Forging basics: Coil spring tools

Coil spring is a fantastically easy to use and easy to find material. In this video Ben shows you how to turn it into a simple starter kit of useful tools.
Feel free to suggest what we should teach next at:
[e-mail]
Or come have a go yourself at www.oldfieldfo...

[@normanbabbitt8876]

I hope you do more videos like this, it wasn't only especially helpful, but it's also nice for a change to have verbal instructions along with the visuals for us auditory learners.

[@oldfieldforge]

Glad you like it! There are more recorded and scheduled! We try and release something on the first of every month. Tongs coming next!

[@FallenAnvilForge]

Very well done. I have been forging off and on for about a year and this is one of the best introduction videos I have seen yet.

[@iainsuggett7673]

I have had the pleasure of going to this forge and making tools knives and a viking short sword with these gents. it was my sons stag weekend and we had a great time . highly recommended. Well worth it. While we were there they had a couple from Hawaii making damascus wedding rings for each other it was the only place in the world they could find where they could actually make the rings for each other. Blacksmiths want a tool make a tool. great stuff guys. The sword was great and cut the wedding cake very effectively now it has pride of place on my sons wall. Search instead for I have had the pleasure of going to this forge and making tools knifes and a viking short sword with these gents. it was my sons stag weekend and we had a great time . highly recommended. Well worth it. Whilst we were there they had a couple from Hawaii making damascus wedding rings for each other it was the only place in the world they could find where they could actually make the rings for each other. Blacksmiths want a tool make a tool. great stuff guys. The sword was great and cut the wedding cake very effectively now it has pride of place on my sons wall.

[@yepiratesworkshop7997]

I'm 68 and have been smithing since about age 13 or 14. You've made a really excellent video!!! If anybody were to take their time and watch this over and over and then imitate -- follow your instructions and try to understand how and why it works -- they'd be pretty far ahead in the scheme of things when heating iron and bending it to your will and then hardening it for the intended job.

[@joostkrijnen7612]

Most enjoyed. Saw it through reddit. Greetings from Holland!

[@DRJMF1]

So generous, thank you so much sir, I am new to the subject but have a background in nanomaterials science. EXtremely valuable. I hope to forge my own carpenters axe one day.

[@jonathanauker9156]

Very impressive glad I found you

[@Kieronwilliams80]

I made an epic sword with these guys. They are all patient and kind, this video was great but I would 1000% advise booking one of their experiences and getting the basic knowledge first hand.

[@slomkaadas9603]

Love it! Please, make more sir Cheers from Poland 🍻

[@gilauth6791]

Real good tutorial Well done Thanks Take Care Enjoy

[@cydrych]

Looking forward to more videos in this series.

[@RRINTHESHOP]

Nicely done, I subbed and I enjoyed your video style.😊😊😊😊

[@davefuzzforrow6627]

Great beginners video👍 I've made some similar coil spring tools and am surprised how good they are(if a little primitive looking)more luck than skill possibly 😉

[@gwilymdawson-stanley7355]

That is a beautiful big anvil

[@ginojaco]

No idea why youtube flagged this, I've been smithing for decades & it's too basic for me. The fellow in the video looks like he stands pretty far from the anvil when forging, that is something which anyone teaching smithing will know is one of the first things to correct in a learner - but each to his own. All that written... this is by far the best intro' for a beginner that I've seen online.

[@StodOneR]

1:10 and a thing to hit the thing with :P

[@stephenwilliams1364]

Great Thank you

[@andynick01]

Thanks for a useful and informative video. I'm interested in the fuel you are using. I'm using coke at the moment, what sort of coal is that please?

[@oldfieldforge]

Sorry for taking so long to reply. We tend to use anthracite here, but we've occasionally used coke.

[@bruceprosser8332]

I love your setup, please invest in a microphone so I don't have to turn up the volume all the way to hear you.

[@jacklinks9621]

after the Skyrim reference I had to watch

[@Aaron_Barrett]

You have sideblast water cooled forge?

[@oldfieldforge]

Yes, in the UK its a pretty standard design over the bottom fed ones. We also have Gas forges, but we thought it better to teach on a more basic forge style.

[@LitoGeorge]

Like your style - thumbs up. However, I cannot help but look and notice how tall you are in relation to your anvil. Its well below what is "recommended". That is, your knuckle height with a relaxed arm at the anvil face. Or close to it. At any rate, I understand that S7 steel is far superior to coil spring for impact tools such as punches et al. Nonetheless, I too remain a fan of using this spring steel. Cheers!

[@oldfieldforge]

Sadly, Ben is not using his preferred anvil in this video as he is too large for his own good. This anvil is set up for another smith, Aaron, but looks a lot better for KZbin videos. Don't worry, he's normally forging on a much higher anvil (see our tiktok). Thankyou for your concern :)

[@LitoGeorge]

@@oldfieldforge great reply and I thank you for it. All the best to you folks - be well.

[@flagadorf5045]

Hi ! I really like your videos, because their pedagogic and effective. But i think there is an aspect sometimes forgotten by the blacksmiths videos, is the fire management, the deepness of the burning coal, oxygen and the differents burning zones (even in books) etc etc. Because as myself a beginners, i try to get the piece hot well but i make a lot of mistakes. And a lot of us newbys doesnt have a well designed pot forge, but some diy stuff. I think someone as pedagogic as you could do a very good video about the fire gestion in blacksmithing. I hope i made myself clear enough, english is not my nativ language ^^, but again thank you for your very good content ! ;)

[@WatersIronworks]

Great video. Good walk-through!

[@Boom-Town]

Exactly what I needed to see. Thanks very much! Very excited to start tempering and making some hard tools ;)

[@CoryBlissitte]

Excellent video. I am kind of learning on my own and find videos like these really informative. Looking forward to the next video!

[@AndrewCollington]

Very helpful video - thanks for sharing!

[@abcstardust]

Great Video! Thank you for posting!

[@maximejette7674]

can i really use engine oil to cool my metal down??? because im a mechanic ...i can have old engine oil for free.

[@oldfieldforge]

Yes, almost every oil will do. Just remember that Engine oil releases some nasty stuff when burned, so if it is your only option, do it somewhere very well ventilated.

[@aidenonfire]

Lovely video 👌

[@pricesteve8948]

Awesome video Ben!

[@MartinBarquero95]

Thank you for taking the time to make these videos✌

[@wesleymccravy901]

Don’t let your tool completely cool between quench and temper. It should not be allowed to get below 250 degrees. Let completely cool between second temper and third temper only. IF you choose to temper a third time

[@TrothMetalCraft]

Super video! . You seem awfully tall for the height of your anvil - had my back aching, as I have my anvils set much higher... am I just old?

[@kevinburrell2494]

He is a monster. I’m 6’ and felt like a schoolboy on our day at the forge!

[@mrfolstag3038]

@@kevinburrell2494 can confirm. He's a big fella

[@sdunca4864]

Bravo on getting it rolling with simple tooling! Look forward to seeing more- Subscribed- Be safe and have a great day!

[@dunniss]

Great video bloke, would love to see more vids on with what can be made with throw away items (car springs etc). Good video pace, good narrating, great work.

[@AndrewJordanBladesmith]

YEP as you say , your not experienced enough to teach . Try standing behind an anvil for 10000 hours before teaching ......

[@oldfieldforge]

The gentleman forging has been doing so for over 14 years. Thankyou for the constructive criticism though.

[@brysonalden5414]

Excellent primer! The only thing I would add is a caution about cooling coil spring tools in a slack tub when they're hot from use, which as you know can cause cracking.

[@allanhorne6067]

Advice is to cover the bosh / slack tub with a piece of wood board to avoid differential quenching by habit.

[@jmbstudio6873]

I use fireplace ashes to anneal. Steel will air harden as it still cools quite fast. I anneal my steel before I start forging for obvious reasons. You can also clamp scrap steel on both sides of your hardened piece, heat it, stick it in ashes overnight. This makes the steel butter soft. Air cooling is more for thermocycling to relieve the stress in the steel, I would not recommend it for softening or annealing steel. Forge On!!!

[@Sol-Orion]

Another fantastic video! If I could make a suggestion- adding timestamps to each step would be very helpful for quick reference.

[@osvaldoloyola7391]

What´s type of coal are you using in your forge?

[@oldfieldforge]

We use either welsh coke or anthracite. We do have propane forges as well, but for teaching we prefer solid fuel.

[@osvaldoloyola7391]

@@oldfieldforge THANK FOR YOUR ANSWER. GREETINGS.