Skip to main content
Help Center Community Shop

Making springs

Bill DeShivs
Use a known steel, such as 1095 or 0-1. Any steel with less than .08% carbon will not make a spring.
Anneal the metal by heating to bright red and letting it air cool.
Shape the spring fully, and polish out any file marks.
Heat the spring to bright red, and quench in canola oil. The spring must be red when entering the oil. A file should slide along the steel, without cutting it. If the file doesn't slide, reharden the spring.
Polish the spring back to bright steel.
Gently and evenly heat the spring to just past the color blue. Immediately remove heat and let air cool.
Spring made, if you follow these instructions exactly.
0

Comments

7 comments

Date Votes
  • CapnMidnight
    Bill,
    There's a story here about a friends grandad, out hunting years ago. A member of the party had a 94 Winchester, the main spring broke. Grandad had two files in his car, heated one to aniel it, and used the other to shape the spring, reheated and quenched the spring. It worked. Another friend is a gunsmith, heard the story, loves a challenge and tried the same thing. I was there, and it also worked, if he can't buy a spring, he'll make one. He's truely a craftsman.
    W.D.
    0
  • mrpvc
    your " how to" instructions will be helpful. I have a few questions.

    do you use butane tourch to heat metal?
    if I buy spring steel stock from supplier like Dixon do I have to do 1st step of annealing? also is motor oil OK to use or why is canola oil better? I hope these question are not goofy, I just am trying to learn/understand more about the process.

    I have made replacement springs for antique powder flasks and after many failures learned how to do it. sometimes I get the blue color on the final spring and sometimes not? maybe the key is as you state to gently or slowly heat to blue and pull away flame.

    any additional advise would be appreciated
    0
  • varian
    thanks Bill. you answered this question for me several months ago and i saved it to my computer but later lost the info when my hard drive self destructed. i will print this one and put in a real file.
    0
  • USN_Airdale
    being a former maker of flintlock/percussion muzzle loader rifles, i have made many flat leaf springs, i learned this from Kit Ravenshears little book of "Spring Making"

    http://kitravenshear.com/Books.html

    all the other books, like "Woodworking" is applicable to modern firearms with wood as the "stock", all my guns are aluminum and steel with some "plastic/carbon fiber" stocks and forearms.
    0
  • Bill DeShivs
    You can use a standard hardware store propane torch. Having a heat-reflective surface (like firebrick or a charcoal block) helps a lot.
    It is always better to work with fully annealed stock, so that you avoid setting up stresses-plus, it's just easier to work.
    Motor oil is a little thick, and it will not remove heat as quickly as canola oil. Canola doesn't stink when used.
    If you use the steels mentioned, you will always get vivid colors. Stainless does not show heat colors well, and usually requires a completely different heat treatment method. Stick with 0-1, 1080, or my favorite 1095. I can make replacement springs if you have the old pieces.

    EDIT: 1095 can be bough from www.jantzsupply.com
    0
  • mrpvc
    Bill, thanks for additional info. I will try your method and suggestions next time I make a spring. I will try to find a local source for the 1095 steel you suggested.
    0
  • victorj19
    Thanks for the new post.[:)]

    Jim
    0

Please sign in to leave a comment.

Recent Activity