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Lathe Clutch springs, need recommendations

BT Fabrication

Titanium
Joined
Nov 3, 2019
Location
Ontario Canada
I have an older lathe from the 1940’s a MacDougall 16x60 “war finish” made near me in Cambridge Ontario
I have been having clutch release issue, and think I have found the problem, the release springs are too short.
They measure free length of 1.018”-1.035”
Clutch pack they are between is about 1.008”
Currently they are 0.035” diameter wire, 12 coils. 0.219” dia
Total clutch opening is 1.375 when released minus a 0.250 spacer plate that goes on the open end.
Problem I am having is finding springs that will fit in said location and how long I should be replacing them with?
I’m guessing they need to be 1.125” long minimum.
Also guessing they are the original springs and have sagged down over time.
What is the best way to go about this?
 
I buy small coil springs by the hundreds from Mcmasters. There are a few spring winding companies near me and they are a PITA for quantities under thousands.

If you need to duplicate springs you can't buy you can buy pre-hard spring steel wire in any size for very low cost to wind your own. They call it music wire or piano wire. It's the same exact material springs are wound from.

If the springs aren't damaged you might be able to stretch them out a bit. Small springs are wound hard meaning you can modify them.

If you buy new springs make sure you aren't putting in a spring with too many coils that will bind up.
 
I buy small coil springs by the hundreds from Mcmasters. There are a few spring winding companies near me and they are a PITA for quantities under thousands.

If you need to duplicate springs you can't buy you can buy pre-hard spring steel wire in any size for very low cost to wind your own. They call it music wire or piano wire. It's the same exact material springs are wound from.

If the springs aren't damaged you might be able to stretch them out a bit. Small springs are wound hard meaning you can modify them.

If you buy new springs make sure you aren't putting in a spring with too many coils that will bind up.

ya I have checked there also at mcmasters, 0.026" wire diameter max I can find and I need 0.035"
all the rest are too long or short or OD too large
It rides on a 1/8" pin and think my only option is to get some 1/4" bar stock and make a "shim" to push the springs out further.
the one is slightly deformed at the last half coil, but other then spending $500 on $3 worth of springs seems my only resort.
 
ya I have checked there also at mcmasters, 0.026" wire diameter max I can find and I need 0.035"
all the rest are too long or short or OD too large
It rides on a 1/8" pin and think my only option is to get some 1/4" bar stock and make a "shim" to push the springs out further.
the one is slightly deformed at the last half coil, but other then spending $500 on $3 worth of springs seems my only resort.


You mention finding springs that are the right wire and diameter only too long. They could be easily shortened. Cut off, using a small abrasive disk if necessary and close the cut end so it's properly finished. There are tutorials on spring making describing how to do that, and just cutting to size would be easier than winding complete springs.
 
Both Abom79 and Keith Rucker recently replaced springs in their Monarchs. Check their videos for source.
 








 
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