Making a custom coil spring

[evolbeaver]

Does anyone have information on how to make a custom coil spring. I would like to be able to use a stainless wire but if another wire type would be easier or produce better results I am open to suggestions. I am not 100% sure about gauge size but probably something with a diameter of 1/16 to 1/32. I want to be able to custom form the spring with wire and then heat treat and temper it back to the correct point so that it wont rapidly fatigue or break. I have tried searching the web but cannot seem to find any good information. If anyone has done this I would be very grateful for your advice. Or if anyone has found it easier to start with a spring that is already close to what you need and simply bend it, with or without heat treating, that would be nice to know as well. Thanks everyone.

 

[69_knives]

I've made a few custom springs. Spring wire is already spring temper, you just bend it to what you want. it took a few phone calls and searching in the yellow pages but I found a local supplier of the spring wire I was looking for.

 

[Keith_H]

There is info in the book "Machinery's Handbook" on spring making. You may be able to use piano wire but I am not certain.

 

[custommachineman]

You can make the coil by wrapping the wire around a rod that is a little undersized (all steel wire will have some spring already). Then you can pull on the ends of the coil to space out the windings and spring temper it. This is a chain mail link but shows the spring winder in detail. I have done this many times and it seems to work well.
http://www.mbeckler.org/chainmaille/