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Machine Produces Spirals, Springs, Rings, And Other Twisted Metal
  Bill Kerstetter, 281 E. End Mountain Rd., Mill Hall, Penn. 17751 (ph 570 726-3334): “I am a retired welder who needed a hobby. My wife and I started doing a variety of crafts which need spirals, springs, rings, and other twisted metal. I decided to make a machine to produce them. “I needed a gearbox that would be powerful, but slow. I used a gearbox out of an old lift chair and drive it with a 1/2-in. drill.
  “I can twist or wrap steel rods and make all kinds of springs or rings for many types of projects. I’ve made a variety of jigs out of conduit or pipe. I can turn anything from 1/8 to 1/4-in. dia. rod on jigs up to 1 1/2-in. dia.
  “The stock to be twisted is stuck through a hole in one end of the jig, which is then turned slowly by the gearbox. Tightness of the spiral is controlled by the operator. To make rings, I simply make one complete turn, cut off the stock, and flatten it out. Tightness of the spiral is controlled by the operator.
  “Word has spread among friends and neighbors about what this setup will produce so I now make things for other people. It works great and saves a bunch of money as well as trips to town.”




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2017 - Volume #41, Issue #5