What springs to buy?
 

I must be missing it because I have searched the forum several times... What size springs do I need to hold the motors up and where is a good place to order?

Thanks

I think this is what I had ordered from www.mcmaster.com
9654K324 for the tension springs. Double check it to be sure though. :)

Blake I used the springs from self closing flap hinges that one uses on your kitchen doors,does the job.

I used springs that keep the RADOME cover of a microwave dish in place.

Has anyone ever thought of using a gas spring for the motor spring?

$$$

Or a blade spring, or a rubber spring, or a polymer spring, or many other types of spring . . . . . .

We have a very small movement distance and rubber/polymer should be the simplest cheapest.

it can even work without a spring if you can orientate your motor & other weighty stuff to generate enough counter-reaction force/moment.
Edit. but I'm a simpleton miser... Spring works.

You have seen the spring details in the plans, right?
A spring maker will have no problem producing these if you can't find similar off the shelf.

These things also do the job - has been proved by more than one MM builder who are all too shy to show their pics :)

SERIOUS!!!! Cable tie!!! :cool:

It was only a question, I have built more than one machine now, and I'm planning a new build once again.
Offcourse I have seen the plans, I have had them all since 2007 and every revision released since.

I was just wondering if anyone actually had used something like those before..

...Okay, I'll confess, I used rubber bands for about a week or two until I got my springs in. It worked just fine!:)

Doesn't a gas spring only push, or are they available in pull type? If only "push" is available then the motor mount will have to be re-engineered...

Ok, Gerald you probably saw me using them I used some on my machine and still have a couple next to the machine,I hooked the z-axis motor on with some and the ( can`t remember the part but the one with the bearing that runs on the y-car.).I couldn`t find springs in my valley so I used the ones you get on the self closing flap hinge that you use in your kitchen.Had no problems yet.

Wonder when some one will tie some balloon as make-shift Z gas-spring....:cool:

Tried that already Ken, doesnt work so well as the balloon keeps losing helium and it intefered with my dust extraction pipe... :D

Lmao!!!!