I’m obsessed with making cufflinks - FYI I searched through the entire forum to find an answer to my specific question to no avail. The closest was this thread: Spring Metal but still can’t find the answer.
I joined this website today, paid my dues, because this question has been killing me lol. Ok, so I make all my cufflinks by hand, every single part is my own. I use a lever toggle such as the one in the picture below:
Only one problem: I have no idea where to buy the springs inside from - I actually mass buy generic sterling cufflinks from china, open them up, take the springs, and melt and recycle the silver. I know it’s silly - but I’m self taught everything, and I live in a country with very minimal support from companies and community. This also stops me from making whale tail type toggles.
I wish someone can provide me a link to a place to actually buy the springs - not advice on where I can find them. Please if you know an actual source, listed on the web, where I can buy the spring directly and to my specification of width, I will be forever in your debt. For a year now I have been doing what I said above, and I really am getting anxious about it.
I think browsing for spring steel for watches should throw you some answers. I found https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/371690173546
for strip that was 5*0.2mm for example.
You would of course have to saw or grind the shoulder tabs out.
Thanks [Jelf0] this is the first link to a usable product I have seen, I greatly appreciate it. at least now I can search similar posts for different dimensions if possible.
Thank you so much GaryK, I ordered this one from McMaster-Carr. It will be fun to experiment with cutting them, and this opens a lot of new possibilities for me. Much appreciated.
If you have taken the Chinese ones apart why not just measure them and make them yourself? It’s just a coil of wire wound around a rod. Check the inside and outside diameter, get some springy wire and make them. Put the rod (that the wire gets wrapped around) in a hand drill and put one end of the wire in between the drill bit and the jaws and slowly turn the drill on until you have the amount of wire you want.
Thank you all. I received the Spring strip from McMaster Carr, .01 inch thick, 1/2 inch wide, and was easy to cut and sand. I made the first pair of cufflinks using it and it snaps perfectly. Thank you for your help it really was very useful.
