I did a spring search and didn't see what I was looking for after scrolling through about four pages. I need to make a small spring to use in a hand-forged matchlock mechanism. Any advice on steel and procedure for making one, or link to a tutorial?
Many thanks.

Hi Bill,
Simplest way to make your spring is to forge it to shape from W-1. Normalize, then heat to critical and quench in water to harden. To temper dip in motor oil and "Flash" off buy holding over your fire until the oil ignites and burns off. Repeat this flashing off three times and when cool you should have a fine spring.

Doc

I did a spring search and didn't see what I was looking for after scrolling through about four pages. I need to make a small spring to use in a hand-forged matchlock mechanism. Any advice on steel and procedure for making one, or link to a tutorial?
Many thanks.

I have made many gun springs.I start with a suitable piece of spring steel such as a spring from a pickup truck hood [the flat coil type] not the extension type.Old VW beetles had a bundle of flat torsion springs in their front suspension.Recoil starter springs from junk lawnmower engines.work for smaller springs.I have even used metal banding from lumber yards for sear springs in flintlocks.Also have used garage door torsion springs forged flat.I make a full sized pattern of the spring from stiff paper or thin cardboard.Mark where the bends are. After forging to thickness if I didn't find something suitable I anneal by heating to red color then burying in dry ashes or vermiculite to cool slowly.Using the pattern as a guide,file the material to shape.Remove all nicks and scratches.Make the bends at a red heat.When satisfied with the shape,heat to nonmagnetic, then quench in oil.I use 10w40 drained from my pickup truck,After quenching I place the springs in a steel container such as sardine can or candy tin with enough oil to cover them.I place the container in the forge and heat untill the oil boils and then catches on fire.Using tongs,I remove the flameing container from the forge and allow all the oil to burn off.When cool clean with emery cloth and put to use.Expect some failures.I usually make a spare set at the same time.Good luck. Matchless

The "Gunsmith of Williamsburg"* video shows Wallace Gusler's method. He is trying to emulate the ways of the late 1700's. After quenching in oil, he heats a flat bar of iron and leaves it lying flat across the forge fire. The springs are cleaned and abraded to bare metal, then placed on the hot bar thick side down. The heat conduction draws the temper to a pale blue surface oxide color (628ºF). When hardening, it is advisable to handle the cherry red springs with cherry red tong jaws, so that you don't chill a portion of the spring.

As with the "blazing off" method mentioned earlier, the temper will be a matter of experimentation. Sometimes, you may go beyond a pale blue into a gray/green (ocean green). Gusler says that after installation, if the spring seems too crisp, to file it down. He says, "It files with reluctance, but you can file it down." If the spring is too mushy, you normalize, harden, and temper all over again.

W1 is a good steel, but it comes in varying carbon contents. Drill rod is about 0.95% carbon which would work, and it's in 3 foot lengths. I get mine on-line from Travers Tool. I have made small springs out of forge-flattened garage door springs, which we often assume is 5160, but junkyard steel rules apply. With W1, the "W" stands for "water hardening." However, the metallurgical specs say to "quench thin cross-sections in oil." My specs never define what thin means, but to my way of thinking, small flat springs are thin, so I use oil.

*The Williamsburg Foundation, Williamsburg, VA

http://www.turleyforge.com Granddaddy of Blacksmith Schools

Thanks for the guidance folks.
Frank, your smithing classes look very interesting.