[JohnW]

wulfgar
Let me suspend all judgement about sword making technique and just talk about forging leaf spring. I don't know anything about sword making anyway.

Bright red almost orange doesn't sound terrible. I would preferr almost yellow. Others have advised that almost orange is better for the steel in that it burns out less carbon. The piece will get hotter after a few heats. It will heat up faster and it will just get hotter.

I don't understand what you mean that the steel separated. Did it split lengthwise into layers?

What you're doing is a tremendous amount of work. You can't expect to draw out a whole leaf spring in a single day, at least not with a 2 pound hammer.

Now, if you want to draw out the leaf spring, that is change it from 3" x 1/4" to 1.5" x 1/4" or some such thing your beginning technique is right, lay the spring edge-wise on the anvil and hammer it. This will begin to flatten the top edge where you strike it and the bottom edge where it contacts the anvil, and probably begin to wrinkle the steel in the middle. When I say it flattens the top edge, I mean it begins to make a T. While you still have a little heat left, lay the beaten area flat on the anvil, and beat the lip down that formed on the edges and take out the wrinkle. Reheat to finish this if you have to. Keep the edges well rounded.

Start with just the first 2" to 4" inches, that is just put the end of the spring across the anvil.

All this pounding puts a lot of stress on the piece. After you work it for a couple hours, you should let it rest in the coals (no blower) for a couple hours to relieve the stress. when you're done for the day, just leave the piece burried in the coals.

Are you burning charcoal? You probably don't want to burry the piece in the coals if you're burning coal.

Now you said something about make the steel square. Are you trying increase the thickness? That would be upsetting not drawing.