Making springs, Thanks for the help.

[Stepside]

I am building a bed turret for a Sherline lathe. One of the needed parts is a torsion spring. I have the dimensions of the spring. In my research I found the follow by Old Tony.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAawhg6JtyY

I now have the needed spring. Between his presentation and the information in Machinery's Handbook the spring came out the correct size on the first try.

Thanks to Tony for the Video and Marv K who contributed some of technical information that is included.

Pete

[Andre3127]

Can you share pics of your turret? I was planning on making one for my 109 till I bought a lathe that came with a turret.

[Swarfer]

"They are available in all shapes and sizes - except the one you need."

Nice video, thanks for sharing. I'm designing an electronic trigger housing for a camera that I am having trouble with because I don't have the right spring. I just need to buy some music wire of the right gauge.

[Dan_the_Chemist]

This is a great video. It's a hilarious take off on one of my favorite TV programs. After I saw the video I started making my own springs rather than buy them. I have made one change in the procedure. Instead of winding the springs on a smooth mandrel I use a bolt or all-thread with the right pitch. This helps give me the right spacing on the active coils. If I want a few inactive coils I turn the thread down to form a smooth part where I want the inactive coils.

[Stepside]

Andre3127

Right now the turret is a collection of parts. It is from the Downriver Tools plans. downrivertools.com If you look up their plans for the Sherline turret from bar stock, there are a couple of pictures of my work from two weeks ago. My plan is to post some more pictures today or tomorrow on this bbs.

Pete

[mklotz]

I am building a bed turret for a Sherline lathe. One of the needed parts is a torsion spring. I have the dimensions of the spring. In my research I found the follow by Old Tony.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAawhg6JtyY

I now have the needed spring. Between his presentation and the information in Machinery's Handbook the spring came out the correct size on the first try.

Thanks to Tony for the Video and Marv K who contributed some of technical information that is included.

Pete

And thanks to you and Tony for crediting my (not terribly significant) contribution. This all comes around to HSM. My program is based on Kozo Hiraoka's article in Home Shop Machinist, July/August 1987, pg. 30. My contribution was to program it and make it available freely on the internet.

If you want your own copy look for MANDREL.ZIP on my webpage.

[Mike Burdick]

A tip - When making small diameter springs or relatively long springs, drill a center in the end of the mandrel and use the tail stock with a live center to add rigidity.

[Jaakko Fagerlund]

If you use music wire to make your springs, remember to stress relieve them or otherwise their life expectancy is pretty low and they will easily take a set. Generally you get them relieved at 200-250 Celsius, basically getting a gold-ish color on them.