Anvil 090: Mainspring Fabrication, 1812 Springfield 

In this flash in the pan episode: Mark gets the lead out, checks his temper, and springs into action.

when I was 14 yrs old I apprenticed to a master gun smith. he taught me this very video the memories of the sights, sounds and smells came flooding back like it was yesterday. I am 67 yrs now and retired yesterday after 38 yrs as an air traffic controller. I'm sitting in my shop now, and after just watching this video I am not afraid for my future . thank you so much Mark !

Mark just has a way to entertain and make you learn along the way. Time Very Well spent IMHO . Thanks Mark and Crew.

Another fantastic trip down the rabbit hole of knowledge.

Wow. Best explanation of how to heat-treat, and annealing.

as one of the ladies i heavily appreciate the information and learning and asmr elements to these videos! thank you very much for makin em!

This reminded me of one of my black powder 1860 Colt repro's that broke the main spring. It took it to work (P&W in WPB) and had it welded then the guys in heat treat did a full treatment with Rockwell testing included. Turned out great...and is probably the most expensive spring in a black powder gun in the world. Great video Mark!

Love the lead bath temper! I wouldn't have thought of that😊

Sir, as a repairman in a completely different field I very much enjoy learning from your videos. Some skills transfer, but the wisdom always rings true. It’s a different cat, but it skins out all the same. Fix all the “a problems” and you often fix “the problem”.

I never gave spring tension a second thought. Now I have a new respect for the springsmith.

Hey Mark, I used to have a hobby blacksmith shop where I made knives for about 15 years (before RU-vid lol), my knife tempering changed from “hit or miss” to perfect every time when I started using a magnet to test the red color before I quenched. Get it a little too hot and it gets too much grain growth and it doesn’t matter how well you temper, you still might get breaks. If you just get it hot enough to where a magnet doesn’t stick before the quench, that’s the sweet spot.

A man that knows his subject, but also knows how to communicate that knowledge to others, has mastered his craft. And is entitled to be called Master.

21:00 This level of skill and craftsmanship is why I am here.

After that 10 hour shift I just worked, watching you work was a joy Mr. Novak.

As a 15-year RU-vid Account Holder, I can safely say that this channel, and C&RSenal are in my top 2 favorite channels.....

mark , some of us out here .( are ) wanna- be gunsmiths....you give hope to the hopeless...you give faith to the faithless...you give odor to the odorless. ..........................................thanks, mark.

Again, I bow to the miracle worker. Many thanks for educating us.

Excellent job and video! One of the greatest indicators of a True Craftsman Gunsmith is the ability to make a flat spring. It's like in blacksmithing, there are anvil looking blocks of metal and anvils. A lot of people can make spring looking things but only a few can make a spring that some Smith will have to be replacing in another 200 years. Beautiful work. Take Care buddy and be safe, John

Mark, your gunsmithing skills are incredible, but your teaching skills are phenomenal!

Very informative...I’ve made springs, and your explanations will help me next time...I temper my springs by putting them in a pan,covering them with oil, then setting the oil on fire..after it’s burned up, the spring needs cleaned and is ready...learned it from an old timer at friendship many years ago

Another quality episode every time I watch there is another thing learned. The knowledge this man has is incredible and it always shows and I’m grateful to watch a highly skilled professional at work. I like that it is no one sense down to earth learning. Mark once again thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience.

In theory the statement "I need to make a new spring " is one of a fairly simple task. In reality it is one of the more complicated endeavors a Smith may undertake, resulting in a ratio of more failures to successes. Knowing "how" to do it cannot begin to bring into account all the known and unknown variables one can encounter. I'm glad to see the use of the Lyman lead pot, a trick I've been familiar with since about 1974. It gives a constant and controlled temperature to draw back a fabricated spring. Glad to see it being used here. Great job Mark !!! Very well thought out and presented. But most of us should not expect to get it right on the first try. And that is normal and par for the course.

Nice trick splitting the fabrication into two parts Mark .While I've stocked many ML guns from both precarves and blanks ... the intricacies of the flint lock itself and it's tuning I've always farmed out. Thank you so much for showing this ! There just aren't many 'smiths who know how to repair this seemingly simple mechanism. A lot of machinists think they can do gunsmithing and a lot of modern gunsmiths think they can fix muzzleloaders .

The smile at the end tells it all, the man loves what he does. Thanks Mark.

Mark, you Sir are one of the very few national treasures we have in this world. I could watch you're videos all day long.. I have few pre 1899 pistols I've picked up as projects. One needs a main spring. I just might give it a go after watching this film !!!. Keep up the great work 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 Cheers 🍻

I did NOT see the Weld coming! Never thought about the lead pot? Thank you SIR! I would now give Much More Consideration and Value to a non op Historic find! Nothing you did would intimidate me, but I may need a few try's? but I am free for me.

The black powder stuff is definitely my favorite, thanks Mark.

Mark. You are a true craftsman. I enjoy your series. Thank you for doing this

Mark- I was going to ask you to do a video on spring making, and here it is! Now make some coil springs.

I have made springs in the past, but never realized I could Tig where the bending isn't and I am a Tig welder. It is great to keep learning, even at 75.

Mark, another awesome video. Highly educational. I'm sure I echo many others that have seen your videos in thanking you for sharing some of the finer points for not only this mainspring video but countless before it. You're a Champ! It so happens that I've got a sorrily made flinter here that broke the spring early on. And it wasn't a great smoke pole anyway since the action lacked a bridle plate. The bridle plate and new screws I can handle. But the book on making early firearm mainsprings I found lacks a lot of the valuable hints you gave in this video. Now I can dive into this project more fully equipped. For us hobbyist shop rats I'm not exaggerating in saying that you're by far the best gunsmithing channel I've found. Please keep up the great work. But don't let this swell up your head and make it hard to fit your hats :D

As Always , thank you for the fantastic information, Mr .Novak ,I'm sprung with enthusiasm to attempt making one myself when the opportunity arises!

Very nice episode mark, especially because you also discussed the heat treating. I'm professionally very involved with making temperature control systems for heat treatment (incl. PWHT post weld heat treatment) and really like that you showed this classic way of heat treating that we can also do in our home workshop!

Thank u Mark for this episode wich content gave me more than enough class in 35 minutes than an average person has to study a half year for

There’s so much to learn from this channel

Thanks Mark Novac- you come over with such knowledgeable practicality and without pretentiousness. Super videos and very well produced. I expect some of your viewers don’t even shoot - I know I’m no gunsmith - with best wishes.

Amazing work, Mark!

Came for the gunsmithing edu, stayed for the comedic relief.

Once again thank you Mark for letting us watch you while you work. I always learn so much from your videos. And also happy Veterans Day

Fascinating craftsmanship.

This one was touch and go for me to watch; I cringe at how fast a pro works (and can talk at the same time), but the final product is perfection! Fantastic!

As a warning, cooling in oil isn't nessesarily slower... it will be on very small items like these springs, but for larger/hotter steel sections the evaporation causes the steel to be insulated from the water, while the vastly higher boiling point, lower expansion rate, and endothermic decomposition of oil will allow it to continue to extract a high degree of energy. For this reason the fairly soft temper of the large rolls of steel sold for automotive fabrication is actually attained by submerging the entire roll and letting it flash boil for over an hour... to attain higher hardnesses fan, or forced jet water sprayers are used. Its not something even a home shop should forget either, as the same practice that works for guns lock spring, will garner a fairly different result on a barrel, car's leaf spring, or a sword blade (even between a sword and an axe you'll require to experiment several times to dial it in... so make sure thats on scrap metal FIRST, not a customers job you've got 20 hours into).

@Mark, looking at 6:50 that's not the "cheater's way", that is the blacksmithing way! I do blacksmithing as a hobby and as soon as you took out the hacksaw I knew what you were going to do. Of course doing this on an anvil would be even easier as you could just fuller that notch using the edge of the anvil face, bend it over with a hammer blow, and then clean up the twist bit with a half face blow.

Just found your chanel by accident, and im glad i did. You have some great information and a great personality. Thanks brother!

Mark I have truly enjoyed your demonstrations of repair as well as the humor with which you do it . thank you!

Love the lead pot temper idea it will save me a lot of mucking about.

Thank you Mark. Hadnt thought about Tempering in lead. Makes good sense though.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! I am a woodworker that has always envied you metal workers. I now have a new appreciation for the "magic" that you guys possess. And you explained it so well that even this German/Norwegian/American could understand

Makes me want to go out in the forge! Excellent work.

Marks work makes me happy

Superb tutorial. Springs are essential.

I learn so much from you Mark, Thank You!

You had my full attention and a new subscriber with the first minute and 25 seconds. Wowee cool skill set, knowledge, and arsenal of tools in that workshop you’ve got sir.

Out standing,,,,I have learned so much from watching, and listening,,, Thank you,,

Love the tell them what you are going to tell them intro, excellent!

We held our fire 'Till we see'd their faces well Then we opened up our squirrel guns And really gave 'em - well we ... Fired our guns and the British kep a-comin' There wasn't nigh as many as there was a while ago We fired once more and they begin to runnin' On down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico

Didn't know you could run temper in a lead pot great point of information MR Novak cool stroll down the rabbit hole stay safe

Great video. I have to make a v spring for a little hopkins and allen falling block and your video will help me greatly. John

The melting point of pure lead is a very precise temperature reference at 621.5F (327.5C). It can be used as a calibration check for high temperature thermometers. The freezing point of zinc is however better.

I had never considered how flintlocks work. Never shot one so I didn't appreciate what the cock has to do to function properly. Outstanding presentation, sir.

I still can't get over "violla" XD

Down the rabbit hole and thirty four minutes and change later I've been kicked out of wonderland again, but it was great while it lasted. Sir, I wonder if you shall ever lead us through the looking glass... ?

You are the man, mister...

Some of the best content on youtube.

You know, I wreckon sometimes 'Just a Flash in the pan' can be a really good thing! Take Care and be safe, John

If I'm ever in your neck of the woods and need work done on any of my guns, I would absolutely bring it to you. Love your work.👍

Loved this episode Mark! That's really informative. I had no idea that you could float steel on molten lead. Thinking logically though it's a no brainier when you look at the density. Perhaps for upmarket gun springs you should temper in molten gold! lol

Great ending to an excellent Saturday!! Thank you Mark and crew!! Outstanding as usual.

My daughter just told me that Mark is trying to draw a extremely over happy duck.

Another great video Mark gave me the visuals to go along with what little theory I had heard about springs. Thank you.

Was watching C&Rsenal and was like what happened to Mark I missed your videos very entertaining as always glad I found ya

You are correct and assuming that I am very average and that I have a lead pot. I also have a thermometer similar to yours so you have made tempering a lot more easy and precise for me I've seen the same thing used for assault bath bluing and various brass annealing, but it just didn't occur to me that I had the ability to precisely temper springs with tools I already had.

My Nepalese Brunswick copy has a broken spring. I might have to give this a shot for a replacement. My Snider Enfield also had a broken spring, but replacements were available and that was an easy swap to get it back into action.

I've watched your videos in the past, but I subscribed last night. This vid is one of your best!

Many thanks Mark. Brilliant video.

Mark, your disclaimer at the beginning got me thinking. I will never possess the skill to refurbish, conserve or in any other way fiddle with firearms other than at a very basic level [giving a stock some love, cleaning stuff up and replacing minor broken things with ready made parts, etc.]. However, I have used the things you demonstrated to rust blue tools, bringing life back to beat up old wood furniture, and tinker around with various projects in my --jerry rigged propane stove-- forge. A deep thank you from --BFE-- --the frozen craphole of Hoth-- Northeast Ohio.

Pretty certain Mr. Novak knows how to pronounce "Voila'!" & the "viola" is meant to be a joke combining his innate gift for buffoonery with a reference to the cello music opening... ;-D

Was looking for watch mainsprings, but this`ll do ;)

Wonderfull work Mark.

So…apologies to my dear departed Daddy. He used a small cast iron pan with melted tire weights in it to make springs. At the time I thought it was just my Dad being overly complicated. Turns out he was on point and I was wrong. Sorry Dad.

I hope we get Anvili 017 back one of these days, just because I want to listen to Mark's rant about people taunting the Buckingham Palace guards again. :)

Toaster oven is another good way to temper steel. Thanks for sharing your knowledge Mr Novak!

I can’t even imagine the hours and frustrations expended to have the experience to get this right the first time, Mark. Inspiring video. Regards, Marky

yes, as always, it's been a pleasure watching.

Ive never handled a gun or done any serious machining or metalwork but I enjoying watching a true craftsman and appreciate the amount of work and skill involved in repairing a firearm like this. If I had another life I think id want to learn to be a maker of firearms. Im not saying I'd be any good though...lol

Amazing workmanship

I learned so much on this episode, thanks.

You make a spring, install it, 'bing' it snaps. So, you make another one. You now have a little experience so this one is better. "Bing' it snaps. Rinse and repeat. Each attempt you get better (and faster). Eventually, (whether #3 or #9) you will get a good one. Now you know how to make a spring. Those old Armory boys (ca. 1812) could forge and file a spring in minutes.

I almost can’t believe you get paid to mess around and fix those amazing “tools”. I understand in the end it’s a job and a daily grind, but hell, what a way to be able to make a living. I will never get to see, much less touch all those gems.

I'm a simple girl. I see a new anvil episode, I clicky. (This comment made to boost engagement with the algorithm)

I really enjoy this wonderful character. I am not really even that interested in guns . Great relaxing entertainment

Simply FASCINATING!

I use car leaf spring steel to make new springs...... heat red and anneal, cut and file to shape and fit, heat to non-magnetic, quench in cool oil..... heat gently in a flame until the oil just flashes off, and its ready..... works well

..always love watchin' this ,my friend...

Mark you are a genius.

Very good information. Thanks for sharing Mark. 👍💪

Don't know if I'll ever use this knowledge, but thanks for teaching. You never know when you might need it 🤔

I watched a video not too long ago on bow making... it's seems like a lot of the principles of making a bow and making a spring crossover.

For anyone wondering, the opening is "-ys, it's been a pleasure!" backward.

Genie of the lock. Outstanding