First slipjount, spring question.

coachcampana

coachcampana

Well-Known Member
Ugh, still can't edit my title spelling mistakes. SlipJOINT!

Ill be using 1/8 inch o1 tool steel. I'm just going to attempt to copy a single blade swiss army slip joint I bought and took apart. I do have a how to video by Chris Crawford. The video is awesome. He shows a very easy way to get your spring ready for the knife using a torch. I was curious if anyone here had any other input as far as tempering or heat treating the spring? I want as much info as I can get before I start on this. I like to read as much as I can before starting a new technique.

Thanks in advance for reading and anyone's input.
 
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Chris covers it pretty well.

I'd say jump in and practice. it is common for people to over heat in the temper and end up with a spring that is too soft. luckily you can always do it over. go for a nice even color and make sure it comes back through the first hole. when I was spring tempering with a torch I liked a nice light blue. I build over 75 folders doing it Chris's way before I stepped up and got and oven. only had two springs fail and neither of them were because of the temper. one I forgot to temper at all and they don't bend at all when they are hardened. :biggrin: second one was do to a stress riser i didn't get all the way out before hardening.

practice, practice, practice...

Erik
 
I don't have a kiln either, but here is what I did recently with the slipjoint I did in 1080. I tempered the backspring with the blade twice at 400F in my oven, then I tempered the backspring for an hour as high as the household oven would go, which was about 550. Then using a propane torch I slowly heated the spring past purple and blue to a dark steel grey which is about the 800F I was aiming for.

If you are aiming for 50 Rockwell give or take, I think you need to go past the blue, that Chris recommends in his tutorial, to grey. The info I found on 01 has 800F being 48-50 Rockwell.

Good luck!
Chris
 
Coach

I cannot help you with the heat treat and temper question. But, check out Steve Culver's tutorial on slip joints if you have not already done so. I

t helped me a great deal understanding the various processes of putting one together and making it work correctly. Here is a link to his website. Just click on the tutorial link and it will take you to a two (2) part WIP on slip joint making. Well worth the 10-15 minutes of your time and it has good instructions and pictures.

http://www.culverart.com/index.htm

Good Luck!

DeMo
 
Ditto on what Eric stated. Practice it first. Use the lowest heat you can on a propane torch, be patient, and remember that once you start getting color change, it happens quickly so don't over do it. I always sit on a stool or chair when I temper with a torch so I don't get antsy and try to rush things.
 
Before drawing blue be sure the spring has been through a full temper in your oven (next to the blade).
This way the spring get a deep temper at the same blade hardness, then you draw the flex+1hole portion to blue with the torch.
You will have less chance to gall the spring in the walk zone and have a tough flex area. Another advantage carbon steel offers
 
Another question fellas. Is there any reason why I couldn't use traditional folder hardware with a slipjoint over peening pins?
 
Not any other reason than doing it the traditional way (plus the no-way-back challenge thrill), but many makers have done screw construction slipjoints that are very nice!
 
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