Do-it-yourself repair of pruning shears with a ratchet mechanism. How to make a spring at home - the process of making it yourself from a string. The best professional pruners
Hello to DIYers, as well as summer residents and gardeners!
Now is the time spring pruning garden trees and bushes. In this case, of course, it is impossible to do without garden pruners. But, as you know, pruning shears (like many other tools) require periodic disassembly for sharpening, lubrication, etc.
So this spring I decided to disassemble my pruning shears in order to sharpen, lubricate and adjust it, since over the previous few years of work it had become dull and a little loose.
I must say that my pruning shears are German and of very good quality. I bought it 7-8 years ago, and since then it has served me well. Moreover, I disassembled it only once during this time, to sharpen it and lubricate it with thick lubricant.
However, as far as I remember, even then, when first disassembling the pruning shears, I encountered the problem of unscrewing and tightening the screw on its working axis.
The fact is that usually the axle on pruning shears is made in the form of a rod or bolt with a thread at the end, onto which a nut is in turn screwed. A pruner with this design is very convenient to disassemble and adjust, since to do this you just need to unscrew or tighten the nut using a regular open-end wrench.
However, on my German pruning shears, the axle is made in the form of a hollow bushing with an M5 screw screwed into it, which, in fact, secures the axle and the entire assembly assembly. At the same time, on the head of the screw for unscrewing it, slots are made (as on a regular screw) for a Phillips screwdriver.
However, the splines in this design are very unreliable. And to be honest, I don’t understand why the German designers didn’t make the screw with a hex head in this case. It would be much more practical and reliable.
As a result, when I began to disassemble my pruning shears for the second time and tried to unscrew the screw with a Phillips screwdriver, the slots began to deform and break off.
As a result, I had to use pliers to unscrew the screw.
Naturally, after I disassembled the pruning shears in this way, I was faced with the problem of repairing or modifying the screw head so that in the future I could use the pruning shears normally.
And then I decided to go the simple way and simply grind the screw head on both sides so that it can be unscrewed and tightened with a regular wrench.
For this I needed: an electric sharpener, pliers, and also wrench by 7 mm.
To make it more convenient to hold the screw during processing, I screwed it back into the sleeve, like into a kind of mandrel.
And then, holding this sleeve in pliers, I ground the screw head on both sides on a sharpening wheel.
And this is what I got!
As you can see, the screw head now fits perfectly with a 7mm wrench.
After that, all I had to do was thoroughly wipe all the parts of the pruner, clean it of old grease and sharpen its cutting parts.
I will not describe sharpening pruners here, since there are many videos about this on YouTube, and anyone who needs it can find it and watch it in detail there.
Then I assembled the pruning shears, having previously lubricated its axle and rubbing surfaces.
At the same time, under the head of the screw, I additionally placed a washer from an M5 bolt for reliability.
After assembly, all I had to do was tighten the screw head with a wrench.
While creating various devices It is very useful to have springs on hand. The question naturally arises: how many, what type and size may you need next time and how to make a spring with your own hands?
However, sometimes a situation arises when it is difficult to find a spring that ideally suits your requirements. So why not make your own?
Making springs may seem intimidating, but with a basic tool and simple instructions, anyone can create one.
In this article I will show you how to make some of them, the simple ones first and then I will move on to some "advanced" tools, but this will not add any complexity to the creation process.
Step 1: Types
Here are a few of the many types of springs we will learn to make. From left to right:
- Tension
- Compressive
- Conical
- Torsion bar
Step 2: Let's get started with basic tools
You can start creating many different types using the tools indicated in the list:
- pin diameter 1.4 cm
- piano string or wire
- pliers with wire cutters
- clamps
- cordless drill
Step 3: Cut the pin
First, take a wooden dowel and cut it to a length of about 12 cm. Then cut a groove in one of its ends for the string. A pin with a diameter of approximately 1.4 cm is best because it fits well into the drill chuck.
Step 4: Create a Tension Spring
The good thing about cordless drills is that you can adjust their rotation speed. To be safe, always use pliers - if the wire comes off, it could cut your hands.
Secure the drill to the table using clamps. One hand rests on the power button of the drill, and the other holds the pliers. Turn the drill as much as you need until you reach the required number of turns. While winding, keep the cord under tension and the spring will turn better.
Step 5: Bending the String
After winding, I bent the remaining ends with pliers and got a tension spring. By experimenting you can achieve various sizes loop.
Step 6: Squeezing
It will require a longer pin, in which a groove will also be cut. When winding, measure the distance between the turns by eye. This will take practice on your part, but it's actually a lot of fun.
Once the spring was ready, I did a test (see last photo). I placed it on the pin, pressed it down on top with a small wooden block and quickly released it - the block shot up to the ceiling.
Step 7: Tapered
The conical shape is made using a drill and a belt sander.
Using the same winding technique, I placed the string into a groove on the pin. Once the spring was completely wound, I trimmed the ends and the conical spring was ready. I made it twice, and the second version came out better.
Step 8: Torsion Bar
To make a torsion bar, I used a brass rod, since the wooden pin could not withstand the load and broke. To create a spring, make several turns and leave a straight section of string at both ends. By bending the ends of the string you will create a good torsion spring.
Step 9: Conclusion
In the photos you can see a compression spring and a set of different springs that I made at home.
I hope you find making it easy and help you make a lot of interesting projects. If you use them regularly, it will also save you money.
