Taking the "bend" out of leaf springs

B

bwitty

Joined
Dec 5, 2003
Messages
103
Whats the best way to take the "bend" out of old leaf spings to use for stock removal. First off I do not have a forge and secondly is this really necessary to do?

Thanks in advance
 
I suppose if you were making a knife small enough the bend wouldn't be a problem, as it is gradual and over a small length would be almost nothing. Now don't ask me how small small enough is cause I have no idea. One way to find out is just hack off a piece and give it a shot.
 
If you dont get the bend out before you grind it, I feel sorry for the guys that heat treats that boomerang:D

If nothing else just get some charcoal from walmart and make up a temporary forge to heat up the steel to get it straight and anneal it also. That will make grinding it much easier also.
 
secondly is this really necessary to do?
Not if you make one of those knives that cut around corners.:D
You may be able to get away with this:footinmou

Cut a section of spring the length you need.

Place it curve down on a grinder with a fairly flat surface. A disk would be good. Grind it flat on that side.

Problem #1....it is too soft for a knife!
problem #2....there is a lot of stress in the blade now and it will want to "go back to mama with heat treat.

I would try to rough grind it at this point leaving a lot of metal on the edge (like 1/8")

Then I would try to heat the edge using a torch or whatever you have and quench. Cook it in the oven for at least 2 hours at 350.

Place it flat again on the grinder and take out whatever curve redeveloped and carefully finish your grinding.
 
What everyone here is kindly alluding to, Byron, is the leaf springs are usually best-suited for blades if they are forged. Stock-removal really isn't advisable unless you anneal, etc, and if you have the capability to that, then you may as well forge.
 
bwitty,

I'm in the same boat. The whole leaf is too big for me to anneal at once. My plan is to use an angle grinder to cut off a piece that I can work with. Then anneal (many discussions and data on how to so that.) Once it is annealed you can straighten it out in a vice - it loses that spring-back attribute.

From there you are good to go.

Steve
 
Originally posted by jhiggins
WStock-removal really isn't advisable unless you anneal, etc, and if you have the capability to that, then you may as well forge.
Click to expand...

I have all the required setup, but obviously Mr. Higgins hasn't seen what I and a hammer can do to a perfectly good piece of steel ;) :D ;)

Steve
 
Bwitty, I feel for you, 'cos this is exactly the same scenario I found myself in when I started.

You see, this scavenging old materials stuff, is something bladesmiths take advantage of - they just take what they think would do well, heat it, hammer it, quench it and that way they can test it and see if it works in the first place. A spring-tempered piece of steel is too soft for a good knife (and too big), cutting it with a torch or cutt off saw will probably overheat it anyway.

What happened to me was ... I then just HAD to make a forge, then I HAD to learn to forge, then I HAD to get a anvil and tools, then i HAD to learn to Heat treat.. and so forth.

In all truth its not a bad way to go down... ;) :D Jason.
 
The thread seems to now be heading to the "What you should do" section now. Let me make a suggestion that will get you started. First, you need some way to cut and profile the blade. To get you started, get a cheap a$$ angle grinder. I see them for as little as $15.00. Won't last forever but will get you started.

Second...Think small for now. Get some designs for Bird and Trout knives or neck knives...whatever, just so long as it is fairly small.

Third.....Buy a Mapp gas torch, get a coffee can and find a local insulating person who will give you enough Kaowool to line the can.

Cut a hole in the side of the can, line it with the Kaowool, stick in the torch and start making small knives.

If you get hooked, bigger and better forges and grinders will come!
 
if you are gonna do stock removal anyhow, look for some D-2 in planer blades. Or Go to Wholesale tool or one of the knife supplu houses and get some 0-1. nice flat stock to start with. Saves a step.

:) :) :)
 
bwitty,

Another suggestion: look in the local phone book and find a spring manufacturer. I found one that specializes in leaf springs for cars and trucks. When they make the leaf springs, the have to cut them to the right lenght. The scrap that the cut off the ends is just that, scrap to them. The place that I found sells their end cuts for "$10 for all you can carry" and it's nice and straight.

Hope this helps.

- Mike :)
 
Good luck if you try cutting the leaf spring with a hack saw. Even though its not hard enough for a knife blade I would pretty much bet the teeth on the hack saw will dull very quickly. If your in an area that you can make a camp fire or better yet a brush pile to burn both will anneal most steels. You may be able to flatten it out at the sametime. If and when I've got some steel that needs annealing and I happen to think about it before I burn its going in the fire... I did a huge coil spring a few months back that way. It was made from 1 1/2" round 5160......
 
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