Does anyone know of a good way to get button springs cheap?

[lancelet]

Without going into a long story....

I have a bunch of joysticks and buttons that were part of a barn find.  Out of the stuff that I've stripped off my bad cabs I can tell I am going to have maybe 60-80 buttons.  Most need springs to return the action to them.  

There must be a place like Lowes or Ace Hardware that sell springs of this size.  I really don't want to place a required minimum order online just to get some springs.  There must me a place where they sell the same-sized springs locally. Any ideas?

And if I can't find them locally, what would be the best route to purchase, say, 50 springs?  

If I do that I will bite the bullet and order a bunch of leaf switches as well (almost all of my joys are leaf switch-and mainly WICO it seems)

I may need the same amount of leaf switches, as most of mine could use new ones.

Thanks for any replies.

-Erik
 

[NoBonus]

Did you ever find your cheap spring source?  Did Lowes carry a comparable spring?


NoBonus

[andrewonawall]

I am looking for these too. I need to bring some long type leaf switches back too life, and the old springs are rusty.
Anyone ever find these??

[Witchboard]

Have you tried making your own?  Just get a certain gauge wire and wrap it around a bolt or something then stretch it out to your desired resistance?

[crashwg]

I'm pretty sure the BYOSpring thing won't work.  I believe springs are tempered after being formed...

[Apollo]

Yes they are and no that won't work.

[rsoandrew]

find a real hardware store (not Lowes, not Home Depot). They typically have the full line of Servalite products (in the yellow plastic containers) and a couple of the boxes are just springs.

They will also have  a guide with life size photos of springs that can be ordered. You need to match the size and twist.

[Tiger-Heli]

Well, if we can match up the right people, 1Up had a post about using buttons with the springs removed, and I kinda liked the idea, so if everyone else that liked the idea and removed their springs sends them to you guys, problem solved.

[NoOne=NBA=]

The button springs make almost no difference to the overall feel.
They may help the button return a tiny bit faster, but the leaf switches do most of the work.

For that matter, they are really optional on the microswitch buttons as well.

The biggest issue affecting button pressure with leaf switches is how far out toward the end of the leaf switch the button sits.
I had some bases that centered the button right on the contact of the leaf switch, and the buttons were really hard to push.
I decided to ditch the bases in favor of mounting the leaf switches on a small block of wood, so that the button centered on the END of the leaf switch, giving it an easier throw.

[Ken Layton]

I believe Happ Controls sells the springs as a replacement part. Check the exploded/parts views on their website.

[Gamecab]

Try "Sears Hardware" if one is in your area.  They have a small parts area in which you can puchase springs from model 22 up to 90 (Chicago Spring Inc Standard sizes).  That's where I get my springs from.

[RayB]

Lancelot and others: Unless the springs are rusted up real bad, I don't think you need to replace them. The biggest cause of buttons sticking isn't the strength of the spring, it's gunk built up between the two plastic parts of the button (ie: between the part that moves down, and the part that's around the part that moves down).

I may be wrong, as I haven't been through 60 to 80 buttons as Lancelot has, but I've had a few used ones stick, and what I did was pop the button part out of the holder part, used some warm soapy water and cleaned the suckers. Now they bounce back just fine!

~Ray B.

[andrewonawall]

Thanks for the tips guys . I think that I'll check at Sears first, and then Happs if I can't find anything.

And yes, they are extremely rusty. There was so much rust that the buttons, which were an opaque white originally, where corroded in rust all around where the two plastic parts meet. I took them apart and was able to clean them up okay, but I don't want to use the old springs that caused this in the first place.

Just out of curiosity, is the reason that the springs are tempered so that they will maintain their shape?

[Tiger-Heli]

Just out of curiosity, is the reason that the springs are tempered so that they will maintain their shape?

Tempering increases the strength of the steel and thus the resistance of the spring.