Good sources for coil springs

[OldNYJim]

I've been making coil springs lately to improve on the cheesy molded ones you find in most kits...but it would be cool if there was a place to actually buy them, and have them look the same every time rather than having to make 10 to get a good pair like I have to ?

Anyone got any good leads on miniature springs, off the shelf?  

[JohnU]

How about old dried up click type ball point pens?

[BigTallDad]

There have been tutorials posted showing how to do this.

For example, wrap some wire around a threaded bolt...

[Force]

5 hours ago, BigTallDad said:

There have been tutorials posted showing how to do this.

For example, wrap some wire around a threaded bolt...

That's what I usually do and they get quite even.

[mod3l Lover]

   Hardware stores sell springs of all sizes

in little bins with all the different sizes.

 I have bought them that way many times!!

It would have to be like a ACE hardware.

[NOBLNG]

I bought a bulk package Cheap at Princess Auto!  A lot of them are useless, but there are also a lot of good ones.

[JohnU]

https://www.leespring.com/browse_catalog.

Or try here

[peteski]

If you don't need them to be functional (springy), then you can make your own using solid copper electrical wire (with insulation stripped) wound around an end of an appropriately-sized drill bit (or similar metal rod). That way you can control the thickness of your spring, its diameter, and length. The wire is soft - you wind the coils tightly around the drill bit, then pull it off the drill bit and stretch it to look the way you need it to look.

[Force]

I agree, it's the easiest way to do a coil spring and you can do whatever diameter, length and distance between the coils you need to make it look right...I have often used soft wires to do coil springs and do as Peter explains, stretch it out a bit so the coil looks even and the spacing looks right.
Using functional springs on a static model is just to make it more difficult than it has to be. 

Edited April 22, 2019 by Force

[fordf-100]

Something else you can try is a Helicoil insert, these are made to repaire stripped out threads. They come in various diameters and lengths, they are made from stainless steel. If a 10-24 bolt is what you would use to wrap wire around then that wouls be the size you would use. They are generally "tight" together but you can open them up for more space between coils. The price varies by size but they are not horribly expensive, one down side is the coils are not round but tapered, they still look good on a built model. Just another option to consider.

[my80malibu]

hardware stores

 

[Ramfins59]

You could also take apart old, used up BIC cigarette lighters.

[Chariots of Fire]

Easiest way I know is to use soft wire and wrap it around a piece of solid tubing to get the diameter you want.  Wrap it tight and with no spacing.  Like has been said above, slide it off the tubing and pull it to stretch the wire to the size coil you want.

[OldNYJim]

Good tips everyone, thanks!

[NOBLNG]

This is how I am making them now. I used 20 ga. Copper wire, which is .033” diameter. At 1/25th scale this works out to 13/16” diameter in 1-1 scale. As described above, I wrapped it tightly around a drill bit. Then, starting one full wrap in I spread the coils by rolling it along a putty knife as a spacer. Then I soldered the cut tip to the next full wrap. Slide it back on the drill bit and file the end flat. Decide how many coils you need, cut and repeat the soldering and filing. Then length can be fine tuned by stretching or squashing it.

Edited May 6, 2020 by NOBLNG

[Rodent]

Looks nice!

[Bainford]

Yup, nice springs. 

[OldNYJim]

I forgot that I posted this...but I did spend most of yesterday trying to make a low-tech pair of coil-overs for my Deuce that I’m working on.  I guess some of that advice above actually sank in!

The ‘wrapping around a screw’ method worked best for me...I tried a few different materials and settled on a thin-gauge solder.  It needed to be handed carefully but was easier to work with than any of the craft wires I had here for sure