Spring Question for a 1/9th scale Triumph 3HW

[DougS]

I need to make new springs but don't have anything to take measurements from.

I just bought a used built cycle but it is missing all the springs so I thought I could just take measurements from my so-called new kit. It turns out the new in an open box kit isn't so complete. It was missing the plastic bag that contained all the springs and the rubber lines.

So now I need help from other sources. Does anybody have this kit they could measure for me. It was put out by Italeri, Esci, Ertl, Aurora and probably others but they are all basicly the same kit.

[Chariots of Fire]

I'd try and use the picture of the bike as a basis of measurement and compare it to the built up model.  Proportion the spring measurements accordingly.  Micro Mark sells a package of springs of all kinds that might give you a start on what you need.

[DougS]

Thanks for the suggestion. I did find with a google search a picture of the actual springs laying on a ruler. Now to try and get something wound that's wider in the middle and tapers at each end.

[peteski]

1 hour ago, DougS said:

and tapers at each end.

That part might be tough.

[DougS]

Here are the springs I made by winding wire around a screw then winding each end tighter to create a slight taper. They don't really look like the box picture but I think they are pretty close to the google picture. I may keep working to get closer to the box picture but this first try should work for now.

[peteski]

Those actually look better than I would have expected. The coils look even and the tapered areas look good.  What type of wire are you using?  Going by the boxart, those springs could even be made from thinner wire.

[Bainford]

Agreed. Very nice looking springs. The taper looks 'right'.

[LDO]

I believe this kit is in current production, or was very recently. It can’t hurt to contact the distributor. 

[DougS]

I just used some random electrical wire I had laying around. I don't throw anything away. It was fairly soft to work with but not sure what type of metal.

[peteski]

Ok,  thanks. Looks like solid copper wire to me.  Electrical wire is almost exclusively copper (and rarely aluminum, which would look silver).

Going by the colors, that stuff looks like wire used inside fluorescent lamp fixtures.

Edited April 2, 2022 by peteski