Hi there

I've been trying to think of a way to make really tiny fake springs. Wrapping wire or stretched sprue around a drill bit would still be bigger than I wanted... how to make something even smaller?

Here's what I came up with:

1. Take some fine fuse-wire (5 amp) and clamp it.



2. Wrap a second piece around it as tightly as possible.



3. Slip the first piece of wire out, and cut the "spring" to length.


Obviously, fuse-wire is too soft for working springs (it's not springy!!), but this technique might come in handy for aerials and hatch-springs etc. :-)

Hope this helps

Rowan

I was going to write another of my "for dummies" posts about springs... I use the thin copper wire from electric motors wrapped around a pin/nail (or if I need bigger from electric wires) but you have been faster than me on this...
Nice tip Merlin, thank you for sharing
Ciao

:-) I need a working spring that is even smaller. I have 0.005in stainles steel wire but no mandrel small enough. Wrapping it around itself might do it :-) Thanks Rowan.
Mal

It should do Mal! :-)

That's the beauty of this technique... in principle, there no limit to how small the spring is - beyond your eyesight and sanity, of course!! :-)

Let us know if it works...

All the best

Rowan

Holdfast, to have a working one you need a material with "shape memory", and it's not easy to shape it when it's so small. I think that Panthom Major is right, try to find one in an old watch or in a specialized store...
Ciao

Sorry Mal

I missed the "working" bit when I replied before!

I never intended these to work as "real" springs. Using spring-steel will be a heck of a lot harder (as Scoccia rightly points out).

I've tried with a .008 guitar string, which has a degree of shape memory. It's not easy to make a tight coil that stays tight when you release the tension - plus, of course, it's much too big for what you need!! It didn't make a very good "spring" either!!

Phantom's idea sounds good... but how small do you need? If it's so small - does it really need to be functional... how much pressure will it be under?

Good luck

Rowan

:-) The spring I was looking to replicate (I say was because I have gone another route now) is the tensioning spring for the antenna wires on a Corsair F4U-1, doesn't require a massive amount of tension but needs to hold the wires taught. I managed the anchor point but, although I have 0.005 dia stainless steel wire I didn't have a mandrel small enough. I also think I would need to use wire made from spring steel. Whatever is used it will be tough to twist it tightly enough to form a spring. I got around the problem, this time, by wrapping the 2 antenna wires around each other. :-) I am still looking to be able to make a spring, plenty more corsairs to build :-)
Mal

Know anyone that smokes?

if you do grab their empty bic lighters.. Knock the scratchy wheel off and take out the flint.. the spring under the flint is rather small and tapered at both ends.. The even make itty bitty bics, so the springs might even be smaller... Just a though...

Dave

Nice one Mojo

That deserves to go in the "free & cheap supplies" folders.

Neat tip!! :-) (i could sure upset some of the guys at work by raiding their lighters... :-) )

All the best

Rowan