Return Spring For a 1/2 Ton Arbor Press

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pollys1dad
Posts: 296
Joined: Mon Jun 25, 2012 12:13 pm
Location: Wiltshire United Kingdom

Return Spring For a 1/2 Ton Arbor Press

Post by pollys1dad »

I bought a 1/2 ton arbor press to use as a fret press for guitar making. The red one has a return spring on the side, so when the handle is lowered, when released will return to its starting position.
The other photos show the one I bought, it has a shaft collar and grub screw no return spring.
I Googled return spring all I could find was motorbike kickstart return spring.
The red arbor press I don't think he has the return springs machined up but buys them ready made, perhaps they are used on other devices.
If this is the case any idea where I could get a suitable return spring and what would I have to do on mine to fit it. What you can see on the side of the shaft, those aren't threads.
Cheers.
Attachments
Stewmac 1 .jpg
Stewmac 2 .jpg
Arbor Press I Bought .jpg
Arbor Press 1 .JPG
Arbor Press 2.JPG
Arbor Press 3.JPG
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liveaboard
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Location: southern Portugal
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Re: Return Spring For a 1/2 Ton Arbor Press

Post by liveaboard »

Springs are hard to find; the huge variety of types and sizes makes stocking them tough.
I used to know a specialist shop, but they went under.
I found a tiny factory near where I used to live [3 or 4 workers], and they made custom springs for me after hours a few times, but they disappeared too. I had heavy 3/8" wire wound and retempered, in stainless too. They were cool.
You can wind your own light springs, buy spring wire and roll it around a rod. It's supposed to be easy on a lathe, but I only did it by hand and they didn't come out even.
Search for a "spring supplier", "spring industrial", etc.
You'll need to know what type you're looking for; torque, push, or pull. Diameter, wire size, and number of coils all affect the 'spring rate'.

Or just put a bungee cord on it.
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wlw-19958
Posts: 1072
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Location: Lewes, DE

Re: Return Spring For a 1/2 Ton Arbor Press

Post by wlw-19958 »

Hi There,

You might be able to adapt a return spring
from a drill press. I made one for my milling
machine years ago. I machined a housing
from stock and then took a damaged spring
from a Clausing and put it in and attached it
to the housing and the shaft.

Good Luck!
-Blue Chips-
Webb
pollys1dad
Posts: 296
Joined: Mon Jun 25, 2012 12:13 pm
Location: Wiltshire United Kingdom

Re: Return Spring For a 1/2 Ton Arbor Press

Post by pollys1dad »

Drill press return spring

If Google, drill press return spring,quite a few come up as being on Amazon UK and Ebay UK, though come from Hong Kong.Are various sizes would need to get one to fit. If you look at the attached screenshot of return spring on Ebay.
How would I go about attaching the spring to the ram and attaching to the seat, housing?

When I'm in town next am going to look at some bench mounted drill presses and try to get an idea if their return spring assembles would fit on my arbor press, then perhaps source as a spare part. Have had a look online, but can't really tell, need to see in person.

That aside, my machinist friend, he has a big industrial type lathe, small mill and stuff.
I could ask him if he could machine up an end seat to fit over return spring and end of ram.

I don't know anything about any of this stuff. Would I try to get a suitable piece, short section of steel round bar, diameter to fit on outside of arbor press, that he would hollow out on his lathe?

Attached a couple of other screenshots of the commercially available arbor fretting press that has return spring assembly,I'm not worried about it looking pretty, just functional. In the screen shot he seems to have a pin in the steel knob, would that be part of the return spring set up? If so how was that done?
Thanks people :)
Peter.
Attachments
Return Spring .jpg
A1 .jpg
A2 .jpg
A3 .jpg
SteveM
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Joined: Mon Jun 27, 2005 6:18 pm
Location: Wisconsin

Re: Return Spring For a 1/2 Ton Arbor Press

Post by SteveM »

That pin is probably what engages the hook on the outside of the spring.

The shaft would have a slot cut across it into which the center of the spring would go.

Steve
pollys1dad
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Joined: Mon Jun 25, 2012 12:13 pm
Location: Wiltshire United Kingdom

Re: Return Spring For a 1/2 Ton Arbor Press

Post by pollys1dad »

OK thanks, I've asked my friend about making up a return spring assembly. I mentioned what you say, though I expect he knows that anyway.
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