Return Springs
Moderator: J D Sauser
- Sonny Jenkins
- Posts: 4376
- Joined: 19 Sep 2000 12:01 am
- Location: Texas Masonic Retirement Center,,,Arlington Tx
Return Springs
Does anyone know a source for the kind of return springs that are smaller on one end to accept the coarse threads of a drywall or drive type screw? Make adjusting the tension a lot easier than cutting off coils.
- Andy DePaule
- Posts: 2576
- Joined: 20 Jun 1999 12:01 am
- Location: Saigon, Viet Nam & Springfield, Oregon
- Contact:
I got lucky
Hi Sonny,
I got lucky and was able to buy a few that I needed from a couple of PSG builders.
They have to be custom made and thats an expensive process if you order them from a company that does that.
Just getting started you have to pay a company to make a special mandril to end up with the exact size and type spring you need. That's big $$$$.
Springs like we would use are made from gauged Music Wire. The same stuff guitar strings are made from.
You can buy it from Amazon. Piano wire comes in the largest gauges.
For people with a metal lathe they can make the mandril and wind the spring.
It can also be done with DIY tools.
You can see the processs on these university of YouTube videos.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAawhg6JtyY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_52ZG7gZFM0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6h39Aun_Q0&t=77s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkiFmzVkEmI
Hope that helps you?
Best of luck,
Andy
I got lucky and was able to buy a few that I needed from a couple of PSG builders.
They have to be custom made and thats an expensive process if you order them from a company that does that.
Just getting started you have to pay a company to make a special mandril to end up with the exact size and type spring you need. That's big $$$$.
Springs like we would use are made from gauged Music Wire. The same stuff guitar strings are made from.
You can buy it from Amazon. Piano wire comes in the largest gauges.
For people with a metal lathe they can make the mandril and wind the spring.
It can also be done with DIY tools.
You can see the processs on these university of YouTube videos.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAawhg6JtyY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_52ZG7gZFM0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6h39Aun_Q0&t=77s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkiFmzVkEmI
Hope that helps you?
Best of luck,
Andy
Inlaid Star Guitar 2006 by Mark Giles. SD-10 4+5 in E9th; http://luthiersupply.com/instrument-gallery.html
2017 Mullen SD-10, G2 5&5 Polished Aluminum covering. Custom Build for me. Great Steel.
Clinesmith Joaquin Murphy style Aluminum 8 String Lap Steel Short A6th.
Magnatone Jeweltone Series Lap Steel, Circa 1950? 6 String with F#minor7th Tuning.
1956 Dewey Kendrick D-8 4&3, Restoration Project.
1973 Sho~Bud Green SD-10 4&5 PSG, Restoration Project.
2017 Mullen SD-10, G2 5&5 Polished Aluminum covering. Custom Build for me. Great Steel.
Clinesmith Joaquin Murphy style Aluminum 8 String Lap Steel Short A6th.
Magnatone Jeweltone Series Lap Steel, Circa 1950? 6 String with F#minor7th Tuning.
1956 Dewey Kendrick D-8 4&3, Restoration Project.
1973 Sho~Bud Green SD-10 4&5 PSG, Restoration Project.
-
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- Joined: 23 Oct 2021 11:58 am
- Location: Nebraska, USA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezp-Z-idiEY
here's another
here's another
- Andy DePaule
- Posts: 2576
- Joined: 20 Jun 1999 12:01 am
- Location: Saigon, Viet Nam & Springfield, Oregon
- Contact:
Thanks Tim
Thanks Tim,Tim Toberer wrote:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezp-Z-idiEY
here's another
Better than the youtube videos I found because it's right on point.
This will help a lot of the people on this builders section of the forum.
I subscribed to La Vern's youtube page here.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKz5Na ... zP1nzrOc1Q
Andy
Inlaid Star Guitar 2006 by Mark Giles. SD-10 4+5 in E9th; http://luthiersupply.com/instrument-gallery.html
2017 Mullen SD-10, G2 5&5 Polished Aluminum covering. Custom Build for me. Great Steel.
Clinesmith Joaquin Murphy style Aluminum 8 String Lap Steel Short A6th.
Magnatone Jeweltone Series Lap Steel, Circa 1950? 6 String with F#minor7th Tuning.
1956 Dewey Kendrick D-8 4&3, Restoration Project.
1973 Sho~Bud Green SD-10 4&5 PSG, Restoration Project.
2017 Mullen SD-10, G2 5&5 Polished Aluminum covering. Custom Build for me. Great Steel.
Clinesmith Joaquin Murphy style Aluminum 8 String Lap Steel Short A6th.
Magnatone Jeweltone Series Lap Steel, Circa 1950? 6 String with F#minor7th Tuning.
1956 Dewey Kendrick D-8 4&3, Restoration Project.
1973 Sho~Bud Green SD-10 4&5 PSG, Restoration Project.
-
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- Location: Los Angeles, California USA
-
- Posts: 605
- Joined: 23 Oct 2021 11:58 am
- Location: Nebraska, USA
I bought his plan for a 6 string pull release. I am not following it exactly, but it is a proven design. It makes building the instrument more approachable for people without access to a machine shop. (I did use my mill for the changer fingers) Many great ideas for basement builders!I subscribed to La Vern's youtube page here.
- Erv Niehaus
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- Location: Litchfield, MN, USA
- Jerry Overstreet
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- Location: Louisville Ky
- Sonny Jenkins
- Posts: 4376
- Joined: 19 Sep 2000 12:01 am
- Location: Texas Masonic Retirement Center,,,Arlington Tx
Well,well,,,,that little ole spring maker me,,, LOL. Just finished twisting up 1/4lb of piano wire. The spring on the bottom is off of my Kline,,,,also showing the mandrel I made and used. These would fairly easy to make with a lathe,,,I had to use a cordless drill which was difficult to maintain a slow,constant speed,,,,and guide the wire at constant resistance. Anyway I think they'll work after I shape and heat treat. They accept a #8 screw for adjustment.
- Andy DePaule
- Posts: 2576
- Joined: 20 Jun 1999 12:01 am
- Location: Saigon, Viet Nam & Springfield, Oregon
- Contact:
Making the Mandrel?
Hi Sonny,Sonny Jenkins wrote:Well,well,,,,that little ole spring maker me,,, LOL. Just finished twisting up 1/4lb of piano wire. The spring on the bottom is off of my Kline,,,,also showing the mandrel I made and used. These would fairly easy to make with a lathe,,,I had to use a cordless drill which was difficult to maintain a slow,constant speed,,,,and guide the wire at constant resistance. Anyway I think they'll work after I shape and heat treat. They accept a #8 screw for adjustment.
Could you say more about making the mandrel?
I'm assuming that the mandrel is a little smaller than the finished spring since I think the spring will "Spring Back" a little after being removed from the mandrel?
Also what gauge music wire did you use?
Any other information you can give would be very helpful?
Thanks,
Andy
Inlaid Star Guitar 2006 by Mark Giles. SD-10 4+5 in E9th; http://luthiersupply.com/instrument-gallery.html
2017 Mullen SD-10, G2 5&5 Polished Aluminum covering. Custom Build for me. Great Steel.
Clinesmith Joaquin Murphy style Aluminum 8 String Lap Steel Short A6th.
Magnatone Jeweltone Series Lap Steel, Circa 1950? 6 String with F#minor7th Tuning.
1956 Dewey Kendrick D-8 4&3, Restoration Project.
1973 Sho~Bud Green SD-10 4&5 PSG, Restoration Project.
2017 Mullen SD-10, G2 5&5 Polished Aluminum covering. Custom Build for me. Great Steel.
Clinesmith Joaquin Murphy style Aluminum 8 String Lap Steel Short A6th.
Magnatone Jeweltone Series Lap Steel, Circa 1950? 6 String with F#minor7th Tuning.
1956 Dewey Kendrick D-8 4&3, Restoration Project.
1973 Sho~Bud Green SD-10 4&5 PSG, Restoration Project.
- Sonny Jenkins
- Posts: 4376
- Joined: 19 Sep 2000 12:01 am
- Location: Texas Masonic Retirement Center,,,Arlington Tx
Hey Andy,,,yes mine started as a piece of 3/16" rod pressed into a 3/8" rod drilled 11/64". After I tried it , like you said, it sprung back a little so I ground the 3/16" down a little. I would measure it exactly for you but I've misplaced it somewhere. Anyway, if I make another one I will use 1/2" material as a base to put the 3/16" into,,,a little more room for making a hole to secure the wire into.
The wire is 304 stainless, .041 from McMaster-Carr stock number 9495K84. I've since read on the internet that 304 does NOT need heat treated. It took about 30" to make a spring. I think the 1/4 lb was about 50', and I got 19 usable springs out of it.
The wire is 304 stainless, .041 from McMaster-Carr stock number 9495K84. I've since read on the internet that 304 does NOT need heat treated. It took about 30" to make a spring. I think the 1/4 lb was about 50', and I got 19 usable springs out of it.
- Ross Shafer
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- Andy DePaule
- Posts: 2576
- Joined: 20 Jun 1999 12:01 am
- Location: Saigon, Viet Nam & Springfield, Oregon
- Contact:
Thanks Sonny
Thanks Sonny,
I'd rather follow your method than try to reinvent the wheel, or the spring.
Best wishes,
Andy
I'd rather follow your method than try to reinvent the wheel, or the spring.
Best wishes,
Andy
Last edited by Andy DePaule on 16 May 2022 5:34 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Inlaid Star Guitar 2006 by Mark Giles. SD-10 4+5 in E9th; http://luthiersupply.com/instrument-gallery.html
2017 Mullen SD-10, G2 5&5 Polished Aluminum covering. Custom Build for me. Great Steel.
Clinesmith Joaquin Murphy style Aluminum 8 String Lap Steel Short A6th.
Magnatone Jeweltone Series Lap Steel, Circa 1950? 6 String with F#minor7th Tuning.
1956 Dewey Kendrick D-8 4&3, Restoration Project.
1973 Sho~Bud Green SD-10 4&5 PSG, Restoration Project.
2017 Mullen SD-10, G2 5&5 Polished Aluminum covering. Custom Build for me. Great Steel.
Clinesmith Joaquin Murphy style Aluminum 8 String Lap Steel Short A6th.
Magnatone Jeweltone Series Lap Steel, Circa 1950? 6 String with F#minor7th Tuning.
1956 Dewey Kendrick D-8 4&3, Restoration Project.
1973 Sho~Bud Green SD-10 4&5 PSG, Restoration Project.
- Sonny Jenkins
- Posts: 4376
- Joined: 19 Sep 2000 12:01 am
- Location: Texas Masonic Retirement Center,,,Arlington Tx
- Derek Puckett
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- J D Sauser
- Moderator
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I remember making springs to measure as a precision mechanics apprentice in Switzerland... wayyy back... and having blisters in my hands for holding that nasty, unfriendly spring wire.
I feel that most PSG builder's return springs are way to short for a smooth pull.
... J-D.
I feel that most PSG builder's return springs are way to short for a smooth pull.
... J-D.
__________________________________________________________
A Little Mental Health Warning:
Tablature KILLS SKILLS.
The uses of Tablature is addictive and has been linked to reduced musical fertility.
Those who produce Tablature did never use it.
I say it humorously, but I mean it.
A Little Mental Health Warning:
Tablature KILLS SKILLS.
The uses of Tablature is addictive and has been linked to reduced musical fertility.
Those who produce Tablature did never use it.
I say it humorously, but I mean it.