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Dans Club
December 5, 2008
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I have some mainsprings that are mixed up and I don't know which ones are 9 lb, 8 lb, etc. Does anyone know the correct way to test a spring to determine its power?
October 1, 2012
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Snake eye,
This is from another source but is very similar to the contraption( McGuyver) that I made to test springs. Toltec gave me a box of about 30 springs and I had 20 of my own. It basically just gives me a relative comparison of the spring strenght so I can tune precisely. The spring has one rate when new, it changes over time.
I made my own;
1/2 copper tube
Put cap on end and drill for shaft
Hole in one end for key ring to attach scale
Thread other end of shaft for nut or plug to hold spring and ride inside tube
The fish scale is a 50lb RAPALA (think I got it at WalMart).
To use:
Put the spring on the shaft and put the nut (plug) on. Pull shaft with the fish scale. You will feel it bottom out. This scale is good because it does not hold a max reading and you can go back and forth between bottomed out and just off. Don’t be surprised if the reading on the scale and the package are different (though most are pretty good). Especially don’t be surprised if the is a brand new spring as all sprigs take and initial set and then should read close to their actual value. Also remember that you are using an inexpensive fishing scale! To be more accurate you could make up a series of weights in one pound increments that you would attempt to lift with the spring scale and the spring value would be the one before the one that bottoms out. 
Dans Club
December 5, 2008
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Thanks hugelk. That looks simple enough even for me.
Unfortunately, I'll have to wait till after our uninvited guest Irma has come and gone. Wish she would hurry up. I'm tired of waiting.
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Dans Club
March 25, 2013
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Put all your DW parts on the top shelf in the workshop.
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