Author Topic: Coil springs  (Read 2182 times)

Offline John Rudd

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Coil springs
« on: May 29, 2020, 07:23:09 PM »
I'm now ready to make the Inlet valve spring for my Webster engine...
What is the best way to make this?
If successful, I'll make an exhaust soring too...( I think I got something 'that will do?)

Thnx
J
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Offline stevehuckss396

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Re: Coil springs
« Reply #1 on: May 29, 2020, 07:50:08 PM »
I have only done them one way. I use a piece of rod in the lathe chuck and use the threading gear to wind the wire around the rod in an even pitch.

Wind 2 or 3 coils right next to each other and then engage the threading/half nuts and wind the spring. When long enough wind 2 or 3 coils next to each other again. Then you can trim and grind the ends or twist hooks depending on your needs. 
Do not be like the cat who wanted a fish but was afraid to get his paws wet.

Offline Firebird

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Re: Coil springs
« Reply #2 on: May 29, 2020, 07:54:08 PM »
Hi John

Sorry no photos of this but I just made some springs for some whistle valves. Put the lathe in back gear nice and slow. Chuck a piece of rod the internal diameter of your spring and at the same time trap an end of the spring wire under one of the chuck jaws. If its small springs you are making bring the tail stock up and support the end of the rod in the chuck, not too tight so that it will turn. wear a glove, I used my welding gauntlet and pull the wire out to tension it. Turn on the lathe and the wire will wrap around the bar forming a spring. I was using bronze wire. You don't say what size springs you are making but if its anywhere between 16 and 22 gauge REEVES stock it in bronze and stainless steel

Cheers

Rich

Offline Firebird

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Re: Coil springs
« Reply #3 on: May 29, 2020, 07:55:22 PM »
 :ROFL: :ROFL: :ROFL:


You beat me to it there Steve

Offline stevehuckss396

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Re: Coil springs
« Reply #4 on: May 29, 2020, 08:12:48 PM »
The only thing I can add is if the spring is small and short you might just want to put the lathe in the highest speed so you can turn the chuck by hand easier and then turn the chuck by hand instead of trying to wind the spring "under power".
Do not be like the cat who wanted a fish but was afraid to get his paws wet.

Offline Hugh Currin

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Re: Coil springs
« Reply #5 on: May 30, 2020, 05:50:38 AM »
John:

I also made my springs for a Webster the same way.

Here is a write up of making them, Post #138.

Hope this helps.
Hugh

Offline zeeprogrammer

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Re: Coil springs
« Reply #6 on: May 30, 2020, 12:50:58 PM »
I don't know if this would help...

There's a section in this link (about halfway down the page) where Dean talks about making small springs on a lathe.

http://www.deansphotographica.com/machining/projects/projects.html

Dean used to be quite active on the forum (actually might have been the 'prior' forum).
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Offline Alyn Foundry

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Re: Coil springs
« Reply #7 on: May 30, 2020, 02:11:39 PM »
Hi John.

My first foray into spring making was 30 years ago. The Gardner governor used a light, tightly coiled LH Spring to adjust the inertia rate for the trigger.

I used the central wire from " Bowden " cable ( bicycle ) brake cable because this wire remains straight.  ;)
I used a tube as the former because I wanted to anneal the wire using heat. I'm sure most know that when winding a spring they tend to want to unwind immediately you release the tension. By heat treatment the stress is relieved and then by reversal ie re heating and sudden quenching in water the result is a spring of the right dimension and springy too.

To the left of the picture are conical springs and valves from my Hornsby Akroyd project that never was from over 20 years ago. The former is in the centre. These springs were made without annealing, the former was made with the " spring back " allowance, built in.

Cheers Graham.

Offline John Rudd

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Re: Coil springs
« Reply #8 on: May 30, 2020, 05:29:36 PM »
Wow! Some great info there people....So now I need to pull out a digit, machine a mandrel and get all wound up....  :Lol:
Btw, I'm using piano ( music wire) for the springs....Does that matter/make any difference?
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Online Admiral_dk

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Re: Coil springs
« Reply #9 on: May 30, 2020, 08:00:52 PM »
Piano and Guitar strings / wire is the absolute highest quality steel wire there is, and is usually great for springs - but that to an extend dependent on the application ....

Best wishes

Per

Offline awake

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Re: Coil springs
« Reply #10 on: May 30, 2020, 10:40:23 PM »
Post # 41 in the following thread contains a brief description of my making of the Webster springs: http://www.modelenginemaker.com/index.php/topic,9602.30.html

As far as I can tell, music wire is the correct / standard choice - it certainly worked for me. A couple of things that I found especially helpful:

1) I found it best not to work from the whole spool of music wire - it was just too much to juggle. I did much better when I cut off a short length and used that. That does mean some waste of the leftover piece ... but there is so much wire on the spool, I decided I was not going to run out anytime soon.

2) I found it really helpful to have a "gripper" mounted in the tool post; this both guided the wire and allowed me to have consistent tension - which I could adjust to be "just right." What I wound up with was a "rough and ready" version, just a couple of pieces of steel with a shallow slot and a bit of relief, tack welded at the back; the front was left loose so that tightening the front screw in in the tool holder squeezed it together, putting tension on the wire. You can see it in the tool holder in attachment 1, though it is not possible to make out much detail (and the description above probably is clear as mud).

Before I made the rough version out of steel, I experimented briefly with a 3d printed version (attachments 2-4). The first version didn't quite work - I don't now remember what exactly didn't work - and I decided not to experiment further. It might have worked with a bit more tweaking, but in any case, I hope the pictures will give a clearer idea of what I did with the steel version - not nearly so neat, but the same basic idea.
Andy

 

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