Where can I find 'spring steel' in narrow strips?

Greetings All !

I'm experimenting with making tentacles that are about 1-2 feet long in length and maybe a little more than an inch maximum width.

Tried making some using semi-stiff nylon tubing and fishing line, but all of the tubing at Lowe's isn't quite stiff enough... and my first two experimental tentacles don't seem to "behave" as they should consistently.

(For those who are curious, I've watched the 2 hour + video tutorial on this sort of thing from the Sam Winstone School of Character Arts.)

So, I thought I'd try using a spring steel strip inside each tentacle (with strong fishing line attached to that instead). And while I found a place online where I can order a roll of spring steel in whatever width I want... I was wondering if anybody has found a source for this in one of the big chains? Lowe's, Home Depot, or Harbor Freight? I'd love to get my hands on some within the next 48 hours.

Thanks!

-= Dave =-

There's no such thing as "spring steel" or "carbon steel" for that matter as all steel has carbon in it. They are marketing terms used by sword distributers. Sometimes the use of the term "spring steel" by sword distributers refers to the same grade of metal commonly used for leaf springs in vehicles but not always. Springs are made from steel, yes but the steel they are made from is not called spring steel, just... steel. The carbon content and the amount of tempering are the main things that determine the flexibility of the metal.

It sounds like what you need is a very flexible steel flat bar? Is that correct? If so, you may have trouble finding the right material. I doubt Home Depot or Lowes will have anything useful. Most metal distrubters sell untempered mild steel which also will not work. Sorry I couldn't be of more help. Maybe someone else can chime in here with something that will work for your needs.

Have you thought about trying zip ties/duct ties instead of steel? I know I use them in place of spring steel as corset boning sometimes and they work very similarly. You'd want the big long ones. Otherwise consider looking at corset suppliers--you probably won't be able to get it locally, though.

You may be thinking of "spiral steel" which is used by corset makers (see, my ID is not just for show). It's also been called "spring steel." You can find it at specialty stores by the yard, but I haven't seen it in regular stores.

(It's a type of steel that bends in all four directions but still maintains its shape.)

I've seen it in 1/2" and 1/4" widths. Search Google for "spiral steel boning by the yard" and you can find some places.

car wiper blades often have 2 springy strips in them , about 2-3mm wide and up to 22" long ? would that be any use

ARKM said:

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There's no such thing as "spring steel" or "carbon steel" for that matter as all steel has carbon in it. They are marketing terms used by sword distributers. Sometimes the use of the term "spring steel" by sword distributers refers to the same grade of metal commonly used for leaf springs in vehicles but not always. Springs are made from steel, yes but the steel they are made from is not called spring steel, just... steel. The carbon content and the amount of tempering are the main things that determine the flexibility of the metal.

It sounds like what you need is a very flexible steel flat bar? Is that correct? If so, you may have trouble finding the right material. I doubt Home Depot or Lowes will have anything useful. Most metal distrubters sell untempered mild steel which also will not work. Sorry I couldn't be of more help. Maybe someone else can chime in here with something that will work for your needs.

Hey, I was quoting the teacher in the video. I didn't come up with the term myself.

And for that matter, it seems that the metal industry knows what I'm talking about:

McMaster-Carr

steveo3002 said:

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car wiper blades often have 2 springy strips in them , about 2-3mm wide and up to 22" long ? would that be any use

Hmm... I'll take a look! Thanks! That's the kind of ingenuity I was looking for!


For the benefit of other readers / responders here: When I say "spring steel", I got the term from the teacher in the video I saw. The spring steel he used was a long, narrow, very thin piece of steel. The strip he actually used was from one of those "banding machines" that they use for shipping things. You know, they use plastic bands now a lot, but years ago... and for heavier objects today, any cardboard boxing or packaging material might have some black metal bands around it.

The key properties that this "spring steel" offers for tentacle making would be:
a) high strength (will bend but not break)
b) when you bend the metal strip, and then release it, it springs back into place
c) light weight

I did find a metal straight edge ruler at a thrift store today that appears to be made of the stuff... but it's a bit thicker than I think I need it to be. (And, of course, since I'll be making up to 2 foot long tentacles, it's half as long as I'd need it to be.) But it's good enough for me to at least experiment on a tentacle.

I think I'll check out a hardware store or two tomorrow. Failing that, I'll probably just end up ordering online from that McMaster link.

But I need to see if I can find a few cheap or old wiper blades to look at too!


Thanks!

-= Dave =-

booksandcorsets said:

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You may be thinking of "spiral steel" which is used by corset makers (see, my ID is not just for show). It's also been called "spring steel." You can find it at specialty stores by the yard, but I haven't seen it in regular stores.

(It's a type of steel that bends in all four directions but still maintains its shape.)

I've seen it in 1/2" and 1/4" widths. Search Google for "spiral steel boning by the yard" and you can find some places.

I'm pretty sure the teacher in the video I saw offered the stuff you're talking about as an option as well. I just assumed that stuff would be harder to find and more expensive as well. I saw some sort of unlabelled plumbing gadget at Big Lots today that appeared to be made of one of those. But it didn't have a price on it, so I just left it there.

Thanks for the tip, though! Yeah, I'm thinking that stuff would work!

Electrical section at Lowes, Home depot, etc; What you're looking for is 'Fish Tape' - used to pull wiring through conduit, but works great when repurposed for props/costumes. 25 feet will put you back about $20.00.

i have worked at a number of places that just throw away the metal banding from a shipment when they cut it off. if there is an industrial park near you you could always try knocking on a couple doors to see if they have any (or just try some dumpsters).

good luck

We always refer to the leaf spring steel as spring steal but that's it and in fact we only buy old car springs most of the time to get it.

DR4296 said:

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>>>clip<<<
But I need to see if I can find a few cheap or old wiper blades to look at too!
-

Have a junkyard or Pick-a-Part in your area? They'd probably pay you to take em off their hands!?

Also, since you're looking to grab something locally to have sooner than ordering, there is a weather stripping that has spring steel in it......forget the name/brand, but it's covered in squishy foam.....might work even better for tentacles--already padded?!

Shylaah

before you spend the money on experimenting or time looking and tearing apart wiper blades, look at bandsaw blades. They can be ground down to remove the saw teeth and cut easily with a good pair of wire cutters.

What size do you need? I was going to recommend McMaster but it looks like you found them already.

Spring steels are steels that have their compositions made up to have maximized properties in the spring temper range, or steels that have an extended spring temper range. Some steels have no spring temper range, such as many stainless steels.

Examples of spring steels are: 1075, 1095, 5160, 6150, L6 and 4130 and 4140 can also be grouped in that category as well as many others.

The term is very generic for a wide range of steels.

I use for 5160 and 6150 most often for my swords and knifes, but I've also used 4130 for stage swords and 1075 for some cutting swords.

For your project, depending on the size you need, McMaster should be able to suit your needs. Their supply is already heat treated, but remember, this means these strips will be extremely hard to work with. Hard to cut, hard to drill, etc..

Recoil for starting a lawnmower has a long narrow thin piece of "spring steel". For something wider how about banding for banding pallets.

Are the Tentacles round? Why not use coil springs, like screen door springs? Wobbly but tends to go back straight.

If you need them stiffer, run elastic up the centers.

I second on the throwaway steel banding.

Look for any place that has bricks shipped to them, or ships them. They will use ~3/4" steel banding which is extremely tough for wrapping the bricks on skids. I have a piece of this stuff laying around just in case it's needed.

Careful working with it, it's very hard on tools. My steel die punch put a dent in it but couldn't shear a hole out of it.

Here, is a link, to this "spring steel" that doesnt exist, yet its on this website, and i actually own some, but of course, there is no such thing.

http://springsteelstrip.co.uk/

lee

Depending on weight but how about a metal tape measure? Can cut to length has very light rigidity, springs back, and can use multiple layers to stiffen it if needed? Just a thought.

Thanks to all who posted! For experimental purposes, I located and bought a "sink cleaner"... a sort of "plumber's fish tape" for cleaning drains... for just over $6 from Lowe's. It's thicker and narrower than I would like (1/4" width) but it was enough for me to do some quick testing during my breaks at work....which is what I wanted -- the ability to make a little progress each day, even when I have to work 12 hours.

I am going to be hunting for that throwaway steel banding, however. I think it may be a bit more flexible than this current material.

Thanks again!

-= Dave =-