there. This thing is proving to be more challenging than I thought. It’s amazing the work people do and did with hand tools.
I’m nervous to use anything other than stock. I don’t want the original shape of the metal to return after I make the part. Material science and thermal memory is wild. It’s good to know that those metals will work. I assumed that maybe the more common items wouldn’t use a good quality spring steel, but sounds like I’m wrong about that and it’s all the same.
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Its flat spring steel. Anneal it, shape your spring, harden, then temper. If for some reason you dont quite get it right, it isnt going to break the bank. Just keep doing it until youre a pro.
Annealed 1075 is easer to form & harden using a simple hardware propane torch. Buy a strip of 1/16" X 1" X 12" from Dixie Gun Works or maybe Brownell's possibly has it. Cut out the strip you need (length and width make it a little longer & wider than needed). Cold hammer it to a taper or use heat - bend the screw hole using heat - file the tab polish it then bend the vee using heat. Polish it to get it to look nice - then heat to harden - check with a file for hardness and if OK temper it - done
I second the heavy gauge steel banding from the feed/hardware store. No heat treat necessary, and plenty of spring for a sear. I built one not too long ago, and it works great.
https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/threads/springs-from-scrap-iron.173160/#post-2500462
https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/threads/springs-from-scrap-iron.173160/#post-2500462
Gordoncourtney
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Easy get a big one soften it then re harden it
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What about trying the steel from an old wood saw ?? You can get a whole saw at a flea market for a dollar or two. That is thin and flat and can be cut to the size you need, heated and tempered. I bet it would make a fine spring. I have some 1/8th thick 1080 spring steel I use for making knives. I can send you a piece the size you need to try it. Just PM me if that will help you with your experiment. Here is another thought .... Inside the head band of a pair of headphones, there is a 1/2 inch wide piece of spring steel that is probably the thinness you need. The spring steel band is 8 or 9 inches long. That can easily be heated to soften it, shape it and anneal it back to the spring steel blue color. You can pick up a pair of junk headphones at the thrift store cheap and take the metal head band out of it. I was going to take a picture of one of those bands for you but I'm not sure where I put them at the moment.
Ohio Rusty ><>
Ohio Rusty ><>
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