Slippy Spring..Help!?

[PocketEdge]

I am happy to say I'm a new owner of an Evenheat Kiln! My heat treating proceedures have completely changed from my old one brick mini kiln. I have a question though about making slipjoint springs. I have allways used a torch in the past and heated the spring until blue and quenched in water. It allways worked nicely and I was happy with the results. However, now that I have a temperature controled kiln, I could temper the springs in the kiln. But is that any better? What temperature would be ideal? 550-600? And for how long? and hour? How do others do this? BTW I use O-1 tool steel.

 

[John L]

O-1........try 800 degrees for two hrs in your kiln. Works good.