Springs

[DalboyParticipant @dalboy]

I am in the need of 12 springs sizes are 7/16″ free x 1/4″ diam and from 21wg. Does anyone know a supplier of this size spring.

I can’t seem to find any, or am I going to have to make them myself. I have made one off springs but to make 12 identical could be fun to say the least how many would I need to make before getting 12 identical or as near identical as possible

[Tony Pratt 1Participant @tonypratt1]

Have you looked through the Lee Springs website?

Tony

[peak4Participant @peak4]

A couple of links that don’t immediately list your size

https://www.leespring.co.uk/compression-springs

https://www.flexosprings.com/stock-springs/compression-springs
Might have similar ones to cut down

plus one which seems to be able to supply a continuous length to cut to size yourself

6.35mm OD Compression Springs

Bill

[DalboyParticipant @dalboy]

Thank you guys, I may have to open the receiving hole just slightly but will wait until I get the springs. I did not fancy making that amount as I stated and getting them all correct

[duncan webster 1Participant @duncanwebster1]

The cut to length things do not have closed and ground ends, which may or may not matter. Trouble with dealing with the likes of Lee springs is minimum order charges, unless they have changed policy? Are these axlebox springs? If so one of the ME suppliers might stock them

[GeorgineerParticipant @georgineer]

I haven’t checked for you – you would need to have your dimesnsions in millimetres – but you could have a look at https://www.lesjoforsab.com/product/compression-springs/

They have branches in the UK.  I’ve never dealt with them but talked to a rep and picked up a catalogue at an engineering show.

George

[John MCParticipant @johnmc39344]

My go to for springs is Springmasters of Redditch.

(Would post a link but cannot for some unknown reason).

 

 

 

 

 

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

How critical are the old imperial sizes?

0.8 x 6.0 x 10 can easily be had all over the net. Cheap too. Such as these

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

0.8 x 6.3 x 11 is a lot closer but more costly

[Bill DawesParticipant @billdawes]

Lee springs for me, their catalogue is awesome for the range of types and sizes, all the ones I wanted were in stock, various materials as well.

USA company i believe but they have UK warehouse.

Bill D.

[Dave WoottonParticipant @davewootton]

Are these for your Rob Roy build? if so when I built mine ages ago I had trouble with getting an even weight distribution on the coupled wheels, as obviously the designed arrangement is non adjustable, and suffered from slipping, the chassis was also nose down and I messed about with various spring lengths and wire gauges. At a friends suggestion I altered the springing to the more normal type with studs sticking down and adjustable with nuts and spring plates as used on most of LBSC’s and Martin Evans engines. I did counterbore the hornstays to give the maximum possible spring length, the springs are still quite short but it worked fine and the spring loading can be easily adjusted. The spring studs are by necessity also short, mine only just clear the track making them quite vulnerable, but I’ve only bent a couple once by my carelessness in putting the loco on the track and was able to bend them back easily with pliers. I think I used the standard 3 1/2″ springs from one of the usual suppliers. I managed to fit the spring studs without dismantling the engine using the drilled hornstays as a drilling and tapping jig, not best practice but couldn’t face stripping the entire motion apart for the umpteenth time! Having said that there must be many RR’s out there with the original arrangement running perfectly, obviously the builders better at getting the right springs than me.

[DalboyParticipant @dalboy]

Again thank you all for the links and advice, will go through it in more detail later

[John MC]

On John MC Said:

My go to for springs is Springmasters of Redditch.

(Would post a link but cannot for some unknown reason).

 

 

 

 

 

https://www.springmasters.com

 

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