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Making Springs

something smells fishy

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Rob Manley14/08/2010 21:54:44
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71 forum posts
14 photos

 Hey all, I have to make three half scale versions of some full size springs I have.  The trouble is they use large diameter wire, are fish-bellied in shape and quite tightly wound for their diameter.  The large  full size one can be seen below.  Any ideas on how to make these would be great - the first one to come up with a sensible answer gets a free wish.
 The main spring is for the front suspension and the rear smaller springs are for under the seat on this:
 Rob.
JasonB15/08/2010 07:55:13
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25215 forum posts
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1 articles
What about turning a wooden former to the profile you need, wind the spring around that and then burning it out before heat treating the spring.
 
Jason
Rob Manley15/08/2010 11:11:58
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71 forum posts
14 photos
Hmm, that sounds quite a good idea.  Do you think it would be possible to bend it hot and therefore get it as tight as possible?  Has anyone done it using this method?
 
 Rob. 
Bogstandard15/08/2010 11:18:32
263 forum posts
As Jason has mentioned, but instead of burning it out, make the former in quarters, held together by soft wire. As the spring expands after forming, cut the soft wire and extract the quarters out of the open ends.
Depending on the size of the end holes, you might have to make the former with a central core that will come out of the hole and a segmented shell around the outside, with each piece being able to pass thru the end hole.
 
It is not as difficult to do as you might think.
 
 
Bogs

Richard Parsons15/08/2010 14:00:22
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645 forum posts
33 photos
Hi there Jason.
If you are going to make this your core hobby you may like this idea
 
 

Apart from using formers there is another way of making springs (there usually is).

To do it you need three rollers, Two are the feed rollers which feed the wire/bar. The third roller forms the coil. This is done by the position of the third roller to the bar being fed. If the third roller is just touching the fed bar no coil will form. If the third roller is raised a coil will form just as in a set of ‘slip rolls’. The radius of the coil is determined by position of the third roller If the axle of the third roller is angled to the axle of the feed rollers spirals can now be rolled. The angel of the third roller with respect to the feed rollers determined the pitch of the spiral being formed. 

By controlling the radius of the coil and its pitch and changing them ‘in flight’ you can make almost any spring you like.

You can also heat the feed rod.

Bogs - That isa good idea if you only have a few to make.
Keith Long15/08/2010 16:43:20
883 forum posts
11 photos

Hi Rob

I know it goes against the grain to say this, but you might just find it cheaper and easier to get them made by a spring specialist. In the dim and distant past I've had special springs for rally cars made to my own spec for virtually the same price as buying a standard spring from the makers. You are most likely to find such places advertising in the motorsport papers and magazines - eg Motoring News. With modern machinery it's a piece of cake for them to make a one off as well as seveal hundred off. They'll ask you for basics such as length, diameter, wire size or spring rate and calculate the rest.

Worth a bit of asking around before you start making formers etc. If yours are half full size the wire will fight back!!

Keith

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