Source for springs?

[GadgetGeek]

Can anyone here point me to a good (inexpensive) source for purchasing springs, and can someone tell me how to specify which one to buy, or how to interpret the specs to buy the right one?

For example, I bought a few springs at Home Depot, but they don't stretch far enough. They are about 5 inches long at rest and stretch to about 12 inches when hanging a 4 pound weight on it. If I wanted it to stretch to 18 inches, how would I specify the correct spring? (I'm not changing weights - it was too much work to get the current ones).

Thanks in advance for any help you can offer.

GG

[KAS]

Gadgetgeek,

Heres a good site that I use quite often in the UK.

They sell everything I need including tiny bearings, shafts, pulleys, gears and springs.

An explanation on the type and size of spring is also included.

And more importantly - They are cheap!

Just type in springs on the site search engine.

http://www.technobots.co.uk

Kas

[jim_mich]

I buy springs from McMaster.com. There is a limit to how long any spring will stretch without permently deforming it. You may have difficulty finding a spring because most springs won't stretch 2-1/4 times their initial length.

[GadgetGeek]

Thanks for the links - I'll check them out.

I can go with a longer spring to get the length I need - Home Depot only had two springs so I didn't really have much of a selection to choose from!

Thanks again,

GG

[rlortie]

If you have an "Ace hardware where you live, check them out! They carry Century brand springs in a multitude of variations from compression and tension.

[graham]

Springs are sort of like capacitor , clever devices that can store and release energy. A mechanical version of gravity in some ways.
Bessler may well have used them in his wheels, did they have coil springs in his day?

Graham

[Fletcher]

You can attach two springs together to give the required extension length, if starting length is not critical. I prefer to gear any spring using pulleys, that way you can use a lesser travel to move an object a greater distance, to fit your mechanism.

Watch makers 'foozies' (sp) are quite interesting if you want constant power output.

[Bessler007]

Springs were employed, but not as detractors suggested.
- Bessler

[arthur]

Does anyone know of a source with a good variety of stock torsion springs?

[GadgetGeek]

Actually, I just found out that Sears Hardware has a huge case full of springs. I should be able to find what I need there.