Recondition Main Spring?

[CaptGeorge]

This may have come up before, but has anyone ever "reconditioned" a main spring in a springer?  I just installed a new JM spring in my old Daisy 130A when it occurred to me that I might have be able to recondition the old one.

My thoughts are to stretch the old spring and reset it's length.  Then heat treat it - say in wife's oven, while she's away, of course!  Anybody ever tried this? Results?

[Bhawanna]

you will have to get your wife's oven over 900 degrees to heat treat spring wire.....i wouldn't want to be in your house when you tried it...  also "stretching" the spring will cause some of the coils to become out-of-round (the weaker one first)....in short, throw the spring away or use it to make a bobble-head doll out of.

[CaptGeorge]

Thanks. But if I remember right oil tempered and music wire only require about 500 deg F for heat treating i.e. stress relief.  You're probably right about getting a non-uniform coils, but most springs get non-uniform and develop a cant under normal springer usage.

I was lucky to find a suitable spring for my Daisy 130A.  However, it's MUCH stronger than the original even after pre-setting it. I worry about internal damage the stronger spring may be causing. I'm even considering leaving the Daisy cocked for a week or so just to weaken the spring.

I realize it's more economical just to change out the spring.  But, I was just wondering if it could be done at all.  If so, it might be possible to recondition an old air rifle where replacement springs are no longer available.  Of course, you could just wind a custom spring on a lathe, but that's a lot of work, too, plus you have to find good source of spring wire.

Anyway, I was just wondering what all the experts here thought.

George

[3n00n]

There have been a few spring wire threads, but only people with a good bit of metallurgy knowledge understand what the crystalline structure of the metals are doing during heating and tempering.

To understand better would require extensive training, an electron microscope, very precise magna-flux equpment, etc . . .

[Bhawanna]

carbon steel wire will need up to 750 degrees, alloy wire up to 800 degrees, Austenitic Stainless Steel wire up to 950 degrees, Carbon (AISI 1050 to 1095) up to 1500 degrees.  first you need to determine the type of spring steel you have.  yes stress relieving can be done with 400-500 degrees. if you wish to weaken the spring, perhaps a little tempering (experimenting) around 425 degrees will draw it back and reduce power.....just a thought.  while you're at it, put some baking potatoes in the oven with it.....ha!!!

[3n00n]

http://www.gatewaytoairguns.com/airguns/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=10034&posts=62

http://www.gatewaytoairguns.com/airguns/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=9150&posts=11

[CaptGeorge]

Ahhhh.....nothing quite as good as springs and spuds from the oven to go with a juicy steak off the grill. LOL  

Thanks for info.