straightening?

[bzzhewt]

I know this has been asked many times, so bear with me as i couldn't find much on searching.
I just got a rusty pile of old leaf springs and was wondering the best way to straighten them and what material they could be.
Thanx

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

Straighten them when you forge them.They are pbobably 5160,or maybe not..You can buy good 5160 steel for less than the sweat you will use to salvage them.If you've got that much ,you could paint a neighbors porch,and buy 21 feet of 2X1/4" 5160 with the money they give you.
Stacy

 

[bzzhewt]

thanx Stacy.
But I will be doing stock removal as I have no blacksmithing tools. I hope to make a forge for heat treating, but i won't be hammering any time soon!
Where could I go to get flat 5160 Stock that would preferably not be on the internet? Anyplace would be helpful tho.

IS there another way i could anneal, normalize, and harden my blades, like a kiln at a pottery place or something?
I know that sounds dumb, but I'm just trying to weigh my resources.

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

You can get 5160 and 1095 at a spring shop.Look in the phone book under "springs".It can be ordered from any knife supply(K& G,Koval,TKS,Jantz,etc.),Admiral steel,Crucible steel, and a dozen other machine shop supply places.You are going to need to anneal the springs before you can do much with them.Yes,you can use a pottery kiln to HT steel,but it is a bit of a pain.It is not all that easy to take out a blade from a kiln.A pottery shop would not be happy with you if you started quenching blades in their shop.You can use a propane torch with MAPP gas, to HT small blades, on a budget.
Stacy

PS,I tried to send you an email and you are blocked.Send me a private message,I can hook you up with some steel.

 

[bzzhewt]

Stacy, I tried to send you a private message, but it appears that I can't access the page. What is MAPP gas?

P.S. I just sent you an E-mail, so maybe you won't be blocked.

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

MAPP gas is Liquefied Petroleum (propane) which has been mixed with Methylacetylene-Propadiene.It burns hotter and cleaner than LP gas alone.You buy it at the hardware store where they sell the little propane bottles for blow torches.You can get it in bulk from your gas supplier,but most makers consider the added cost not worth it (when getting 100 pound tanks refilled).
Stacy
Got your message.