polishing the ends of springs

talon · Post by **talon** » Tue Sep 13, 2005 7:56 pm

hello gents

A friend has a really nice polishing wheel on his grinder that he uses to polish the ends of springs. It is dirty white very dense sponge material. He said he got it from Ed Iskederian twenty or so years ago. I guess they used to polish there cams with it. I called isky - they don't sell them - suggested eastwood. I went on there web site and did not see it. I have been surf'n the net trying to find this type of wheel. Do any of you know where to find such a polishing wheel?

Or what are you gents using? Cratex comes apart right?

thanks in advance
Jim

68corvette · Post by **68corvette** » Thu Sep 15, 2005 1:08 am

I have done it hard way.
First i deburr and round all sharp edges and then i rub the ends against different coarseness emery paper on flat surface.
After i get both heads to about 600 grit i polish them with polishing wheel:
http://www.caswellplating.com/buffs/sisal.htm

http://www.sunpoint.net/~pirkonen/spring/P3120005.JPG
http://www.sunpoint.net/~pirkonen/spring/P3130005.JPG

talon · Post by **talon** » Thu Sep 15, 2005 11:13 am

Hello sir

This wheel my friend has is like a stiff thick scotch-brite pad with imbeded fine abrasive. It is so nice to work with. The spring dampners will wear the wheel away too much if you are not careful. But for doing springs - you just lightly move the end of the spring around on the face of the wheel - it does a great job....fast( maybe 10-15 sec end ). Until my friend showed me this wheel - I did it the "hard way" also. My luck - this wheel is probably 20+ years old and they don't make it anymore

Jim

OldSStroker · Post by **OldSStroker** » Thu Sep 15, 2005 3:10 pm

68corvette wrote:I have done it hard way.
First i deburr and round all sharp edges and then i rub the ends against different coarseness emery paper on flat surface.
After i get both heads to about 600 grit i polish them with polishing wheel:
http://www.caswellplating.com/buffs/sisal.htm

http://www.sunpoint.net/~pirkonen/spring/P3120005.JPG
http://www.sunpoint.net/~pirkonen/spring/P3130005.JPG

Why polish the ground ends of a spring? That part doesn't move and has very little stress in it. I've not seen a valve spring fail in the ground end area. On the other hand, it can't hurt, unless you nick the working coils with a grinder or Dremel cutter.

My $.02

bill jones · Post by **bill jones** » Thu Sep 15, 2005 5:28 pm

-I use what is called a "convolute wheel", has that texture that Isky's deal has.
-There are different densitys (hardnesses) and different grits.
-If you are interested I'll look up what those numbers are and put'm up here.
----------------------------------
-What size grinders and spindle sizes are you using?

Post by **SchmidtMotorWorks** » Thu Sep 15, 2005 5:54 pm

Why polish the ground ends of a spring?

I've been wondering that too.

I've seen both insulators and conductors put under springs, I guess it depends on if you think the head is hotter or cooler than the spring.

Maybe the reason is if the springs turn and make filings?

talon · Post by **talon** » Fri Sep 16, 2005 10:54 am

Hello Bill

If you could dig up some info/part num etc. - that would be great. I need to get one. Thanks Bill

Springs spin - outter one way inner another - hec there is all kinds of motion go'in on there. If we could see a high speed video....you'd probably say something like "holy &*@# Batman"

Polishing the ends of the springs helps reduce the friction between the components

Thank
Jim

bill jones · Post by **bill jones** » Fri Sep 16, 2005 11:19 am

-what wheel diameter and wheel width and motor shaft diameter are you interested in?
-Once I get those numbers I'll look up what I'd use.
-------------------------------------------------------------
-I also have some large diameter wheels (were 10" and 12") that are well used but are still plenty good for smaller grinders around an 8".
-I doubt that I have any 6" diamter stuff tho, maybe one new piece.

talon · Post by **talon** » Fri Sep 16, 2005 3:49 pm

Hello Bill

I need a 6" x 3/4 with 1/2 arbor - it is just a little bench grinder

Jim

bill jones · Post by **bill jones** » Fri Sep 16, 2005 10:23 pm

-I would buy from MSC at 1-800-645-7270.
-prices are about $48.

-If you can get a 1" wide wheel in there I'd definetly use a 1" and I don't see any 3/4" wide---all are either 1/2" or 1 " or 2 " wide and they have a 1" hole so you'll have to make a bushing.
--------------------------------------
-I'd prefer a part number 05009071 for a 6" x 1/2"wide (1-8SF) $34.73
-(1-8SF) means fairly hard, silicone carbide grit, and a fine grit.

-or for a 1" wide x 6" diameter use part number #05009220 (1-8SM) at $48.90.
--------------------------------------------
-These are Norton Bear-tex convolute wheels where the 8 is a fairly hard, S stands for silicone carbide and M is medium grit and F is a fine grit.

OldSStroker · Post by **OldSStroker** » Fri Sep 16, 2005 11:30 pm

talon wrote:
Springs spin - outter one way inner another - hec there is all kinds of motion go'in on there. If we could see a high speed video....you'd probably say something like "holy &*@# Batman"

Polishing the ends of the springs helps reduce the friction between the components

Thank
Jim

Thoughts-

-flat dampers are an interference fit between inners and outers to try to keep them from moving relative to each other and damp the surges, right? Why reduce the friction here? That seems counterproductive.

-yep the springs do the "hootchie kootchie" as Smokey described it, but for the spring to leave the seat, it's probably when the valve is closed and the spring is still surging. Don't we want to stop the movement rather than encourage it? Interspring or damper/spring friction is our friend if we have to resort to using it. I like beehives because they don't need so many "crutches" to stay somewhere where they belong.

-most of the friction that heats up the springs doesn't come from the springs rubbing against other things, but from the spring wire twisting as the spring works. A coil spring is just a torsion bar that is coiled up. The spring rate comes from twisting the wire. That makes heat from friction within the wire. AFAIK, oil squirters are used to remove the heat, not lube the springs.

Other thoughts, anyone?

Lasher... · Post by **Lasher...** » Sat Sep 17, 2005 12:41 am

Polishing the flats of springs and rounding the sharp edges of dampners was from way back in the day. This was an era when useing Aluminum Valve Spring Retainers was very common.The rough / sharp surface would chew up the aluminum and lead to failing the retainer. It was common back then to also run a dual spring with no dampners and polish the spring and use Hard Coat Anodized Aluminum Retainers.

I did this decades ago and I am almost embarased to say never had a problem with them... But back then 250 lbs on the seat was a Top Fuel type spring.... Pro Stockers With Small Blocks were using 180 to 200 lbs on the seat.

Cratex was the abrasive I used.... I used to buy the from MSC.

talon · Post by **talon** » Wed Sep 21, 2005 8:55 am

Thanks Bill

"you da' man".

I am just a hobbiest doing machine work on cylinder heads and to find the tools that I need to ... well make my hobby fun....is a good thing. I sit at a desk all day - work for the same company Schmidtmotorworks does and machining is kinda an outlet.

thanks to all those who share input and opinions to my dumb questions

this is truly the best site.

Jim

R.Brown · Post by **R.Brown** » Wed Sep 21, 2005 12:26 pm

I did not read each post on this thread, but when I started 'rounding' the sharp edges on the spring tails and the flat dampers we saw a HUGE reduction in titanium retainer flaking and grooving on the circle track engines built here... I use a cratex wheel on a bench grinder,
Ryan