Springs!

[@elektro3000]

Hi Mark, friendly neighborhood metallurgist here! (Actually wire and spring metallurgy is one of my professional responsibilities.) Music wire, specified under ASTM A228, is patented to fine pearlite, not quenched to martensite. So heating it to 450F is not tempering (where martensite changes internal structure and carbon diffuses to grain boundaries). Instead, the heat soak relieves internal stresses from wire drawing and coiling, and the color change is surface oxidation, mostly to hard, dense oxides of iron rather than loose red rust, a little like blueing.

[@milolc]

The heating still helps the wire "remember" its new shape right?

[@Eduardo_Espinoza]

@Milo Christiansen All i know is adding too much heat makes it act like a paper clip

[@LeCafeRacer]

@@milolc Yeah. Making springs like Mark with music wire/oven has served me well for years. It's a common machinist trick. I usually brought things to 500f and put them in a sealed pocket of aluminum foil.

[@JohnSmith-gm4fj]

I thought you had to go above 400 C to get it to it's austenizing temp then depending on cooling you could produce pearlite, bainite or martensite. So I'm not sure what 450F really is getting you... also I remember from one of the gunsmithing kinks books they talked about putting the spring to be in a stainless foil pouch with a small slip of paper and and heat soaking that... or am I mis remembering that?

[@markserbu]

@elektro3000 Thanks for the comment! I've had friendly neighborhood metallurgists comment on my music wire and spring-making content before, but because I'm old I always forget the details of what they say! Hopefully in the future I'll remember to say "stress relief" instead of "tempering". Maybe one day I'll even read ASTM A228. Thanks again!

[@ClericalConsequences]

“Was that dangerous? Yes. Do I give a shit? No.” I felt that ❤

[@CaptainSeamus]

It was all the junk getting blown into the battery chargers that was making me cringe... oh, well, not my tools... heheh

[@SVD_NL]

​@@CaptainSeamus it's only metal fragments blown into a battery charger, what could go wrong?

[@RichardCranium321]

Secret to music (or any) wire: snap lid Tupperware with a tiny drilled hole and rubber grommet in one corner. The wire stays in a coil shape if you get the right size container and then dispenses out like fishing line when you need it. Just don't pull out much more than you need because it won't push back in as easily as it pulls out.

[@ericsfishingadventures4433]

Man that's a really great tip! It's not just for my bass guitar I know the wire has many practical uses.

[@barbaraclements8068]

This. I've been using Tupperware for my wire for years.

[@b0rd3n]

Love the sparks flying into the chargers!

[@cameronmccreary4758]

I used to work for John Martz, Luger carbine maker from Lincoln California in the 1970s and 80s and I made custom springs for his carbines. Many of them were flat springs but some were coil springs. First, I always used my lathe to make coil springs and made a fixture so, I could get the double coil on each end. The pitch of the spring was governed by setting the thread pitch of the lathe. The wire was fed in from a fixture on the tool post on the compound. I custom machined a 5C collet to hold the mandrel and allow the wire to double coil on the one end before I engaged the thread feed. Once the the flooding was engaged and I would watch to see where the spring would register to the indicator that I have set up for the length of the spring. At this time at the full length of a spring I would kick out the threading and allow for a double coil to occur on the finished end. Depending upon the type of steel used would indicate whether I do any post heat treatment. Once wound stainless steel springs were finished due to work hardening. For coil springs made out of alloy steel I began with annealed steel and then heat treated after making the spring. The final process was grinding flats on both ends of the springs. I mostly used chrome vanadium alloy spring steel that I would have sent from Sheffield, England. The flat springs like ejectors, extractors would be manufactured from the alloy steel flatstock on the milling machine. I think you did an okay job on making the springs but sometimes you have to have an accurate spring and it has to be made to a specific pitch.

[@tomwilliams8675]

Interesting job, I'd like to see your gun safe👍😁

[@quiettime6871]

Wow, working for John Martz, that must have been awesome. He was quite a craftsman

[@zumbazumba1]

You could make a square spring in a lathe too but mandrel would be square with rounded end for chuck and a center drilled for tailstock center instead of round and the spacing between tool post and a wire feeder would be larger.only thing it you cant have sharp corners ,it needs to be rounded slightly or wire might snap due 90 degrees bending this way. We used simple 2 peaces of wood with one of them had a V groove smaller than wire size.That way upper flat peace of wood gives a tension to a wire simple but effective.

[@cameronmccreary4758]

@@zumbazumba1 Yes, I also used to order square wire stock and wind square section wire springs. I had to be careful winding this wire in order that the square wire wouldn't twist. As I recall the wire passed through a rectangular slit in the fixture and rollers to guide the wire onto the mandrel.

[@droy47]

Haha love your sense of humor. There's are 4 vises on one bench and you hold the piece with your hand while cutting. Make the experts go nuts!

[@MagnusD]

I love every second of this. We need a TV-show just following you around making small comments.

[@GodsLandDownUnder]

Hey bro. Tasmania Australia here. Love ya channel mate.

[@djagrarms7916]

Another Aussie 👌🏼

[@cvytnioy56dvfuj4g7]

Me too, mainland however

[@djagrarms7916]

Yep same

[@Akkillies]

Tasmania's not part of Australia in the same way a dingleberry isn't really part of a sheep I can joke about this because some of my best friends are inbred 😅

[@djagrarms7916]

@@Akkillies American’s be like what is this cunt on about 🤣

[@JMKady76]

Just used this technique to replace a spring I sent into orbit somewhere in my garage.Thanks Mark!

[@appatula]

Dikes.........aka diagonal cutters! Funny I Just rewatched the GB22 video last week to touch up on the tempering; note: 450 not 350. A nice "purpley" brown.

[@childsupport5395]

Wow that picture of an airplane is awesome, I’m glad you are very humble and barley mention it !!

[@mshort7087]

“Is it dangerous? Yes. Do I give a shit?….. NO!!!” Keep on keeping on, Sir. I salute you

[@kyleplocek4038]

I always enjoy and find it most satisfying to learn engineering information. I will definitely appropriate this information to the proper area in my memory banks. I will also use this information in the appropriate manner for the rest of my life. Thank you and keep it up!

[@stonequarry6977]

The spring segment you did in the gb-22 video sent me down a rabbit hole of spring calculators, etc. This was awesome, and please don't be shy about technical stuffs. We're all nerds in one way or another here. And down I go again toward said rabbit hole. Thanks Mark lol

[@jkrofchick90]

I love vids like this , I never really thought to make my own springs , and oddly enough today the spring on the trigger of my brush burner torch finally rusted through and I have been thinking about what I can take apart to find a spring that will work in it . Problem solved , thanks Mark

[@jesstreloar7706]

I made some springs to keep the old out of production machines at work working. Got the music wire from McCarr. They did not last long. Now I know that I should have cooked them. Thank you for the knowledge, Mark.

[@Eduardo_Espinoza]

That's really cool, imagine working for Eugene Stoner too. :)

[@JD-gn6du]

Knipex makes a cutter that works like a miniature bolt cutter that works great on music wire.

[@avramsimic2576]

Knipex Cobolt 👌

[@colinboneham7387]

Hi Mark, my grandfather worked in a U.K. spring making company during WWII for weapons and then after that ended the company made springs for cars and other uses, he couldn’t goto fight in WWII due to a spring accident that caused him to loose an eye.

[@Bahnamoon]

I love your shop! Your as safe as necessary, or as much as you need to be! Worked jobs where they force you have safety glasses and steel toe shoes because some dummy did something he shouldn't have been doing. Love the videos!

[@OmarsCreations-ks4on]

Not boring at all I learned something new thank u!!

[@OzarksWildman]

Hey! I’m a Conch Flyer too! Just a commercial passenger but, still really fun 👍

[@protofreak9518]

Thanks for the info managed to make my own mag springs

[@bf19881988]

Hey mark. Love your videos. Quick tip when cutting small stuff like that tube with an angle grinder. Rotate the guard so your material clears the body of the grinder and rest your material against the guard using the rotation of the wheel to hold it in place. This technique reduces the risk of the disc jamming and injuring you.

[@ahumblepoet]

Can you make a short showing this?

[@CtrlAltRetreat]

This is useful. This can help with just making some spring loaded spacers for various things around the house like drawer stops. I hadn't actually considered making custom springs and this is a lot cheaper than the storebought options that i've been buying, plus you can make them to fit the inner dimensions you need this way

[@chuckchase8432]

I have improvised springs for many purposes. Knowing how to make a spring for master cylinder-slide return is very helpful. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.

[@rybread5718]

Great stuff here. On my college campus I made some G-code to automatically draw springs around a mandrel on our CNC lathe. Inputs are spring diameter, number of inactive coils at the start, active coils, and then inactive coils... It works... okish. I'd really like to find a better way. But, I'm happy I was able to experiment with it! And I learned a lot about springs!

[@brianemery8945]

Wire cutters-Dikes!

[@ishnifusmeadle]

we still call em dikes, any softies can either suck it up or f off

[@stephenbinion6348]

We had some idiot from corporate saying that term was offensive. The lesbian coworker was upset. She was a proud DYKE. But if you insist we’ll just call them the alternative lifestyle tool. That new name stuck.

[@2fwelding842]

Defunded!

[@addmix]

My question is which used the word "dike" first? Were lesbians named after the cutter's? Were cutters named after lesbians?

[@murunbuchstanzangur]

Or after the dams in Holland? You know the story, right? About the little boy who put his finger in a dyke and made some people very upset?

[@cvytnioy56dvfuj4g7]

Looking forward to your next home rifling video

[@southerndualsport3827]

Love it Mark! That's for the tutorial! I'll be trying this in the future for sure! I love watching your vids, what a breath of fresh air on the internet to see a man not fearful of every damn thing, cutting his hands up like I do when I work. A real man, with real skills! I commend you sir!👏🏻👍🏻🇺🇲 Take care of that caugh, and stay away from 💉

[@FCFDave]

Hey Mark, I have a set of mandrels I made for springs I often make, I filed a flat spot at the end of some round stock of appropriate diameter and drilled a ~1/8" hole rather than using a slot. Downside is having to clip them off the mandrel, but at least they don't slip (often).

[@ramentaryramblings]

no PPE, shits on those who will talk about it preemptively. I fuckin love this channel

[@shonny61]

Forking springs! I've been wanting to make some for my fencin' stretchers for some time; now I'm out of excuses. Thanks for a great, interesting, and informative video.

[@cowlesjimmie]

I appreciate all you put on here

[@ulrichmachtle4864]

funny, you cut the wire I instinctively turn my eyes away - caught myself doin it made me laugh 🤣🤣🤣

[@superdutyspinner]

Love these Tech videos Mark!

[@ramentaryramblings]

13:47 idk if you have heard of it before but a belt sander really tends to clean up those sharp ends nice and pretty

[@EdwinSarkissian]

Mark my toaster needs a spring, can u make one ?

[@markserbu]

Of course

[@PolarisRider06]

The trick to wire like rolls like that music wire is duct tape. First thing you do is take it out of the box, wrap the roll of wire completely with duct tape STICKY SIDE OUT (to keep your wire from getting sticky). Then wrap it again normal, sticky side in, after that cut a hole in the center on one side big enough to see in and snip the small wires holding the roll of wire together and grab the end of the wire that is at the inside of the roll and pull it out. Sometimes it's worth re taping over the big hole you cut and just having the wire poking through the duct tape to help keep everything organized. Then slide it back into the box or scribble what type of wire it is on the duct tape. It will keep everything in order until the roll is gone.

[@MarkiusFox]

Be the wire! *_BE_* the *_WIRE!_* _wire slips_ Well, I guess I wasn't wiry enough.

[@danielcarter7657]

Great easy to digest spring tutorial

[@johnknouse8846]

I always just drilled a hole in whatever I was using as a rod. Made getting started easier.

[@MagnumMotorsLakewood]

Mark, that was cool to watch, Thanks

[@jamesgravel7755]

I enjoyed the video. I need to make a spring for a project I’m working on. And this was perfect timing.

[@jw6210]

This was cool. Never new I could make my own spring. Not sure what I would make one for.

[@MattsYoutubeChannel]

I'll watch any damn thing you put out cause it's always informative

[@chrismckoy3533]

Very interesting video, cheers for taking the time.

[@dwaynemiller68]

REAL COOL YOU NEVER LET ME DOWN!!!!!!

[@Tunkkis]

I've seen this done on a lathe, hadn't considered the hand drill option. Very interesting, thanks Mark!

[@russkepler]

I think the lathe is more controllable. I run the wire through a couple of pieces of wood in a toolholder using the screws to put tension on the wire. The higher the tension the closer to the mandrel diameter the spring I'd will be.

[@SwheatCents]

Love your content brother! Always teaching us something new! I call them nippers or snips

[@Eduardo_Espinoza]

I have a feeling that's gonna get cancelled too lol

[@Brokefootchuck]

Dick Van Sidecutters

[@ericsfishingadventures4433]

Out of necessity comes innovation. Don't even know if someone said that before just something I've always said. Love the videos because there's so much to learn just by watching. Very informative.

[@jesseshulaw]

Cool video. I’ve done springs for replica cap and ball revolver with my dad with bar spring stock 30 years ago. Never made a coil spring. Great video keep ‘em coming. Not to stoke any non-narcissist side.

[@martian3139]

It’s like you read my mind with this video. I’ve always wanted to know about this subject and you have gone over it in the best way. Thank you again Mr Serbu!

[@nicholasgoldstonegh4643]

Morning from Portland U.K. 👍😎👍...... One can easily wrap a spring using a mandrel on a lathe, with a known feed rate and a die/leader to lead the wire and using the cross slide at 90° for adjusting the initial start and end.... "lead in and lead out" if one is feeling "fancy" it's easy to do the g-code to auto feed the cross slide on a CNC..... we programed .... punched a tape for the Herbett Tape Auto Lathe at college to wrap springs in the early 1990s to show students how an "Old Tape Auto Lathe" could and did produce precision springs..... even gave the students a "biro" each fitted with a spring made in front of their eyes....

[@randomidiot8142]

A couple years ago I made a .510" od spring out of .125" music wire. I made a mandrel and drove the wire and mandrel through a fixture? that the wire fed in through side. I wasn't brave/stupid enough to try to wrangle that wire around a mandrel after my experiments with smaller wires. It seemed to work, although I ended up not using it for whatever I made it for. If I were to try spring making again I'd do it the same way, with inner and outer forms to keep everything controlled.

[@maxzzzie]

I've barely ever shot a gun before. But I definately used springs. They are amazing and the making of them is satisfying to watch. Knowing a bit of theory behind it and seeing you make them so easy makes me happy.

[@gasengineguy]

Cool stuff mark. Made springs for a scale model hay press years ago because they were very weird shape and couldn't buy any. Used some kind of very large music wire, that was wicked shit man. Very tough, but they turned out and still working to this day.

[@evinduggins2431]

Mark just made way more springs than I have ever attempted in my life. I am a little younger. I have attempted this though. I wish this channel was a thing back when I lost a spring for my dad’s revolver. Shh, he still doesn’t know.

[@patriciocordova449]

It’s very easy to make a guide for the winding and spacing from a thicker wire, hook like part, and I would really smooth out the inside and ends of the spring to avoid damaging the con rod and then the seal, I also own a plane and one of my masters leaks because of this even if you change the seal it leaks soon after….I’ve never found a way to tell people that I own an airplane that doesn’t feel like I’m bragging.

[@j.robertsergertson4513]

Maybe not talk about it on the Internet?

[@patriciocordova449]

@@j.robertsergertson4513…this is why I never talk about it, someone will always think you’re bragging, I’m responding in concern for his safety.

[@Eduardo_Espinoza]

I'm broke af, yet i love it when ppl talk about planes, they probably just hate planes or/& you, deep down inside.

[@patriciocordova449]

@@Eduardo_Espinoza I love planes like a old friend, I can talk about them all day long, many years back I was lucky enough to buy a small 2 seater.

[@Tim-Kaa]

Mark, can you please start making uppers for Ruger MK4 in 25acp, 17 hmr & 17mach2? I spoke with Ruger, they said they are too busy, same with Volquartsen, RIA and a few other manufacturers

[@Alakazzam09]

I'd buy one of each.

[@zaitcev0]

The 17 is based on 22Mag, so needs a longer receiver I suspect. But the 25ACP sounds like an awesome idea.

[@suisavako]

Thank you for another great video, Mr. Serbu.

[@billterry967]

Yes this was very cool. Not one of us that ever worked on guns. Had that one spring we couldn’t find or had to pay a fortune for it. To keep that old gun running. Heck yeah I would definitely love to learn more about making springs. Thank you much appreciated.

[@viscache1]

HEY! MARK! Where are you buying that wire for $5/lb? I’m seeing it for $23/lb and up! (McMaster Carr)

[@kentdurham2716]

Where’s your goggles Pisano? The spring and all those tools….they will keel! Just kidding, like your mater of fact style. Good video Mark!

[@zowiefenderblast4602]

Cruising the river springs wondering where my ores are... I miss my old friends too!

[@rfswitch4530]

I restored a rusted up Browning 1910 that was left as just a frame, slide, and barrel. For the challenge I made all of the replacement parts and springs, with the exception of the recoil spring. I used the same methods you did in the video, with a mini lathe in place of a power drill, and all of the springs have done just fine since. Great content, thank you for the video.

[@pinjohnston3706]

In deed I did enjoy this video and I would certainly love to see you make more of those coils

[@ehun]

Watching this video helped me put a spring back into my step.

[@JeRKII]

First thanks for sharing this didn't know it was so easy to build your own springs. Next I'm not real sure what the break pads look like on an airplane but your spring idea reminded me that I think it was Datsun B210 that had 2 pins that went through a sold mounted caliper and only the caliper piston moved and squoze the pads against the rotor but there were springs on the pins in between the pads to also helppush back on the pads....

[@ThomasRonnberg]

here five pretty nice springs! I am sure one of them will work! hits home

[@nate9931]

"was that dangerous? Yes. Do I give a shit? No." I can't tell you how many times I've uttered these words at work.

[@WvlfDarkfire]

That plane reconfirmed my goals of becoming great like Serbu

[@gregorysloat4258]

I like your videos. I like the ones you do with Edward, too. You guys together are a hoot.

[@timr617]

You're the man Mark! great video I watched the whole thing like always. Always interested in learning new things from your videos.

[@galvanizeddreamer2051]

"Was that dangerous? Yes. Do I give a sh it? No." I cannot remember for the life of me why I subbed to you, but I found another reason just now.

[@housevollmer9106]

Leave 1 of the three bands holding the wire on the roll and remove the roll from its box to carefully unwind each loop off the roll as you need it from under the remaining band you’ve left around the roll to contain it and then carefull place it back into its box to store, but looking at your method makes me wanna change my own, you look like a pro hahaha

[@joewaligator4364]

Thanks Mark. Been having a thought on a spring i need yesterday.

[@wolfy9005]

Wound a whole heap of kiln coils, just wind em tight then stretch to length. Probably works for spring wire considering you can just wind it onto a mandrel without any penalty.

[@jeffryrichardson9105]

Great information!👍🏽😀❤️🇺🇸

[@henningklaveness7082]

Watching you make springs is kinda soothing... except when you hand hold with the angle grinder aiming the dust straight into the tool battery chargers, and cut off little bits of music wire without eyepro.

[@noiwonttellyoumyname.4385]

Some years back I was wrestling with getting some prototype parts to fit because of some excessive flashing from shitty temporary test molds, and I asked the new girl to "gimme that pair of dykes," and instead of handing me the tool she got out pictures of her and her girlfriend. Next couple of minutes could have gone rather badly if she didn't have a sense of humor about it. (As it turns out, nearly 15 years later she's a damn good engineer and one of my absolutely best friends.)

[@redgreenblue998]

Good timing since we will be springing forward with our clocks soon.

[@DanielInfrangible]

Love this video. Huge nerd, here. Wish you had gone more in depth about spring engineering.

[@rickburrows4304]

love your stuff and its a "shot in the dark" Mark.

[@KF-qj2rn]

you could release energy winding it upon a larger diameter spool like for mig welder

[@TheDarkangelKx]

Always love to see more aviation content!

[@BV-fr8bf]

You can show off a little. Nice airplane!

[@m.searay4629]

Very interesting. Hope you do a follow up on how it worked on the brake.

[@joehackenberg30]

Using a loose zip tie around it also works pretty good.

[@josephcormier5974]

Excellent video great content I feel your pain but I wouldn't give up my age for anything thank you for sharing this six stars brother

[@mattdavis822]

This spring making thing looks fun

[@jdub5710]

They see me trollin.....haha. grinding into the charger is a good one

[@PBoettger]

Just a thought, instead of a slot why not drill a hole to feed wire? Would probably hold better, and you can snip (nipper/side cutter) the the end as you do with the slot.

[@guytech7310]

Would coil easy. Mandrill would spin but no force on the wire to permit it to coil.

[@calvinelirobinson5630]

I like your videos. I usually learn something.

[@BadlydrawnBen]

I had no idea I was fascinated by making spring's until now 😊

[@KM-ub1sh]

Very cool!

[@P1TD0G]

Was that dangerous… yes … do I give a shit NO‼️… EPIC statement 🤣🤣🤣

[@tomwoodrow5494]

Excellent Vidya! Thanks Mark!

[@elmer6535]

Awesome video Mark. Love learning how to do new things. Thanks!

[@pauljones9746]

I run a spring presetter machine for the auto industry. So its just like work for me

[@yannickjolin-ws4xb]

If i noticed right, i saw a tab on the side of your music wire pacage, try to take wire out from there