Hi,
I need to make up a few small compression springs; about 20mm long and
5mm wide (outside diameter max.) Any idea where I might be able to source the wire for this purpose? I saw someone on YT using individual strands of armour from mains armoured cable to good effect and was wondering if there were any other possible sources (guitar strings, piano wire etc.)thanks, Jules
Should have been in Aldi/Lidl in the last couple of weeks, one of their packs of many size of "useful bits" was springs. I hesitated over the nyloc nuts and didn't. Guess what I wanted two days later...
20 mm, 5 mm? dia raid a click action biro? They are probably nearer 3 mm OD though.
michael adams
...
Gawd, this brings back memory of school days and quenching stuff. The chap made his springs out of fairly easy to bend wire, then heated it up to a certain temp them plunged it into some water.
However this might be overkill for what you want!
I should have paid more attention to detail back then.... Brian
I use guitar strings (unwound) for small springs and model shop piano wire for the larger.
This is all very satisfactory stock.
Most hobby shops have "piano" wire, wind it on a smaller former than you want (unwinds a bit) then stick it in the oven (small toaster oven will do)at hottest, about 450 f for about 1 hour then let it cool in the oven.
and you will lose all the temper in it..
Nicely annealed though:-)
It is 55 years since apprentice school so I won't stick my neck out very far... carbon steel may be through hardened by rapid cooling from an appropriate temperature. There, nice and vague:-)
Dull red and plunged in oil is my recollection for small tools.
In my limited excursions into spring making I have found winding the wire on a convenient diameter threaded rod works for tension types. For compression, carefully stretching the above prior to hardening works.
Usually best to find a commercial near fit and adapt with angle grinder and pliers.
My experience is that unless its seriously hard wire to start with no annealing or hardening is necessary.
Be cautious about any springs, such as flat clockwork, that are blue in colour when you start, because they will have been annealed to that colour after hardening.
A trifle extravagant. 400F for half hour should do it.
If you're intent upon making your own, this guy has a fair range of piano wire.
Not bad pricing and good quality. I've bought a load from him recently. Excellent packaging as well. HTH Nick.
You can buy packs of springs. Anything you make will be inferior.
Tempered
to that colour after
On 15 Jun 2015, "Dave Liquorice" grunted:
Yeah I noticed that myself, and as I quite like to have assorted packs of miscellaneous washers, brackets, whatever at home for those occasions when you need one, I was tempted - but stopped myself... when did I ever actually have need of a spare one-off spring?
I don't quite see the point of the pack, I have to say. Who's going to use it, and for what?
Hogwash. That is how the professionals in a spring factory do it as I went and inquired and watched, although they did not use a toaster oven, and used slightly different temp for different period. it is basically stress relieving. An excerpt from spring Co.
"HEAT TREATMENT
Referred to as ?stress relieving?, ?baking? or ?stress equalizing? by spring makers, this operation should be done shortly after cold coiling or forming to remove residual coiling or bending stresses and to settle the molecule structure (or the resetting of the memory). At Springs & Things Inc. all springs and wire forms are stressed relieved by default, anywhere from 400 deg F (200 deg C) to 550 deg F (290 deg C). Normal tempering time is 30 minutes.
Interestingly, a usually desirable outcome arises from the stress relieving process known as ?secondary hardness.? A spring will gain 2 to
3 points of Rockwell C hardness, resulting in an increase in the tensile strength and elastic limit."
Stress relieved, research your subject.
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.