When shopping for workholding solutions, you may come across spring stops. Also known as spring stop buttons, they feature an enclosed spring that’s designed to press against the side of a workpiece. You can use a spring stop on any flat and even side of a workpiece. As the enclosed spring presses against it, the workpiece will remain stationary.
What Are Spring Stops?
Spring stops are spring-loaded devices with a flat, mountable base. They serve the same purpose as other workholding solutions by holding workpieces in place. Rather than using a clamp, you can use a spring stop to hold a workpiece in place. The spring stop will press against the side of the workpiece to ensure that it doesn’t move while being worked on.
You can see an example of a spring stop in the image above. The depicted spring stop features a flat base with a hollow tube in the middle. A spring runs through the hollow tube, and the spring is affixed with a button on top.
Benefits of Using Spring Stops
While there are other workholding solutions available, spring stops offer several benefits. They are easy to use, for instance. To use a spring stop, you just need to mount it. Spring stops feature a flat base that can be mounted to a workbench or similar surface. You can mount a spring stop by driving threaded fasteners through the base and into the underlying surface.
Rust isn’t a concern with spring stops. Assuming you choose spring stops in the right type of material, you don’t have to worry about it rusting when exposed to moisture. Spring stops are available in rust-resistant materials like aluminum. Aluminum spring stops are lightweight, strong and resistant to rust. You can find spring stops in other materials, but these properties make aluminum a great all-around choice.
Spring stops are also smaller than many other workholding solutions. Granted, you can find them in different sizes. Some of them have a longer and/or wider base than others. Regardless, spring stops are generally small and compact. They won’t consume a lot of space on a workbench, making them preferable over other workholding solutions.
In Conclusion
Spring stops are workholding solutions that leverage an enclosed spring to hold workpieces in place. They have a flat base with a hollow tube in the middle that contains a spring. After being mounted, spring stops will press against workpieces to prevent them from moving.