Spring and motor cleaning

[Marco Gilardetti]

Gramophone springs have no sharp edges.

[Inigo]

I find it easier to handle the larger springs of the no32/34 motor than the small ones. These have the same power but less size to hold a firm hand grip on them and on the barrel. I remember specially difficult the small springs of the Thorens portable motors... Uh!

[An Balores]

Gramophone springs have no sharp edges.

Maybe not knife-edge sharp, Marco, but it could do a lot of damage if it unwound uncontrollably in your bare hands.

[Inigo]

... hands, face, eyes, glasses... An uncontrolled spring of those is terrible. Nevertheless, I'm not strong, and can hold a spring. I've already said that I find worse the smaller ones, but the large ones are easier as you can hold firmly. Although I've read somewhere that the huge Edison 18' or 20' DD springs are a nightmare... very very hard to manage, maybe because they are thick steel strip which needs a large force to bend.

[JerryVan]

Although I've read somewhere that the huge Edison 18' or 20' DD springs are a nightmare... very very hard to manage, maybe because they are thick steel strip which needs a large force to bend.

True. I've only done one DD spring, but my hands were sore and somewhat raw afterwards. The thing is, once you get it started, you can't just quit. You have to keep going no matter how hard it gets or, B O I N G, away she flies!

There's nothing really hard about removing or installing a spring, as long as you use a strong hand to keep it under control. If things start to get away from you, the best thing to do is to throw the whole thing away from you and turn your head away. However, in many dozens of springs, I've never had to do that.

As to sharp edges, the springs themselves seldom, if ever, have sharp edges. However, spring barrels sometimes do! Remove any burrs or sharp edges from the spring barrel. These can be the result of past trouble in removing the barrel lid, resulting in burrs at the edges of the barrel. Also, in the case of barrels that have gears attached to them, the gear teeth can have sharp edges and burrs as well, caused by years of wear. Those gear teeth can really grate on your hands if you're not careful. I find that I get so focused on keeping control over the spring that I ignore what my hands are going through. Only during clean-up do I see cuts and little bits of blood. All part of the fun!

[poodling around]

Although I've read somewhere that the huge Edison 18' or 20' DD springs are a nightmare... very very hard to manage, maybe because they are thick steel strip which needs a large force to bend.

True. I've only done one DD spring, but my hands were sore and somewhat raw afterwards. The thing is, once you get it started, you can't just quit. You have to keep going no matter how hard it gets or, B O I N G, away she flies!

There's nothing really hard about removing or installing a spring, as long as you use a strong hand to keep it under control. If things start to get away from you, the best thing to do is to throw the whole thing away from you and turn your head away. However, in many dozens of springs, I've never had to do that.

As to sharp edges, the springs themselves seldom, if ever, have sharp edges. However, spring barrels sometimes do! Remove any burrs or sharp edges from the spring barrel. These can be the result of past trouble in removing the barrel lid, resulting in burrs at the edges of the barrel. Also, in the case of barrels that have gears attached to them, the gear teeth can have sharp edges and burrs as well, caused by years of wear. Those gear teeth can really grate on your hands if you're not careful. I find that I get so focused on keeping control over the spring that I ignore what my hands are going through. Only during clean-up do I see cuts and little bits of blood. All part of the fun!

'You have to keep going no matter how hard it gets or, B O I N G, away she flies!'

Ha ha ! and VERY true ......................... Just like Zebedee in 'The Magic Round-About' ! :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0IWFgsFrCA