- 1). Light a camp fire outdoors and pile enough wood onto it to build it up and produce hot coals.
- 2). Put on your safety gloves and goggles. Using the tongs, place the springs you wish to heat treat into the center of the fore, ensuring that they are receiving heat uniformly. Leave them in the fire for one to two hours.
- 3). Remove a spring from the fire using the tongs. Plunge the spring evenly and quickly into the bucket of oil. Make sure to completely submerse the spring in the oil. Cooling steel quickly will harden it, while cooling it slowly will soften it.
- 4). Leave another spring in the fire then allow it to burn out naturally. Do not pour water or extinguish the fire. Retrieve the spring from the burnt out fire after 24 hours or until it has completely cooled to ambient temperature. This spring will be slightly softened.
- 5). Temper both springs in an electric over set to 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes. Allow them both to cool naturally and then compare them against each other for springiness. The slow-cooled spring should compress much easier than the oil cooled spring.
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