Broken Altex Anti-Reverse Lever Spring

[OldTackle]

Evening gents,

since a long time I was begging for a Hardy Altex No1 and today I finally received it. Quite immediately I was wondering why the anti-reverse felt so floppy and was self engaging from time to time. I opened the bottom service opening and a small metal part fell out. Opening the circular service opening I saw that the spring that holds the anti-reverse lever in place was broken in half. I pulled the loose bit out and now I wonder if anybody has ever had such a problem? I dis-embowelled my Hardy Altex No2 not very long ago to give it a full clean and service but that one doesn't have the optional anti-reverse. From another post in here I got a guess how the shape should roughly be but I think it will be a bit of a try and error thing.
Does anyone know how to heat treat spring metal? I think I might get hands on some and even might be able to make a reproduction but if I remember correctly that metal is blank and does not yet have that blueish finish.
Any advice more than welcome!



P.S.: The piece can be seen here in picture four.
viewtopic.php?t=8035

[Paul D]

This may help Chris,

Don't forgot this is the tempering chart, you will need to harden it first, quite easy to do at home, heat until cherry red, touch with a magnet and when it doesn't stick you've reached the right temperature, quench in oil, clean then temper to the required colour ( allow to air cool )

[ReelMaker]

Dear Sir,You could find that piano wire is what you need for making springs,I buy mine from hobby shops and it is supplied in various diameter to suit .A small pair of round nosed pliers are best for making spring as they give a much smother bend .If you needed to make a spring from soft wire then heat treat it you would need the finer sizes of silver steel (high carbon ) wire ,then bend to suit and heat to cherry red and quench in oil,next clean with wire wool and so it is bright and use a very mellow flame and gently heat to a light straw and quench in water.I hope this will help but it does need skill and patience to perfect.Reelmaker

[OldTackle]

Dear Sir,You could find that piano wire is what you need for making springs,I buy mine from hobby shops and it is supplied in various diameter to suit .A small pair of round nosed pliers are best for making spring as they give a much smother bend .If you needed to make a spring from soft wire then heat treat it you would need the finer sizes of silver steel (high carbon ) wire ,then bend to suit and heat to cherry red and quench in oil,next clean with wire wool and so it is bright and use a very mellow flame and gently heat to a light straw and quench in water.I hope this will help but it does need skill and patience to perfect.Reelmaker

Thanks Reelmaker but it is not a normal spring out of wire. It's rather a flat spring out of spring steel sheet. It is not the spring that keeps the handle mechanism from turning backwards, it's the engage lever that you slide in on and off position outside the reel.

Paul: Quite interesting to know those temperatures. I will keep that in mind.