spring steel

[okamotoa]

ok iv noticed a lot of ppl saying they would love to have the old spring steel shafts not the stainless only prob was rust? is that correct.... i work in a metal shop and have any kind of metal avalible and at my hands and was considering makeing my own shafts? anybody do this?
also it was really cool i tried out a about a 3ft piece in 6mm and bent it tel ends touched an let it go... it went back staight i see why ppl say use spring steel now...if i do make my own how long do they usually last?

 

[settingsteel]

I use only spring stainless steel for my shafts have had quite a few for over 3 years with nay a sign of rust anywhere

i tried out a about a 3ft piece in 6mm and bent it tel ends touched an let it go... it went back staight i see why ppl say use spring steel now

I won't argue this but I think StainlessSS would probably bend a bit, if you did that... since I've had big grouper put pretzels on a few shafts...I think the amt of cardon and tempering make a big difference in the end product...tell me okamotoa where exactly did you aquire your spring steel? the idea of using Springsteel and giving it some type of anticorrosion bath might be appealing

 

[alexrom1207]

The use of steel that springy would probably result in a lot of shaft whip when firing the gun...making it extremely inaccurate. You could avoid this by making the gun less powerful, but if you can bend the steel and touch the ends you'd probably have to power down the gun to the point where it is unusable.

 

[okamotoa]

off the metal rack at work any thing i need thats metal as long as i do the work is free iv got diferent grades avalible as well as thicknesses.... an i can make em to fit any gun i buy they come in 25 or 40 foot lenths

 

[okamotoa]

all of our metal is new from a refinery/plant

 

[settingsteel]

The use of steel that springy would probably result in a lot of shaft whip when firing the gun...making it extremely inaccurate. You could avoid this by making the gun less powerful, but if you can bend the steel and touch the ends you'd probably have to power down the gun to the point where it is unusable.

keen observation, most true I would think...I was thinking a farter (pneumatic...since thats what I shoot...yet I make band guns, ironic huh)...do you think shaft whip places a factor in an air gun?

 

[settingsteel]

off the metal rack at work any thing i need thats metal as long as i do the work is free iv got diferent grades avalible as well as thicknesses.... an i can make em to fit any gun i buy they come in 25 or 40 foot lenths

thats awesome man...can you provide me (us) with some insight on Spring Steel grades, properties etc.

 

[okamotoa]

spring steel is typicly in the 20-40 grade region meaning 50%-85% pure

 

[alexrom1207]

I would imagine that shaft whip would be much less of a factor in a pneumatic because the spear is loaded down a barrel...therefore it has nowhere to go but straight when the gun is fired. Also, since the power in a pneumatic is directly behind the spear and pushes it rather than pulls it, rather than a band gun where the power is forward and often times down, I'm guessing a pneumatic gun would not have the shaft whip problem. Now loading the speak...that may get tricky if it's really springy...although I've never loaded a pneumatic so I can't spear authoritatively on that.

 

[okamotoa]

i am lookin at switchin 2 a pneumatic but for now i just got a short band gun (55) so i dont think it wil cause tomuch of a problem...... was thinkin of a 75 pneumatic for my new gun...

 

[settingsteel]

I would imagine that shaft whip would be much less of a factor in a pneumatic because the spear is loaded down a barrel...therefore it has nowhere to go when the gun is fired. Also, since the power in a pneumatic is directly behind the spear and pushes it rather than pulls it, rather than a band gun where the power is forward and often times down, I'm guessing a pneumatic gun would not have the shaft whip problem. Now loading the spear...that may get tricky if it's really springy...although I've never loaded a pneumatic so I can't spear authoritatively on that.

Absolutely, good point!

 

[okamotoa]

i do know of one way to put a coating on one but you need a a good way to heat the metal pretty hot.... let me know if interested

 

[okamotoa]

some good news guys looks like i could make old spring steel style for bout $20-$30 only thing need to add to that is flopper. what other metals were you wanting to know about i know cold rolled might be another good option...

 

[settingsteel]

Whats cold rolled?.....howz about titanium?

 

[okamotoa]

high Strength carbon shaft similar to spring steel but slightly harder metal... titanium would have flex issues i think sure it will never break but if it bends it will never go straight really rigid

 

[settingsteel]

wouldn't it rust?

 

[okamotoa]

some but it could be treated so it wont

 

[Mongrel454]

Sounds interesting

 

[okamotoa]

avrage steel heated up to 500-1000 F and coated in oil (not synthetic!!!) or detergent if possible and done 3-10 times with 10-20 min between coats and metal kept aroun 600F is ideal but no open flame after coating (if catches fire could burn off coat before cured) after last coat let cure for a min. of 1 hour at 300-600F and slowly cool no cold water.... i do a lot of this outside (tends to smoke a fair bit) on a small wood stove on top to keep flames off.

 

[Mongrel454]

So thats the way to make steel rust proof?
Interesting stuff Aaron, but how would an average person treat it without industrial tools?