Source for throttle return springs

[Bonekrosha]

I don't know if this has been posted before or not but I make throttle return springs for my 1 16th cars from my worn out guitar strings (I'm sure they would work fine for smaller scales too).

What I do is pull a few "coils" loose from one of the ends of the four heavier strings until I can get a little of the "Gut" material to show, kinda like a wick.

Then I just burn the wick with a lighter and it will travel up the string a bit before it runs out of oxygen to burn.

You are left with basically an empty coil.

You just stretch it out a little, cut a length of it, and you've got some nice springs with uniform coils, really, really fast.

[Ace-Garageguy]

Thanks for that one. I'll definitely be trying it. I use old lightbulb filaments, but you don't get much from each one.

[sjordan2]

Springs from old ballpoint pens and cigarette lighters are also useful for larger scales.

[John Pol]

I take the spring out of broken lightbulbs.

John Pol

[Harry P.]

Another way to go is to take apart an old lamp cord (or the cord from a broken toaster, fan, or basically anything electric)... cut apart the cord and you'll see that the "guts" are a bunch of strands of very fine copper wire. Take one of the strands and wrap it around a piece of stiff wire to form the "spring," then pull it off the wire and paint it silver (or paint it silver while it's still on the stiff wire and pull it off after it's dry).

[Brett Barrow]

If you're the kinda guy that likes buying stuff, you can get them ready-made from MCG. #706 - 5 to a pack for a couple bucks.

[gtx6970]

I just make my own when needed

[Art Anderson]

Another quick source for "throttle return springs" is the coupler jaw spring from Kadee HO model RR couplers. They are sold as replacement parts, a dozen to a package, already formed, and made in finer wire than you can wind over a bit of rod stock and pull off. Being phosphor bronze, they don't crush easily either.

Art

[carrucha]

I made throttle return springs by taking the wire out of an electric motor from a broken VCR and wrapping it around a small diameter drill bit and painting it the color I wanted.

[southpier]

... the coupler jaw spring from Kadee HO model RR couplers. ....

Art

good grief; been a railroad modeler all my life and never gave that a thought.

I have a set of boxes with railroad models, and one with cars. the two have never spoken to each other.

until TODAY!!!

thanks for the wake-up call

[ZTony8]

Another source would be your local GM dealer.Ask them if they are willing to give you any lock cylinder tumbler springs.They should be no charge as dealers get them with every cylinder kit and never use them all.There a couple different lengths and there are also some other springs used for the lock shutters and wedges.Those could be possibly be used for coil-over springs or have other uses on different scale builds.

[dougp]

The spring loaded jewelry clasps sold at Michaels and others for making necklaces works great too and come in a variety of sizes. You just have to pry open the clasp and pull out the spring.

[Eric N.]

You can make them...Or for a few bucks....

Strada Sports has them.Perfict size. I'll try to post some pics of my Dart's engine that has one.

Eric