There's more to it than you might think.
Sure, springs seem simple, and in essence they are. What's not to get about coils of wire that compress under tension and story energy through their tendency to re-expand and return to their original shape? But if you actually go and make some of your own, for whatever reason, turns out there are a few things you'd want to know. Mim Injection Molding
As this surprisingly in-depth overview from YouTuber This Old Tony explains, they require a little bit of special equipment. You'll need a mandrel, for instance, the metal cylinder you slap into a lathe to spin your wire around. For compression springs, it can just be a bar with a whole through it, but torsion springs require a slightly different rig. Beyond that, there's the matter of picking a material, figuring out the diameter of the thing, the number of active coils, and the space between them, all of which factor into how much energy it stores, how far it can be compressed, and how long it will last.
That's not even everything you need to know:
Just like any component in anything, a simple spring can turn out to be wildly important. A highly-engineered but still-humble spring sent waves rippling through Nascar in the late '90s.
Though for most DIY purposes, you could probably just grab some random spring you've got lying around, or buy a few online. But, in the very off chance you need something wildly specific, it's good to know how to get starting rolling your own, literally.
Source: This Old Tony via Digg
The Best Drywall Sanders for House Flips and Renos
Black + Decker A/Cs Are Up To 40% Off at Amazon
The Best Miter Saws for Woodwork Projects
1-Up’s Heavy Duty Double Rack Checks All My Boxes
Craftsman 20V Batteries Are 55% Off at Amazon
The Best Laser Levels for Straighter Frames
The Best Prime Day Tool Deals of 2023
The Best Amazon Prime Day Generator Sales 2023
Greenworks’s Pressure Washer Is 50% Off at Amazon
Bissell Little Green Drops to a Record Low Price
Save Big on This Top-Rated Power Washer
A Part of Hearst Digital Media
We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back.
Wire Form Spring ©2023 Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved.