I hate modern locks that look like 19th century locks. Instead of "V" springs they use coil springs. OK, coil springs are easier to make and increases profits, but I swear the factories either have a gorilla or some sort of jig that compresses springs to insert some sort of retention pin.
I was thinking of making such a tool today out of round stock. It would have been placed on a lathe, faced, drilled out and then cut with a hacksaw by hand. This would have been followed by a file to clean up any burrs. A knob could have been attached to the other end to make it easy to use.
Well, I suspected there was a better way so I approached an instructor at TSJC. He inserted the retention pin and placed the spring atop of it. He then rotated the spring until it wound down the strut. DUH! I felt like an idjit, but at least I'm a smarter one and so are all of you now.
I was thinking of making such a tool today out of round stock. It would have been placed on a lathe, faced, drilled out and then cut with a hacksaw by hand. This would have been followed by a file to clean up any burrs. A knob could have been attached to the other end to make it easy to use.
Well, I suspected there was a better way so I approached an instructor at TSJC. He inserted the retention pin and placed the spring atop of it. He then rotated the spring until it wound down the strut. DUH! I felt like an idjit, but at least I'm a smarter one and so are all of you now.