Make a Custom Spring

Springs are mechanical devices that store energy in the form of elastic potential energy. Springs are used to exert or maintain a force as well as absorb movement.

Materials you need:

• Music wire
• Pliers
• Gloves
• Paper
• Tape
• Bolt/threaded rod
• Wire cutter

Your mandrel should be a 1 to 2 mm, 1/32 to 1/16 of an inch bigger than the bolt/rod that the spring will go over. If you are planning to put the spring over a bolt or threaded rod, your spring should be coilled in the opposite direction that the threads are cut in.

Tape some paper onto the bolt to give it some thickness.

Chuck your mandrel into the drill. I chucked the hex head of the bolt into the drill. Insert the music wire into the chuck. Start coiling your spring, run your drill slowly. Wear gloves and hold the wire with pliers. Start by coiling once tightly, after rhat, coil the other coils with a spacing or pitch. I chose 5mm for the pitch so, i coil the springs with a spacing of 5 mm. Check that the spring is at the correct length and coil once tightly at the end.

Trim the excess wire off, you now have a spring! It only took 1 miniute so its quite easy to make.

I hope you like it, tell me if you made some springs!