#10 Cirkut with broken main spring.

[jimgalli]

Looking on line for sources for blue tempered spring steel .016 X 1" X 22 feet. Got any ideas? Know anyone with Cirkut parts and pieces? I haven't found much on line so far.

Thanks for any ideas. I may try to sew it up in the middle. It broke in 4 piece about 8 coils in from the inside end. It would be missing 18" or so, but what have I got to lose, right? The Ebay guy with the "#8 main springs" is up to $190 bucks. I don't know if there's any difference between 8 and 10.

 

[BrianShaw]

What type of ends are on this spring?

 

[reddesert]

Look through enough metal suppliers and you should find that. McMaster-Carr has blue tempered spring steel 0.016" x 1" x 100 feet for $104, so you could buy that and have 3 springs left over for spares / reselling. https://www.mcmaster.com/9036K793/ (if the link doesn't work, just search mcmaster.com for spring steel and keep digging.) Another metal supplier might be able to sell you the desired length.

 

[jimgalli]

Like this.

 

[jimgalli]

Look through enough metal suppliers and you should find that. McMaster-Carr has blue tempered spring steel 0.016" x 1" x 100 feet for $104, so you could buy that and have 3 springs left over for spares / reselling. https://www.mcmaster.com/9036K793/ (if the link doesn't work, just search mcmaster.com for spring steel and keep digging.) Another metal supplier might be able to sell you the desired length.

Thanks. That's a decent option. I looked at McMaster Carr and didn't find that earlier. That's why you call out for help.

 

[BrianShaw]

If both ends are like that, it might be worth contacting a couple of clock part suppliers. That looks a lot like a clock spring. I’d suggest a couple but I’ve been away from that hobby for more than a decade.

another option would be music box repair supply company. Music box springs are generally longer than clock springs so that actually may be more similar. Here is a person I can highly recommend. Nancy doesn’t list springs but she’ll certainly respond with a suggestion you can trust.

http://www.nancyfrattimusicboxes.com/

 

[jimgalli]

Did a repair. Nothing to lose, right. Drilled holes with a dremel grinder so the temper isn't disturbed. 3/16ths shorty screws pounded on an anvil to make a rivet. Ground the other side pretty flat. Put it all back together and ran it successfully about a dozen times and then she went ka-boinga. I did that years ago with a phonograph and as far as I know, it's still running. I might try again tomorrow. Like I say, nothing to lose. It broke about 6 inches in front of my repair.

 

[BrianShaw]

Excellent attempt! There appears to be a reason why the spring lost its constitution.

 

[Donald Qualls]

You might check if you can get a tape measure return spring long enough. Right temper, roughly right thickness, anyway.

 

[jamie young]

The McMaster Carr spring is probably your best bet long term. the repaired spots are going to cause banding- I'd be shocked if it didn't. The key to prepping is to soften the temper a bit right at the spot at the end that forms the keyhole, without messing with the temper in the rest of the spring. I'm pretty sure the ten spring is a little bigger than the 8, but an 8 spring may work