sword blanks from leaf springs

[LANCER1562]

As an historic re-enactor, I will have to try that. I wonder how leaf spring steel compares to carbon steel for actual strength.

[Southern Breeze]

Great article. I've bookmarked it and will give it a try when the weather warms up

As an historic re-enactor, I will have to try that. I wonder how leaf spring steel compares to carbon steel for actual strength.

This should explain carbon steel-

Low Carbon: contains about .05-.30% carbon and of the three, because of the relative low cost of production, it is used extensively. Some sources of low carbon scrap are car bodies, some types of rebar, old nails, bolts, panels on railroad cars, railroad spikes, some types of angle iron, rolled pipe, some types of wire, nails, straps, hinges, tanks, drums, etc. It is manufactured in rolled bars, and the most common ones are round, flat or square bars of ¼ - 1". It is NOT temperable but may be forge welded.

Medium Carbon: contains roughly .30-.60% carbon. It is a harder material (harder to work and harder to find), and may be tempered. It is the most available temperable scrap metal. Some sources are springs, axles, torsion bars, gearshift bars, shock absorber bars, and, in general, anything that must stand up to a higher degree of stress and strain. It will not bend easily like mild steel. It is also used where tempering is required (e.g., auto/truck axles, auto/rail car springs, leaf springs, steering columns).

High Carbon: contains roughly .60-1.5% carbon, and usually has an alloy present. It is much harder than medium carbon, but is available in scrap sometimes as old pneumatic drill bits, old bulldozer blades, milling cutters, metal saws, cutting dies, threading dies, and files.