Spring Steel

[Seán Ó Fearghail]

Hi, Final question for people for the minute. I'm also looking into were to get my hand on some spring steel and it was suggested that if i asked here that some people might be willing to share where they get they're spring steel or could guide me in the right direction? Thanks everyone for all this info on the topic.

thank you all again,

Sean

[ben]

Hi, Final question for people for the minute. I'm also looking into were to get my hand on some spring steel and it was suggested that if i asked here that some people might be willing to share where they get they're spring steel or could guide me in the right direction? Thanks everyone for all this info on the topic.

thank you all again,

Sean

 

Check out the following website for blue tempered spring steel:

 

http://www1.mscdirect.com/Coils/Metal-Material/Raw-Materials/s0000001906.HTML

[Seán Ó Fearghail]

Thats great. thanks a million.

[Seán Ó Fearghail]

Any body know of any where in UK or europe? For posting reasons?

[Rod]

Hi, Final question for people for the minute. I'm also looking into were to get my hand on some spring steel and it was suggested that if i asked here that some people might be willing to share where they get they're spring steel or could guide me in the right direction? Thanks everyone for all this info on the topic.

thank you all again,

Sean

 

It has been said that old (antique?) clock springs can be a suitable source of material for Concertina reeds but I have no experience whatsoever in the matter.

[MichaelF]

Hi, Final question for people for the minute. I'm also looking into were to get my hand on some spring steel and it was suggested that if i asked here that some people might be willing to share where they get they're spring steel or could guide me in the right direction? Thanks everyone for all this info on the topic.

thank you all again,

Sean

 

You don't say whether you want sheet or wire or what you want it for - I assume sheet from previous replies. Try contacting http://www.spring-steel-strip.co.uk/ or http://springsteelstrip.co.uk/

Both sites look useful.

[greno35]

Hi, Final question for people for the minute. I'm also looking into were to get my hand on some spring steel and it was suggested that if i asked here that some people might be willing to share where they get they're spring steel or could guide me in the right direction? Thanks everyone for all this info on the topic.

thank you all again,

Sean

 

It has been said that old (antique?) clock springs can be a suitable source of material for Concertina reeds but I have no experience whatsoever in the matter.

I tried clock springs steel but it is too soft (from my experience)

[Dana Johnson]

Hi, Final question for people for the minute. I'm also looking into were to get my hand on some spring steel and it was suggested that if i asked here that some people might be willing to share where they get they're spring steel or could guide me in the right direction? Thanks everyone for all this info on the topic.

thank you all again,

Sean

I used to use the 1095 blue tempered spring steel which worked fine for reeds but was a little softer temper than I liked. I switched to some steel from Uddeholm strip steel Co. that is used for the reed valves of compressors which is a better temper and comes either in straight 1095 or a more modern alloy that shears cleaner. Minimum orders are high though. ( I have a lifetime's worth ) Perhaps the springsteelstrip.co.uk folks carry it or something similar on a more retail level. I've found the harder tempers hold their set better and the reed valve steel is perfect. ( don't get mixed up with the stuff for loom reeds for the weaving industry )

Dana

[up-fiddler]

I used to use the 1095 blue tempered spring steel which worked fine for reeds but was a little softer temper than I liked. I switched to some steel from Uddeholm strip steel Co. that is used for the reed valves of compressors which is a better temper and comes either in straight 1095 or a more modern alloy that shears cleaner. ....Dana

 

In what thicknesses do you typically order for a C/G anglo? thanks, Dave.

[Dana Johnson]

I used to use the 1095 blue tempered spring steel which worked fine for reeds but was a little softer temper than I liked. I switched to some steel from Uddeholm strip steel Co. that is used for the reed valves of compressors which is a better temper and comes either in straight 1095 or a more modern alloy that shears cleaner. ....Dana

 

In what thicknesses do you typically order for a C/G anglo? thanks, Dave.

I use approximately ( since decimal inch sizes don't exactly line up with the metric, and depends on where you are ordering what units they will use ) but in Decimal inches, I use .032 for the lowest reeds, .025 for the next bunch, .020 for the mid range and .015 for the higher ones. Mind you you can use thicker blanks for the lighter reeds but you need to do a lot of filing. If you weight your low reeds, you can get away without the .032 but I'd stick with the other sizes. Cutting small reeds out of thick stock tends to generate twist and a good chance of invisible fractures that will cause a reed to fail. In general, I like to use the thinnest stock I can for any reed. Remembering that good reeds are never flat in profile. ( too stiff for the pitch ) The Uddeholm stock I got was all from 6 to 8 inches wide, so a strip that wide by about a bit more than an inch would cut into a few dozen reed blanks. The reeds should be cut along the grain of the steel so if the sheet you buy is say 6 inches wide by a foot long, cut off a strip that is a good bit longer than your reed and the full width of your sheet and cut your reeds off so they are parallel to the one foot dimension of your original sheet. ( like the teeth of a comb )

Dana

[up-fiddler]

I used to use the 1095 blue tempered spring steel which worked fine for reeds but was a little softer temper than I liked. I switched to some steel from Uddeholm strip steel Co. that is used for the reed valves of compressors which is a better temper and comes either in straight 1095 or a more modern alloy that shears cleaner. ....Dana

 

In what thicknesses do you typically order for a C/G anglo? thanks, Dave.

I use approximately ( since decimal inch sizes don't exactly line up with the metric, and depends on where you are ordering what units they will use ) but in Decimal inches, I use .032 for the lowest reeds, .025 for the next bunch, .020 for the mid range and .015 for the higher ones. Mind you you can use thicker blanks for the lighter reeds but you need to do a lot of filing. If you weight your low reeds, you can get away without the .032 but I'd stick with the other sizes. Cutting small reeds out of thick stock tends to generate twist and a good chance of invisible fractures that will cause a reed to fail. In general, I like to use the thinnest stock I can for any reed. Remembering that good reeds are never flat in profile. ( too stiff for the pitch ) The Uddeholm stock I got was all from 6 to 8 inches wide, so a strip that wide by about a bit more than an inch would cut into a few dozen reed blanks. The reeds should be cut along the grain of the steel so if the sheet you buy is say 6 inches wide by a foot long, cut off a strip that is a good bit longer than your reed and the full width of your sheet and cut your reeds off so they are parallel to the one foot dimension of your original sheet. ( like the teeth of a comb )

Dana

 

Many thanks, Dana! I have been hanging about reading all I can and almost everyone seems to say get a good concertina and take it apart to learn from it. I don't really have the money to buy several good models for examination purposes. (I just bought a Morse to play and love it. Before that I had a Rochelle.) I fool around in the shop regularly and have built many things ranging from a violin to a large boat. I would like to get started on a concertina this summer. I thought that cutting reeds and reed pans and tuning them would be a good start and a bit of fun to boot. Thanks again, Dave.