Posted by Bender on February 07, 2004 at 19:12:21:
In Reply to: Re: B&S clock springs posted by Dick on February 07, 2004 at 17:27:45:
The bends are easier if you heat the end of the spring till it glows orange to remove the temper. Use a pair of heavy longnose pliers as a heatsink to limit the annealed section only to the section to be bent.
Any antique clock repair shop probably has a ton of old mainsprings that they'll give you for next to nothing (if not nothing). A lot of the new mainspring replacement stock is made in India and is actually inferior to an old piece of spring made elsewhere.
I believe that Small Parts also carries flat blue spring stock.