Looking for leaf spring bending tool ideas

[Goo]

Hi all,  I am having difficulty thinking of a simple design for a mainspring bending/forming tool. I would like to ask if anyone has or has made a bending tool/jig for mainsprings ?  And if they are willing to share ideas or pictures for their bending jig for mainsprings?        .   Thanks

[Acer Saccharum]

Three bends in a mainspring, the tab that fits under the bolster, the main 'U' bend, and the hook at the end. All have to be done hot. I don't have fixtures for this work, but they would certainly make it easier.

[Scota4570]

You could make a block with pins.  Say, 1/8" pins to bend around.  Put a bunch of holes in the block so you can put he pins where you want.  The pins would give a nice radius.  IF it is too wide you can close it oup later.  I jsut saw an original main spring with a much larger radius in the main bend than we normally use today.   For any curve on a spring you can bend it by making the area of the bend the hottest.  I use use pliers and a vice. I also have some burned up vice grips for this type of thing.   

[Hungry Horse]

This is blacksmith work, not metal fabrication work. I form the major bend over a chisel clamped in a blacksmiths vise, and close it tighter after the initial bend with a couple of light hammer blows. The hump on the contact end of the spring I form over a piece of steel I ground to the curvature I wanted, once again clamped in the vise. I think a bending jig would only get your fingers burned, and no workable spring.

   Hungry Horse

[Bob Roller]

I stopped making the "flint style" main springs in 1970 but still have the forming dies I made
somewhere in the shop.If I can find them I'll send a picture to be posted here.

Bob Roller

[Goo]

Thanks all and Bob I followed through on an idea I had a few months ago to have a piece of spring steel sheet surface ground to a taper.   I will then be able to cut the springs off this piece of pre ground plate.   The estimate for shop time was under $100 I not retired yet so figured my Time was worth more 

[James Wilson Everett]

Guys,

I use a tool that looks a lot like a very dull cold chisel.  This keeps the main bend from either closing down or being too open as you hot forge the spring.  This is the same tool that I use to eliminate the tear that wrought iron gives as you hot forge open the split in forging a flint cock, or in forging the split at the pivot of a frizzen.

Jim

[Mark Elliott]

Here are a couple of pictures of a tool I made to form a small flintlock mainspring.   The little knobs on the end are to form the foot.  The tool is used like the tool you use to form a patchbox hinge knuckle.   You make a 90 degree bend on the end of the mainspring; clamp it against the little knob in a vise and then bend the end of the spring around the little knob.   This is all done red hot.   The "V" in the mainspring is bent around the wedge shaped end of the tool.   If my description isn't clear,  ask for a clarification.





I should note that the smallest knob is for a spring to be used with a stirrup.