Welding Spring steel

[steeo]

Don't know if this is in the right section but here goes.

A friend of mine asked me about welding a fracture in a spring steel collar he has. He tried to weld it himself but when he welded it a hairline crack ran the lenght of the weld on one side.

My question is,
1. Is it possible to weld spring steel ??? and if so how ???

Pictures of the collar below.

 

[gordon stephenson]

Hello Steeo,
the photo appears to be of a Bellville washer, As you say some form of spring steel they are designed to be used on their own or in stacks either all the same way round or face to face,back to back etc used to provide preload onto what ever they are used for,I have used these many times and would not be too happy or confident that a welded repair would last any length of time in service.

Regards Gordon.

 

[TechnicAl]

It is possible to weld spring steel using a 312 type electrode (29/9) but it wont be a spring anymore. The weld and the HAZ will not perform like a spring.

 

[^neo^]

as soon as the heat goes into it, you lose the spring

 

[steeo]

Thanks for the replies.

The only reason he was looking for it to be welded is that a replacement 1 is €340 inc vat.

 

[^neo^]

a replacement 1 is €340 inc vat.

weld it

 

[chunkolini]

I was talking about this to a blacksmith mate, I have a plan for a chair using leaf springs bent and welded to give a springy rocking chair effect. The act of heating and welding them would anneal them, removing the temper but he reckons that they could be retempered by heating them to the correct colour and then quenching them. A possibility here?

In the case of Steeo's mates springs, will people die if they fail? will it cost money?

I also have a plan for a crossbow made of leaf springs for launching lengths of rebar and 2x2" timber.

Chunko'.

 

[R Kraft]

I was talking about this to a blacksmith mate, I have a plan for a chair using leaf springs bent and welded to give a springy rocking chair effect. The act of heating and welding them would anneal them, removing the temper but he reckons that they could be retempered by heating them to the correct colour and then quenching them. A possibility here?

In the case of Steeo's mates springs, will people die if they fail? will it cost money?

I also have a plan for a crossbow made of leaf springs for launching lengths of rebar and 2x2" timber.

Chunko'.

Years back, a biologist in Africa used a crossbow like that for shooting tranquilizers into rinos and elephants.

 

[jugs]

Thanks for the replies.

The only reason he was looking for it to be welded is that a replacement 1 is €340 inc vat.

It will never work as a spring again what ever you do. Each time you apply a load it will crack next to the weld.

 

[NTwoO]

Find a springmaker in your neighbourhood and ask him to retemper it for you. If you get to know the bloke, he might even add it to one of his batches.

First make the surface as even as possible. Take down the weld bead and check your weld for flaws. In that case it should not be any problem to weld it. If you don't do it, it will crack next to the weld.