Eggbeater drill chuck springs?

[Bryan Ericson]

I recently bought a Millers Falls #2 eggbeater drill that was in pretty good condition, except that the jaws in the chuck were loose - there was nothing holding them in place at all and if not for the chuck shell, they would have fallen out. After a good deal of WD-40, wrenching, clamping in vises and channel locks, and creative cursing, I finally got the chuck open and found that the springs are missing - they're not bent or broken or rusted away, they're just gone. I could try to describe the chuck, but there's an excellent picture of a similar one at http://www.wkfinetools.com/tRestore/miscTools/tuningEggbeater/restEB2.asp - it's the picture of the 120A breast drill chuck, only mine is smaller.

So now I'm wondering where to get suitable metal to make replacement springs. I thought of using paper clips, but I don't think they're "springy" enough. My current thinking is that I could just buy a spring from the local hardware store, then cut it up and bend the pieces into approximately the right shape, but I thought I'd ask you all 'cause you have good ideas.

Thanks!

[Jay Maiers]

I recently replaced some missing springs in a Goodell Pratt eggbeater with this part kit from Stanley tool parts:
http://www.stanleytoolparts.com/03-214-4-19-a-0.html
Not a perfect fit, but good enough.
Spring Specs:
.140 diameter
.577 length (no compression)
.0175 wire
~.061 space between coils


I ordered a second set, knowing that I'll lose at least one in the future. At $0.80, it's good insurance :)

Oops! Sorry, I looked at the wrong picture. I'm leaving the info above in case anyone else needs chuck springs.

[Jim Koepke]

My current thinking is that I could just buy a spring from the local hardware store, then cut it up and bend the pieces into approximately the right shape, but I thought I'd ask you all 'cause you have good ideas.

I tried that and the smallest spring my local hardware store carries has a bigger diameter than the chuck springs.


I recently replaced some missing springs in a Goodell Pratt eggbeater with these:
http://www.stanleytoolparts.com/03-214-4-19-a-0.html
Not a perfect fit, but good enough.

I ordered a second set, knowing that I'll lose at least one in the future. At $0.80, it's good insurance

I notice they have two different spring and chuck sets. I may order both to see if either one will fit the bill for me.

At less than $3, it is still cheap insurance.

jtk

[Jay Maiers]

So now I'm wondering where to get suitable metal to make replacement springs. I thought of using paper clips, but I don't think they're "springy" enough. My current thinking is that I could just buy a spring from the local hardware store, then cut it up and bend the pieces into approximately the right shape, but I thought I'd ask you all 'cause you have good ideas.
Thanks!

I've tried re-bending springs, and failed almost every time.
I think piano wire or music wire would do the trick. It's available in small rolls or short straight pieces from McMaster. If you live anywhere near a decent hobby shop, they may have 12" lengths of music wire in the RC Airplane section, maybe in the train section, or perhaps in with the scratch-modeling supplies.




I notice they have two different spring and chuck sets. I may order both to see if either one will fit the bill for me.
jtk

Assuming I haven't lost my back-up set (possible), and assuming I can remember to do it, I'll measure the springs tonight and post up the diminsions.

[Jim Koepke]

Assuming I haven't lost my back-up set (possible), and assuming I can remember to do it, I'll measure the springs tonight and post up the diminsions.

Thanks Jay, I am sure I am not the only one who will appreciate that information.

jtk

[Bryan Ericson]

I've tried re-bending springs, and failed almost every time.
I think piano wire or music wire would do the trick. It's available in small rolls or short straight pieces from McMaster. If you live anywhere near a decent hobby shop, they may have 12" lengths of music wire in the RC Airplane section, maybe in the train section, or perhaps in with the scratch-modeling supplies.

I do have a good hobby store in the area, but I won't be able to get there until sometime this weekend. It's also conveniently located next to a music store, so if the hobby store doesn't have the string I can pick up a guitar string instead. I'll report back here when/if I get it to work.

[george wilson]

To successfully make a small diameter coil spring,you need a metal lathe where you can put a very small arbor in the chuck,and feed the music wire pretty snugly through blocks clamped in the toolpost to put a lot of tension on the wire as it is wound around the arbor. Otherwise,the wire will spring open a LOT after being released from the arbor. An EXCELLENT way to get a finger tangled in the wire,and amputated.


I'm not familiar with the spring needed for your chuck. Would a fountain pen spring work? There may also be even smaller springs used in model locomotives,perhaps. You might check with hobby shops. For some reason,all the hobby shops around this area,except for 1,have gone out of business. Guess the population only plays video games anymore. Sad.

The Stanley springs seem like the best solution. Lucky they are still available.

[Jay Maiers]

I do have a good hobby store in the area, but I won't be able to get there until sometime this weekend. It's also conveniently located next to a music store, so if the hobby store doesn't have the string I can pick up a guitar string instead. I'll report back here when/if I get it to work.

I'm not sure that music wire and guitar strings are the same thing. However, if you do happen by the music store, I'd bet there's a broken string somewhere that they'd give you for at low or no cost...

[Bryan Ericson]

I'm not sure that music wire and guitar strings are the same thing. However, if you do happen by the music store, I'd bet there's a broken string somewhere that they'd give you for at low or no cost...

Yeah, I wondered about that too after my earlier post. From what little I can dig up, they aren't actually the same thing - the music wire is tempered so that it's pretty stiff, while guitar strings can be easily coiled. I did find that art stores may also carry music wire in their jewelry-making section. There are lots of stores that carry jewelry-making supplies in my area - in fact, my wife occasionally makes jewelry, I wonder if she has any...

[Dave Ring]

Just about any gunsmith should have a good variety of small diameter coil springs on hand.

[Jim Belair]

Here's a specialty spring supplier. You should be able to find one on your side of the border. On this site if you go to "stock compression spring length" you'll see a foot of spring with a 1/8 hole goes for about $4.

http://www.trakar.com/products/compression-spring-length/?order=HoleDiameter&min=0.10&submitlist=Search

[Jessica Pierce-LaRose]

I know Jay's first post edit mentions he looked at the wrong picture, but it seems a lot of folks are thinking the wrong types of springs here, or I'm misunderstanding what Bryan is asking. He mentions looking at this picture on the page he linked to:

http://www.wkfinetools.com/tRestore/miscTools/tuningEggbeater/0_img/image015.jpg (direct link to the photo - probably not kosher, but to avoid confusion)

I'd imagine these straight springs are going to be easier to fabricate than the coil springs people are thinking of. (Certainly wouldn't try my hand at making those, as George mentions, without the right set up, it's a good way to lose a finger!)

[Bryan Ericson]

I know Jay's first post edit mentions he looked at the wrong picture, but it seems a lot of folks are thinking the wrong types of springs here, or I'm misunderstanding what Bryan is asking. He mentions looking at this picture on the page he linked to:

http://www.wkfinetools.com/tRestore/miscTools/tuningEggbeater/0_img/image015.jpg (direct link to the photo - probably not kosher, but to avoid confusion)

I'd imagine these straight springs are going to be easier to fabricate than the coil springs people are thinking of. (Certainly wouldn't try my hand at making those, as George mentions, without the right set up, it's a good way to lose a finger!)

No, you're exactly right. I'm not looking for coiled springs, but rather the straight ones that are bent into an 'L' shape that connect each jaw to the inner piece individually. However, there is a lot of good information in this thread, for example Jim seems to have found a source for coiled springs that fit his need. For my situation, the music wire suggestion is the one I'm going to try.

[Jay Maiers]

Thanks Jay, I am sure I am not the only one who will appreciate that information.

jtk

Bump.
Spring specs added to post #2
FWIW, they were a snug fit in the Goodell Pratt chuck. Once I got them squeezed in, that turned out to be a good thing; they kept tension on the jaws made it easy for me to pick up all of the pieces at once.

[Jim Koepke]

On this site if you go to "stock compression spring length" you'll see a foot of spring with a 1/8 hole goes for about $4.

My problem is the hole is just a hair under .125" otherwise the springs at my local hardware store would be fine.

The gunsmith lead might be one to think about.

jtk

[Paul Saffold]

Brian, thanks for starting this thread. I've a MF 120-B breast drill that's been shelved since I got it 3 + years ago. Your post helped me find a 'round tuit that I've been looking for for a long time. On my way to work this AM, I stopped at a True-Value hardware store and picked up 3 springs for the jaws. They were 1 5/16" long to start with. I didn't know how short to cut them but they are now 3/4" and it works, but is still pretty stiff. If I can find another 'round tuit maybe I'll cut another 1/8" off.
The chuck takes 3 coil springs for the 5/32" holes. I lucked out there, as the store had a very large selection of springs, but 5/32" is the smallest they stock.
Paul

[Bill Burslem]

Make it easy on yourself. Contact WK Tools, they used to sell the springs for a #2 MF beater, I bought some from them, and they probably will again if you ask.

BB

[Bryan Ericson]

OK, a few days late, but as promised, here's what I found. My local hobby store does indeed sell music wire - and it's much, much stiffer than guitar string. I stopped in last Monday on my way home from work, but there were many sizes, so I ended up not buying anything. I returned a few days later with the loosely-assembled chuck in my pocket and spent a few minutes fitting the wires into the various holes in the chuck - it turned out that the .047-inch size was the closest fit. At home, the music wire was easy to cut (I used bolt cutters) and somewhat difficult to bend - it's very springy and I had to bend the wire much farther than the final desired angle. But I finally got my three springs made, and my chuck is working nicely. I now need to clean it up some more and grease it, and it will be ready to go. Thanks to everyone for your help here in this thread.

[Jim Koepke]

Thanks to everyone for your help here in this thread.

And thanks for getting back to us.

This will be a resource for the next person who needs to replace similar springs in an old drill chuck or other tool.

We often find our replacement parts in unexpected places.

jtk

[David Dalzell]

Are you referring to the springs that have a sort of hook shape? If so I recently bought a MF #2 that had no springs in the chuck. I took the inside piece of the chuck to my local hardware store and found a standard coil spring that had a long straight length at each end. The straight part of the spring fit the hole in the chuck piece. At home I cut the ends of the spring and bent the three pieces to match what the pictures on the web showed (same site you listed). It works fine.

[Tony Leonard]

I know this an old post, but I have the same issue. I bent up some "springs," but I am having a hard time getting them to work. First issue is getting the thing assembled! Makes me wonder if I am missing any pieces. Any tips or suggestions would be appreciated.

For clarity, these are not coil springs.

Thanks,

Tony

[Jim Ritter]

For the coil type spring for the chuck dismantle an empty Bic lighter. There is a long spring pushing on the flint. I think it is just under an 1/8" in dia.

[Jim Koepke]

More information and pictures might be of help.

jtk