Spring Steel : Making A Spring For Bolex Crank Handle

[Don H Marks]

The spring steel keeper on one of my Bolex cameras broke. This is very annoying as the handle will not stay put when not in use. It flaps around. 

[Don H Marks]

[Don H Marks]

This is the part I need. Not so easy to find. This image is from a "Sold Out" page. 

To make the spring I'll use a feeler gauge. I'll heat it red hot so I can bend it. Then I'll polish it and then heat it only enough to turn blue. That will turn it into a spring. 

The original spring measured about 0.3mm, so I used the 0.011" blade from this set. 

 

[Don H Marks]

Measuring to cut the feeler gauge.

 

Heating the piece red hot (did not show well with the camera's flash).

[Don H Marks]

Bending it into rough shape. It will break if you try to bend it without doing the prior step. 

 

Test fit:

 

 

[Don H Marks]

After polishing with a wire brush (does not show well with flash). Polishing removes the black residue from the previous heating so the color change of the next step is evident.

 

Heating just until it turns blue. Now it is a spring.

BTW, when I make parts like this I err on the side of 'just a little too big' as the parts can be filed smaller if needed. In this case it fit just fine, so I left it this size. 

 

 

Works gerat! The spring grabs a pin on the side of the camera. Now my handle stays in place!!

 

[Moses Buckwalter]

We love to see it! Nice work!