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Welding Springs?

Posted: Wed Nov 12, 2003 6:08 pm
by dumbdunce
since I have a few sets of 80 series springs lying around, I was thinking just for kicks I would take 2 sets and weld up some monster long/soft springs - cut the pigtail off the bottom of one set and weld maybe 1/2 - 2/3 of a turn on each spring. does anyone have an idea how I could do it without reducing the coils to a useless pile of slush - weld short sections and oil quench? water quench? any ideas? anyone tried it?

cheers

Brian

Posted: Wed Nov 12, 2003 8:33 pm
by tritonasuras
The word SLINKY comes to mind here.....

Posted: Wed Nov 12, 2003 9:11 pm
by N*A*M
make a garden ornament out of them cos i think they'd get brittle and break

how will you let the metal cool down slowly enough?

Posted: Wed Nov 12, 2003 9:19 pm
by dumbdunce
N*A*M wrote: ...i think they'd get brittle and break

how will you let the metal cool down slowly enough?


hrm I reckon it'd go the other way, if you slow cool steels they go all soft/malleable, to make them hard and springy you need to quench to cool fairly quickly - more worried about the heat affected zone either side of the weld being too soft and squishy. maybe if I stitch it up in short sections rather than a continuous bead.

anyway my yard is already decorated with all kinds of springs, they'll blend right in after I'm finished playing :)

Posted: Wed Nov 12, 2003 9:35 pm
by Punchy
id probly clip the reduced coil off, then make an internal collar and sleeve between the two springs....if you just stuffing about..blit like a coil over arrangement..

The colloar could be kept long enough to not interfer with the springs on compression

Posted: Wed Nov 12, 2003 9:41 pm
by dumbdunce
punchy not 100% I can visualise what you're talking about. a sleeve to fit snugly inside the springs, to locate one spring on top of the other? is the collar fixed to the springs in any way?

sketch?




cheers

Posted: Wed Nov 12, 2003 9:49 pm
by Slunnie
They will crack in the heat affected zone. Keep in mind that the springs are made from an alloy steel, meaning I'm really not sure what material you would weld with. AFAIK they are hot quenched in oil and tempered. Water quenching from red may crack it also.

Posted: Thu Nov 13, 2003 4:10 pm
by modman
springs are made to move (compress and extend)
weld is not meant to move, it breaks.
i don't think you can get mig wire thats flexible.

springs

Posted: Thu Nov 20, 2003 3:02 pm
by DR Frankenstine
no no no no no dont waste your time (surely no-one has that much time to waste) it will only break no matter what you do.

Posted: Thu Nov 20, 2003 4:20 pm
by dumbdunce
youze iz all a bunch oh nay-sayers!

it'll work! yeah!

springs

Posted: Thu Nov 20, 2003 5:42 pm
by DR Frankenstine
if you are so sure it will work why ask the question

Posted: Thu Nov 20, 2003 8:16 pm
by Slunnie
Because The SPECIAL ED BUS to Seven Hills NSW needs to load his nugget noggin. :roll:

Re: springs

Posted: Fri Nov 21, 2003 8:21 am
by dumbdunce
packhorse wrote:if you are so sure it will work why ask the question


because maybe someone else has done it before and can give hints like 'use brand xyz type k463 welding wire' or 'I tried oil quenching it didn't work and here's why it didn't work so use this different oil and maybe you need to do some tempering to stress relieve etc la la la'

if you're so sure it won't work PROVE to me why it won't work, don't just gush a load of negative cow pooze.

read my original post, all I asked for is advice/ideas on HOW to do it, not whether or not it could be done. Didn't your mother teach you that if you can't say anything nice then don't say anything at all?

doorknob.

Posted: Fri Nov 21, 2003 8:32 am
by dumbdunce
Slunnie wrote:Because The SPECIAL ED BUS to Seven Hills NSW needs to load his nugget noggin. :roll:


is this intended as a personal insult, a juvenile attempt at humour, or just a sample of your regular pathetic syntax?

PS you might be my cousin!

Posted: Fri Nov 21, 2003 8:40 am
by spazbot
go on you can do it , this board needs more booty fab

Posted: Fri Nov 21, 2003 10:33 am
by greg
Rather than welding two spring together, could you get a circlular disc of steel and solidly mount this to the springs (as though they were being mounted to the chassis)...

That way i guess it would allow you to attach them with a "no flex" setup.

right?

Here's my dodgey artists' rendition to help make sense of what i just said:

Posted: Fri Nov 21, 2003 10:38 am
by N*A*M
now that is art, greg! :cool:

brian, if you want to do it, go right ahead. i'm due for a good laugh. :roll: maybe there's a reason why everyone is saying don't do it. :?

Posted: Fri Nov 21, 2003 10:40 am
by greg
N*A*M wrote:now that is art, greg! :cool:


Thanks mate - i actually drew that by controlling the mouse with my foot (as you can tell by the springs) :)

Posted: Fri Nov 21, 2003 11:30 am
by dumbdunce
bwahhahahaha :D :finger: :rofl: :bad-words: damn greg you made me shoot coke right out my nose!! that artwork is truly SPECIAL!!

good idea, I think that is kind of what punchy was aiming at.... worth having a think about. would need keepers of some sort to stop it shooting the disk assembly out the side...

anyway thinking about it will keep me amused while I finish putting my lockers in this afternoon. how come work I do for myself takes three times longer than work I do for anyone else?

Posted: Fri Nov 21, 2003 1:07 pm
by Aus4wd
Sandy once snapped a spring at the OBC and welded it back up as a temperary measure to get back to Broken Hill, but give it a go, there is only one way to find out if it might work!

Posted: Fri Nov 21, 2003 2:24 pm
by greg
dumbdunce wrote:bwahhahahaha :D :finger: :rofl: :bad-words: damn greg you made me shoot coke right out my nose!! that artwork is truly SPECIAL!!


No worries mate, glad to help out. ;)

Posted: Fri Nov 21, 2003 8:16 pm
by Leprecaun
Just an idea after drinking a 6pack. Could you sleave it, ie like a shockie, would keep the springs and disc assembly in place, wouldn't require serious welding just spots (I think) to keep things in place.

Posted: Thu Nov 27, 2003 5:16 pm
by dumbdunce
yeah I think that might work with what the other blokes have suggested. anyway I haven't had time to play with it yet.

I think I should drink a 6pack before I do.

Posted: Thu Nov 27, 2003 8:25 pm
by Leprecaun
LOL only way to go. Drink a 6 pack and expand the mind. Let us know if it works. The spring setup not the mind expansion :lol: