Drum beat squared!

G.T. · 06-17-2021, 11:50 AM

Hi to all, nothing earth shattering to report, but I thought that i would bring you in to my world to share a days experience that i'm about to embark on? Yes! It's mainspring day!!! Oh joy! ...

What's so special about that? Well for those who remember competition, football, basketball, wrestling, etc. etc.. You know that when your finished, you will be dead tired, feel like crap, probably be bleeding, and will be mentally exhausted!
So we begin! The first step is to take the 5' long flat spring and coat it with grease on the outside, and in between the main leaf and the bridle leaf, which is 2.5' long. So now you have 5' of greased slippery spring getting grease on you and everything around you. With now, totally grease covered fingers, you attempt to wind the full length spring into a reduction fixture where you can hook a shaft into the spring and wind it tight with a ratchet wrench, now, also covered in grease! Once the spring is tight, you then take a precut sleeve retainer and slip it over the ratchet handle, down the shaft and onto the spring. And that's right, now everything is covered in grease! Now the second spring is even worse, as you are starting with grease covered hands, and the task seems doubly difficult... At this point, maybe even by the third spring... I stop and just stare at the mainspring and growl lowly at it just like my German Sheppard Rocky sometimes does... It doesn't help anything, but certainly makes you feel better!..

Anyway, about this time into the process, you have to go pee! and guess what, you left all the hand towels at the last work station inside the house, and now the door knob is covered in grease, along with your belt buckle, and, well, you know the rest... You actually enjoy the break, but, it isn't going to make it's self, so back in you go with grim determination all is going to work out ok... And, it usually does... I can generally crank out a dozen springs in about two hours... My dad used to say, "I hit myself with a hammer, because it feels so good when i quit!"

Maybe I am a chip off the old block after all... best to all, til....lat'r.....GT...

06-17-2021, 11:50 AM	#1
G.T. Lifer Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Chandler Arizona Posts: 3,522 Thanks: 1,321 Thanked 3,706 Times in 1,011 Posts	Drum beat squared! Hi to all, nothing earth shattering to report, but I thought that i would bring you in to my world to share a days experience that i'm about to embark on? Yes! It's mainspring day!!! Oh joy! ... What's so special about that? Well for those who remember competition, football, basketball, wrestling, etc. etc.. You know that when your finished, you will be dead tired, feel like crap, probably be bleeding, and will be mentally exhausted! So we begin! The first step is to take the 5' long flat spring and coat it with grease on the outside, and in between the main leaf and the bridle leaf, which is 2.5' long. So now you have 5' of greased slippery spring getting grease on you and everything around you. With now, totally grease covered fingers, you attempt to wind the full length spring into a reduction fixture where you can hook a shaft into the spring and wind it tight with a ratchet wrench, now, also covered in grease! Once the spring is tight, you then take a precut sleeve retainer and slip it over the ratchet handle, down the shaft and onto the spring. And that's right, now everything is covered in grease! Now the second spring is even worse, as you are starting with grease covered hands, and the task seems doubly difficult... At this point, maybe even by the third spring... I stop and just stare at the mainspring and growl lowly at it just like my German Sheppard Rocky sometimes does... It doesn't help anything, but certainly makes you feel better!.. Anyway, about this time into the process, you have to go pee! and guess what, you left all the hand towels at the last work station inside the house, and now the door knob is covered in grease, along with your belt buckle, and, well, you know the rest... You actually enjoy the break, but, it isn't going to make it's self, so back in you go with grim determination all is going to work out ok... And, it usually does... I can generally crank out a dozen springs in about two hours... My dad used to say, "I hit myself with a hammer, because it feels so good when i quit!" Maybe I am a chip off the old block after all... best to all, til....lat'r.....GT...