Austenite is an unstable (below about 1330 deg F) solution of carbon in
iron.
The addition of various elements such as chromium and nickel make it stable
at
lower temperatures, so 'austenitic' steel is of necessity a 'stainless'
steel.
Because of its ductility, I doubt it makes good springs.
'Piano wire' is a high carbon steel: the usual heat treatment there is that
to
remove springiness, it needs annealing. So you might lose a bit of
springiness
by heating to red heat and bending, but probably not too much if you're
fairly
quick. Heat treatment is usually recommended as a 'soaking' at red heat or
whatever for 1 hour per inch thickness of material; annealing requires very
slow
cooling. For any particular steel, see manufacturers recommendations. Some
authorities recommend quenching in brine rather than water for a harder
result,
but I've never found an observable difference. Some steels are oil quenched.
A good source of material for shaft extensions if you want steel is 'silver
steel', known in the US as 'drill rod'. Not cheap, but accurate in size.
However, I've found 1/4 inch diameter brass rod available quite cheaply at
Home
Depot stores in California.
73
Peter G3RZP
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