Making simple tubing clamp

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petertha

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I'm thinking of making a simplified tubing spring clamp. The dimensions will vary slightly but just as a guess, say 0.300" OD x 0.030 WT x 0.100 axial length. The application is to squeeze silicone tubing couplers against aluminum tubes. So I want to open them up slightly to slide into position over the silicone, release & have them clamp down. The silicone size/stretch is doing most of the actual seal, the clamps are more to keep things into place. But if I can get away with more like sealing force without distorting the shape while opening, I have similar applications in mind.

My thought was to turn them from O1 (elevated carbon tool steel I have in stock), make the slit, then heat treat them. That's the part I'm not clear on. I've torch heated & oil quenched & tempered this material to the tan brown hardness for different end applications. Should I replicate this procedure but temper to elevated temperature (blue is what I've heard).
 

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