1" wide spring steel

[the_asylum_wanderer]

I am looking for ! inch wide spring steel of around 1/16 thick to make up a set of leaf springs for my 3* A and P .

If someone can point me in the direction of a supplier I would be most grateful.

[weidner]

Yes , I also could do with a length of something similar .

[MARK RIGG]

I have in the past bought small quantities of flat spring steel strip from a company in Redditch - there are ( or were ) several
spring makers in Redditch - bit of a speciality of the area .

Problem is the steel stockists will want to sell a large coil of strip , but these come to mind to try :

Springmasters - Reddich 01527 521 00

Stride Supplies - Redditch 01527 500 170

Reddifast Steels - Cradly Heath 01384 636663

There may be other manufacturers in the Reddich area who might be able to assist.

Springmasters are spring manufacturers who may be prepared to sell a small quantity from any stock material they have,
Stride , I think are stockist and may be able to supply something for `sample` purposes.
Reddifast are steel strip processors - they may be prepared to supply a small order ( for samples ) or they may tell you who they supply who might then let you have a small quantity.

Hope this is of help

MARK

[clayton21]

Dave,

I feel I bought mine fromReddifast Steels in the Birmingham Area.

My problem wasn't buying it (once I found it) or cutting it (once I fitted a new blade in my nodding donkey mechanical hacksaw) but ..... bending them the radius required. People will tell you they've used the Steel Boiler on their 6" model to shape them round - didn't work for me. Additionally I shaped some 3" x 2" wood to the radius and clamped the spring steel inside for periods up to 7 full days - didn't bend at all. I'm off to a known leaf spring maker north of Manchester in the next 2 weeks to negotiate with the to heat the spring steel up, shape it and cool it in oil.

Lastly, when calculating the radius you're drawings may show the Leaf Springs at their 'standard' position ie in my case with c 1/3rd of a ton bearing down on each set ....

Best of luck and f you can answer any of the above please feel free to pm me with any suggestions.

Kind regards

Andrew

[the_asylum_wanderer]

Reddifast Steels had what I wanted on the shelf. They advised to have it in an annealed condition , then it can be bent to what is required , there after tempering it back .
Looks like I will have to get the engineers handbook out to see what temperature I need to take it to , Wonder if the electric oven will do it

[BARFORD BOY]

I used BSS for some springs i have made for my 4 1/2 Foden trailer though they were 3mm thick x 1 1/2 in CS70 material.

[ballastdriver]

Try Live Steam Models, they do a lot of material in all sortd of sizes.