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Where to obtain flat spring steel?

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Sidney Smith

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The matchlock kit I'm building requires a piece of small flat spring steel to put tension on the lever that lowers the serpentine that holds the slow match. The kit included a piece of flat steel but it's in now way spring steel. Wondering where I can get a piece maybe 1/2 inch wide by about 6 inches long. Thanks.
 
Sidney Smith said:
The matchlock kit I'm building requires a piece of small flat spring steel to put tension on the lever that lowers the serpentine that holds the slow match. The kit included a piece of flat steel but it's in now way spring steel. Wondering where I can get a piece maybe 1/2 inch wide by about 6 inches long. Thanks.
Click to expand...
You already have it. The piece of steel that came in the kit.
 
Phil Coffins said:
You already have it. The piece of steel that came in the kit.
Click to expand...
Very probably .Listen to Mr Coffins he knows his stuff. You don't need a strong spring ,I made a common matchlock 40 odd years ago & it's just a scear spring Enfield size made in India and still works fine. Full size lock. Those days it was mostly the UK' Sealed Nott' that wanted matchlocks now their pretty mainstream & I delight in the' New way backwards' .
' Regards Rudyard
 
If it is a "kit" from TRS...
Follow these instructions or send back for free tempering. If sent back... no idea when you will get it back...
Hope this helps.

William
 

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Remember seeing more than one spring made out of a 6” steel scale or something similar for low force applications. It doesn’t sound like you are making a spring requiring the strength to be the suspension for a full sized pickup truck. Spring steel can be found where you find it. As long as you don’t take the steel passed it’s yield point a lot of items have useful ‘spring’ steel in them.
 
For your matchlock aplication, you need only a mild spring to return the scear arm and serpentine to the "up and away" position. Even a mild steel could be work hardened sufficiently to perform the task, but now others have given you have some excellent advice for obtaining truly high quality spring steel.
Best of luck and keep us posted on the project!
 
How thick do you need it ?? I have some 1/8th inch thick 1080 spring steel. I can cut you a piece in the size you need if that will work for you. PM me if interested.
Ohio Rusty ><>
 
Last edited:
I use old lawn mower blades anneal work up. heat good red drop into water then cover just deep enough. I use old sump oil but' Lard Oil' was the trade use . Heat vigorously from under a shallow tin once spitting out flames set aside to burn its self out generally works fine for heavier springs . But the old scear is still good.
 
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.
Ohio Rusty ><>
 
After reading this and other threads, I think I'm going to use the part that came with the kit, and try to harden it to use as the spring. As was mentioned, I only need the serpentine to return to the out of the way position when I let go of the trigger lever. I'm not making a mainspring as for a flintlock so I think it might work.

I have seen videos where guys made springs from old hacksaw blades. Whether this would work, who knows but it's another thing I can try should the part I have not work out.
 

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