A Snail - With a Spring in It's Step

I have often seen pieces of car suspension springs laying on the road, usually near speed bumps that are used to slow vehicles down. I have usually thought "I bet could make something out of that"! So, when I was out walking and found a piece of car suspension that had snapped off.. this time it was coming home with me. This was quite a large piece (shown in the photos) but they are often about the size that I cut it down to. So I did make something out of it .... A hand forged Snail ornament made from a broken car suspension spring. Hence the title.

Propane forge (could be done with a blow torch but it would need to be powerful)

Hammer and Anvil (or a sturdy vice or steel surface)

A broken piece of car suspension spring (you can often find these in the road near speed bumps. I would advise against cutting the springs off your own car!)

Some way of cutting steel, such as an angle grinder.

Tongs or a good strong pair of pliers.

Wire brush (or a wire wheel on a grinder or drill)

Sandpaper or a sander

Beeswax (or wax based furniture polish would do. It is something to protect the steel from rusting when it is finished)

Safety equipment such as leather gloves and safety glasses

As the piece of spring I found was larger than required I cut it down.

I cut off a piece about 25cm long. I wouldn't go longer than that but any smaller would be ok you would just have less 'shell' curls.

I also made sure at least one end was a straight cut as it made cutting the

I sanded off as much paint as I could from the steel at this point, so that when I put it in the forge there was less chance of fumes (as I don't know what sort of paint is on it) or the paint catching fire.

Then it goes into the forge and I straighten out the steel. Ironic as I am going to bend it again, but I find it is easier to work with like this.

After the straightened steel has cooled, using an angle grinder, I cut a notch into one end of the piece. This will form the tentacles.

Back into the heat and I use an old screwdriver to separate the two halves of the notched steel.

I worked each tentacle to taper them and shape them. Re-heating as necessary until I was happy with the shape.

Now I put the opposite end of the tentacles into the forge to heat up. This is the end that is going to form the shell.

I tapered this end working the hot steel into a long thin taper. How much taper and how thin... this is personal preference.

After re-heating the tapered end of the steel, I use a pair of small-nosed pliers to start the spiral of the shell. How easy this bit depends on how tapered it is. The alternative is to use a vice and hammer to start the spiral.

Using a steel peg in my anvil I use this to start a bend in the shell. This could be done over the edge of a vice.

For this part, the steel needs to be very hot. Holding the steel in the tongs and on the anvil I hammer the spiral into shape.

I also decided to make an adjustment to the tentacles while it was hot.. putting a slight bend into each one.

A light buffing on the wire wheel (ore with a wire brush) gets rid of all the forge scale and reveals the forging marks from the hammer, which gives it a unique and rustic look.

As the forged snail is made from steel, it will need some kind ogf protection from rust.. unless that is the look you are going for.

I use pure beeswax - this is applied while the steel is mildly hot. I do this by using the heat in the forge once it is turned off. Or you can heat it up again with a blow torch. It does not have to be glowing just slightly hot.

I then applied the beeswax all over the snail, letting it run into the spirals of the shell.

I then return the snail to the now cooling forge to let it burn off excess wax and bake it onto the snail.

I leave it until the steel is cold and then give it a buffing with a soft cloth.

An alternative is - after the buffing stage you can apply some wax-based furniture polish, let it dry, and then buff it.