Quote Originally Posted by Rich View Post
There's no real conflict; so long as you don't quench from red heat and wait until the spring has gone dark, quenching will have little or no effect on the grain structure of the steel, and you'll be able to handle the spring a lot quicker if you haven't got to wait until it's cold.
I have to agree with Rich here. I've quenched from dark and now don't quench. Never had a spring break ever.
Probably more issues arise from the finishing than the heating / cooling cycle.
I must do 20 springers a year (at least) , all with multiple cuts and refinishes on the springs.