Making springs has always been an area in metal work that I have found interesting. There is a great deal to learn, however you certainly can make a workable spring without knowing all the physics involved. Generally speaking, steel springs are made of high carbon steel. However, I know a couple blacksmiths who are making workable springs from low or medium carbon steel. These are relying on the work hardening that occurs in many metals. For example, some lever locks use work hardened brass springs. Phosphor bronze has long been a favorite spring material both in lever and pin tumbler locks. This thread will deal primarily with making high carbon steel springs, because of the amount of information needed to successfully to make one. Also I am intensely interested in studying the springs used in pre-Industrial Revolution locks. I encourage involvement in the thread and maybe it will be made a sticky. But please do not, as is all too often done on many threads in this forum, hijack the thread. I am guilty of that offense myself. There is way too much info on this forum that gets buried because of that practice.