Lever Spring

[pclfal62]

Hello all, I was messing with a movement I purchased and came across a tiny wire spring attached to the levers. I believe in one of Bob’s videos he actually called it a lever spring. I am just trying to validate its main purpose and can this be replaced if damaged.

[mahlon]

pcffal. The lever spring is used to hold pressure on the lever in order to make drop quicker and stay down. If you have spring wire you can replace it. Just make sure that you wind it in the right direction. With out the spring the lever will continue to just ride along on the cam, instead of dropping into the stop. Mahlon

[pclfal62]

ok, that’s what i thought, explains a lot.

[mahlon]

pclfal. The first time I saw one of those springs, I figured that some body had put it there to hold the part in place, so I took it off a through it away I was telling a friend how I was working on a movement that was wired together. Once he explained what it was I had to dig through trash and find it Mahlon

[pclfal62]

Now I don’t feel so bad, its funny you should say that. It is a newer movement, but I got it really cheap, I thought it was there to hold parts together too, so I snipped it!
Live and learn

[bernie weishapl]

You can buy brass spring wire and remake them. I have found on many of the movements I work on when I reassemble them the wire has a tendency to break. I have several sizes that I keep in stock. If the wire breaks when try to assemble it, it gets replaced. Mahlon hit the nail on the head. These spring wires are to make the arms snap back into place and holds them there. One thing you want to keep in mind those springs just need to be tightened enough to make the arm go down. If you make it to tight like I did on the very first movement I worked on it will stop the clock or it won’t strike depending on which wire you get to tight. Here are some I keep in stock. Scroll down to the brass spring wire which they carry in 22 ga to 28 ga. I keep one of each.

http://timesavers.com/search.html?q=spring+wire&go=Search

Ronell’s, Merritts, R & M Imports, etc has it also. Timesavers just has a bigger selection.

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