I need to make one spring (small shift lever return sprint) for an auto
restoration project. What would be the best way for me to find/buy a small
piece of oil-tempered steel wire? Any ideas are welcome. I need less than 3
feet. Thanks

--
Pat G

Hoby shop or music shop (guitar string)

"Pat Gaglione" wrote in message
. com...
I need to make one spring (small shift lever return sprint) for an auto
restoration project. What would be the best way for me to find/buy a small
piece of oil-tempered steel wire? Any ideas are welcome. I need less than
3
feet. Thanks

--
Pat G

"Pat Gaglione" wrote in message
. com...
I need to make one spring (small shift lever return sprint) for an auto
restoration project. What would be the best way for me to find/buy a small
piece of oil-tempered steel wire? Any ideas are welcome. I need less than
3
feet. Thanks

--
Pat G

I'll second what Tom said. Music wire ("piano wire") makes good springs, and
you won't have to fool around with heat-treating. Besides music stores, you
can buy lengths of it in many diameters at model-airplane hobby shops. I buy
mine at a Pearl Art Center. It's used for various kinds of hobby building.

--
Ed Huntress

"Pat Gaglione" wrote in message
. com...
I need to make one spring (small shift lever return sprint) for an auto
restoration project. What would be the best way for me to find/buy a small
piece of oil-tempered steel wire? Any ideas are welcome. I need less than
3
feet. Thanks

Or, do what I did when I needed a custom spring: I contacted a local (at the
time) spring manufacturing shop. It was dinky little shop in an industrial
area of San Diego and the guy really spent some time getting the spring I
needed just right for me. Didn't cost me much either as I recall.

Two or three gages of music wire will make 90% of the springs you'll
ever need. Find a Mechanical engineering book or machinist's handbook
that has the formulas. I make quick & dirty mandrels out af any round
bar stock. You have to experiment with the springback diameter, but a
little calculation with give you the design for most anything.
Bugs

Pat Gaglione wrote:
I need to make one spring (small shift lever return sprint) for an auto
restoration project. What would be the best way for me to find/buy a small
piece of oil-tempered steel wire? Any ideas are welcome. I need less than 3
feet. Thanks

As well as the hobby shops, etc. places like Travers Tool or KBC have
packages of it. A package is far more than you need but it's pretty
cheap in most sizes and you'll have it for next time.

As to making springs, I have used two methods: BFBI (Brute Force and
Bloody Ignorance) and, for more critical jobs,
http://home.earthlink.net/~bazillion/intro.html

Ted

Mcmaster.com is a good for this type of stuf if you cannot find it locally.
Very fast shipping. We order stuff at work by about 3pm and it arrives the
next day, standard shipping (no next day air surcharge).

StaticsJason

"Pat Gaglione" wrote in message
. com...
I need to make one spring (small shift lever return sprint) for an auto
restoration project. What would be the best way for me to find/buy a small
piece of oil-tempered steel wire? Any ideas are welcome. I need less than
3
feet. Thanks

--
Pat G