Making small tension springs

Mike, you want "Spring Design and Manufacture" by Tubal Cain. £5.56 + postage from Amazon - it's a bargain. There are plenty of web resources out there to do the design calculations online, just google for Spring Calculator.

For supplies of the spring material, here's the list I've collected so far of piano wire suppliers:

resource

That will be a very stiff spring with 16 gauge on a 1/4" diameter. Follow Duncans link for the calculator, and google for 'piano wire'

AWEM

Mike, Local company to me at Nottingham, Kato-Entex do nothing but make and sell springs. They have a trade counter for callers run by a very nice and knowledgeable lady who often gives you a couple of springs if you need to trial anything.

John Stevenson Nottingham, England.

Visit the new Model Engineering adverts page at:-

I've used both these suppliers successfully in the past.

Bob

Here's a site to look at before you buy books:

hth Guy

"Guy Griffin" skrev i en meddelelse news: snipped-for-privacy@localhost.localdomain...

Very interesting site - thanks !

Best regards KS, Denmark

That's a useful link, but a caveat: A lot of so called 'piano wire' in model shops is NOT these days. I use a fair bit on models etc and it's getting much more difficult to get the real stuff. It is often some soft crap with a ground!! finish, it can't be heat-treated usefully and it cracks if you try to bend it. The only 100% reliable source is the American 'music wire' which is available from many of the model shops listed. It comes in inch sizes not SWG and is not quite as bright as our old PW, but is 'good' material.

Richard

Thanks for all the replies, I'll try to get hold of the book from Amazon. The springs _are_ quite stiff because they're the suspension for some trailing link oleos I'm making for a model plane.

Cheers,

Mike