Where could I salvage some spring steel?

[raynerd]

Hi guys

As some of you know, I`m into pen repair and restoration. There is a part to the pen called a pressure bar or J-bar:



They are quite hard to get hold of and I tend to order from the USA but with my new found machining skills I feel there must be something out there that I could make these from! They are quite simply so very thin steel (or perhaps other materials would work!) sheet cut into small sections and bent to a hook at the end. The picture is actually showing a super small one, they are normally a few inch bigger. I have tried to make one from a springy steel desk clip but it was a little too strong - they need to spring under quite light pressures but flex back easily to their normal position. I remember years ago my sister use to have hair clips and they worked off a similar spring steel - unfortunately they are just not long enough as I have looked into these.

Anyone any ideas where I could buy the raw material or any ideas of anything I could salvage it from? They cost about £3 a pop and I`m sure a sheet to make 20 - 30 of these could be purchased for similar price if I could find the right stuff.

Help greatly appreciated.

Chris

[Bernd]

Chris,

You could try the old wind up clocks. The main spring is made from "spring steel". Lacking an old clock to take apart try a clock repair shop they my have some broken springs they'll give you.

To bad your over the pond and sending anything over cost both sender and reciever an arm and leg. I have several pounds of clock springs. The wifes hobby is old clocks and she works part time at a clock shop. That's were I got my springs from.

Bernd

[sbwhart]

Chris

You could try her http://www.hswalsh.com/

 I've got bits for old American clocks from them that I use to mess about with there very good.

Stew

[bogstandard]

Find out your thickness requirements, and buy a couple of tins of it.

http://www.stephensgaskets.co.uk/SteelShims.html

John

[websterz]

There are several feet of nice clockspring inside of a measuring tape. Just be careful opening the inner mechanism, it will come out like a, well, it'll come out fast and can be dangerous. You should be able to bend it in a gentle radius, square angles are no good though, it will snap right off. It's pretty thin stuff, shouldn't be overkill for your use.

[John Hill]

Chris, I second the measuring tape, everytime I bust one or find a broken one in the someone's junk I salvage the spring steel!

Although it may be too heavy for your application ladie's corsets usually contain springy stainless steel strips, it is probably best to take the lady out of the corset before extract the stays.

[raynerd]

I knew it would be well worth asking on here - my brain just doesn`t work quick enough - I use to be mad into watches and clocks (and again embaressingly that is what my first project was going to be when I got my Unimat3 a few years ago - a clock!) I have quite a few old smith clock main-springs....

I`ll investigate over the next few days - I`ve got a feeling that I have described this stuff a little too light - I have a feeling that main-spring may be a little thin but I bet a tape measure is more inline with what I am after! I`ll let you know...

If all that fails I`ll move onto Johns link and buy new at those prices.

Chris

[bogstandard]

Chris,

What I have shown isn't exactly spring steel, but I have used it many times before for jobs like yours and it does do the job admirably.

So if clock and tape springs don't work, you could always try it.

John

[websterz]

I knew it would be well worth asking on here - my brain just doesn`t work quick enough - I use to be mad into watches and clocks (and again embaressingly that is what my first project was going to be when I got my Unimat3 a few years ago - a clock!) I have quite a few old smith clock main-springs....

I`ll investigate over the next few days - I`ve got a feeling that I have described this stuff a little too light - I have a feeling that main-spring may be a little thin but I bet a tape measure is more inline with what I am after! I`ll let you know...

If all that fails I`ll move onto Johns link and buy new at those prices.

Chris

The bit you are after isn't the tape itself but the spring that rewinds the tape. Pull all the measury bit out and unhook it from the spring, then let the spring zoom back into the case and release all that springyness so it's safe to take apart. 

[Alan Haisley]

You may want to anneal it before machining & bending  and reharden & temper it after. That will probably take some experimentation to get just right.